Update on the latest sports
APAUSTRALIAN OPEN
Nadal meets Tsitsipas in quarterfinal
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal’s sore back seems to be improving as he heads into the Australian Open quarterfinals with an eye on a men’s-record 21st Grand Slam singles title. The Spanish left-hander’s opponent will be Stefanos Tsitsipas, who did not need to hit a shot in the fourth round because No. 9 Matteo Berrettini withdrew with an injury.
The other quarterfinal on their half of the draw will be No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 U.S. Open runner-up, against No. 7 Andrey Rublev in an all-Russian matchup.
There’s also a one-nation women’s quarterfinal between Americans Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula. They are good friends off the court and have played doubles together. Brady has not dropped a set through four matches at the Australian Open so far.
The other women’s quarterfinal has top-ranked Ash Barty of Australia playing Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Barty is bidding to reach her second successive Australian Open semifinal and win her home Grand Slam for the first time. Both players are unbeaten in 2021 and have not dropped a set this tournament.
In Tuesday action:
— Defending champion Novak Djokovic beat sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (6) to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the ninth time. The top-ranked Djokovic has never lost at Melbourne Park after making it to