Sports
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal on opposite sides of Aussie Open draw
Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it last year when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the country because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. He also couldn’t compete at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the tournament which begins Monday.Iga Swiatek, the women’s No. 1-ranked player, takes on German Jule Niemeier, who is ranked No.68, in the opening round. The Polish player was a semifinalist at Melbourne Park in 2022, a year in which she won the French and U.S. Open titles.
But the main first-round focus will be on Nadal, who faces a potentially challenging match against British player Jack Draper. Draper, who is 21, was a semifinalist in the Next Gen Championships in November and was to play in a semifinal of the Adelaide International on Friday.
Another opening-round highlight has five-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray against Italian Matteo Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist who is the No. 13-seeded player.Murray defeated Australian Alex De Minaur 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match on Thursday and is pleased with his form.
“It is always difficult in exhibition matches to play like it is the first round of a Grand Slam but I wanted to try to leave everything out on the court to give my body the best preparation, to see how I was moving, to see how I was serving, and it went well,” Murray said.
The potential men’s quarterfinals by seeding are: Nadal vs. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev in what would be a rematch of last year’s final at Melbourne Park, won by Nadal after dropping the initial two sets, and No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the top half; and Djokovic vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev, and No. 2 Casper Ruud vs. No. 8 Taylor Fritz in the bottom half.
Nadal has a leading 22 Grand Slam singles titles, one more than Djokovic.Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who faces Roman Safiullin in the opening round, will play Djokovic in an exhibition match on Friday in Melbourne.
“I am one of the best players in the world, so I am definitely going to go into the Australian Open and any Grand Slam with confidence,” Kyrgios said.
Ons Jabeur, who reached both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals in 2022, is seeded second and plays Tamara Zidansek in the women’s draw.No. 3 Jessica Pegula, who led the U.S. team that claimed the mixed teams United Cup in Sydney last week, faces Jaqueline Cristian from Romania in the first round.Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Alicia Molik, who attended the draw at Melbourne Park, said Pegula is a contender.
“I feel like she has the mental fortitude and I really feel like she can be here late in the stage of the Australian Open,” Molik said.
Seventh-seeded Coco Gauff, who won a tournament in Auckland last week, faces a tough first-round test against Katerina Siniakova, who defeated her in the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November.
British former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, who withdrew from her round of 16 match at the ASB Classic through injury last week, will face German world No. 74 Tamara Korpatsch.
The potential women’s quarterfinals are: Swiatek vs. Gauff in what would be a rematch of last year’s French Open final, won by Swiatek, and Pegula vs. No. 6 Maria Sakkari in the top half of the bracket; and Jabeur vs. No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka, and No. 4 Caroline Garcia vs. No. 8 Daria Kasatkina in the bottom half.Another big first-round match is two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka against Sofia Kenin, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2020.
(ESPN)
World 5,000m silver medallist Mohamed Katir has received a four-year ban for tampering after he was found to have falsified travel documents submitted during an investigation into missed doping tests.
The 26-year-old Spaniard was suspended for two years by the Athletics Integrity Unit [AIU] in February for missing three doping tests in 12 months. But during its investigation the AIU discovered that on the date of one of those missed tests, 28 February 2023, Katir had altered his travel itinerary, boarding pass and booking confirmation in an attempt to mislead investigators who were looking into where he was that day.
The AIU requires athletes to log their whereabouts external to assist unannounced out-of-competition tests.
The four-year ban will run concurrently with Katir’s previous sanction, extending his suspension until February 2028.
“There can be no doubt that the athlete put forward a false version of events and altered documents,” concluded the AIU’s disciplinary tribunal. “He did so in order to persuade WA (World Athletics) that his filing failure on 28 February 2023 should not be treated as a whereabouts failure.”
Katir, who won World Championship bronze in the 1500m in 2022 and silver in the 5,000m in 2023, will miss the Worlds in Tokyo next year and Beijing in 2027.
The AIU asked for Katir’s results from 9 March 2023 onwards to be disqualified but that was rejected by the disciplinary tribunal because the timing of his whereabouts failure did not offer a “competitive advantage which affected his results”.
The head of AIU Brett Clothier said the ruling underscored the seriousness of tampering.
“Gone are the days in athletics when explanations offered in anti-doping cases are just accepted at face value,” said Clothier. “Thanks to strong investment in investigations, since its inception in 2017, the AIU has prosecuted 25 tampering cases.
“The vast majority of our elite athletes respect the strict rules and processes of the sport and they should take heart at the action being taken to ensure a level playing field.”
[BBC Sports]
Australia have dropped Nathan McSweeney and called up 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas to replace him for the final two Tests against India.
New South Wales’ Konstas is in line to become Australia men’s youngest Test batting debutant since Ian Craig in 1953.
McSweeney was preferred to Konstas at the start of the series but he managed only 72 runs across six innings at an average of 14.40.
Australia’s chief selector George Bailey said Konstas’ selection offers the chance to “throw something different” at India’s bowling attack.
“I think Sam’s method and style is different to Nathan’s, should we go down that path,” he said.
Earlier this season Konstas scored two centuries against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, becoming the youngest player to do so since Ricky Ponting in 1993.
Should the right-hander be picked, he would become Australia’s youngest Test debutant since current skipper Pat Cummins, who was 18 years and 193 days when he played against South Africa in 2011.
Seamer Jhye Richardson, who last played a Test in the 2021-22 Ashes, has also been recalled with Josh Hazlewood out injured.
Fellow quick Sean Abbott and all-rounder Beau Webster, both uncapped at Test level, have been retained in the squad, having been called up previously in the series but not selected in the XI.
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, who, like McSweeney, have struggled at the top of the order, have retained their places in the squad.
The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne starts at 23:30 GMT on 25 December with the series tied at 1-1.
Australia squad for final two Tests v India: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Steve Smith, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
[BBC]
Under 19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
St. Peter’s took complete control of their Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament match against Gurukula after rattling the visitors’ batting lineup for just 66 runs at Bambalapitiya on Friday.
Speedsters shared five wickets to give Petes the advantage. Joshua Sebastian took four wickets, his best figures so far in the season, as Gurukula were made to toil for runs.
Dilana Damsara who took two wickets later made the top contribution of the day with the bat for the home side to reach 152 for six wickets at stumps.
This is the third tournament match for St. Peter’s who will be eager to record an outright victory today. Gurukula are playing their fifth match of the tournament. They too are yet to record an outright victory in the tournament proper.
While St. Sebastian’s College Katuneriya dominated their Tier ‘B’ tournament match against Tissa Central Kalutara at Katuneriya, Sri Lanka Under 19 skipper Vihas Thewmika helped Thurstan take command against D.S. Senanayake in their traditional match as he took five wickets on his return from junior national duty in the Asia Cup.
Thewmika took five wickets to restrict the home team to 216 runs at the D.S. Senanayake ground. In reply Thurstan were 140 for one wicket at stumps with Tanuja Rajapakse unbeaten on 64 runs.
At Katuneriya, Tissa Central were facing an uphill task as 20 wickets fell on day one.
Petes in control at Bambalapitiya
Scores
Gurukula 66 all out in 30.2 overs (Poorna Kalhara 22; Joshua Sebastian 4/17, Tharin Senvidu 2/19, Dilana Damsara 2/08)
St. Peter’s 152 for 6 in 43 overs (Dilana Damsara 40, Nathan David 20, Joshua Sebastian 31; Tharusha Kodikara 2/56, Thathsara Eshan 3/37)
Thewmika leads Thurstan with five wickets
Scores
DSS 216 all out in 78.4 overs (Bihan Gamage 27, Janindu Ranasinghe 22, Malitha Perera 24, Shanal Binuksha 36, Sohan Yapa 42; Vihas Thewmika 5/65, Thishen Wickramarathne 3/45)
Thurstan 140 for 1 in 26 overs (Dinal Induwara 51, Tanuja Rajapakse 64n.o., Sethru Fernando 22n.o.)
Tissa struggle at Katuneriya
Scores
Tissa 84 all out in 33 overs (Nadun Asela 37; Maheesha Sithum 2/32, Vihanga Theekshana 3/20, Tharuka Manaram 2/13, ) and 1 for no loss in 1.2 overs
St. Sebastian’s 167 all out in 58.3 overs (Menura Akarshana 34, Naveen Nethsara 26, Maheesha Sithum 50; Tharuka Saminjith 4/39, Malindu Dilshan 4/41)
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World silver medallist Katir handed four-year ban
Australia call-up Konstas, 19, for Boxing Day Test
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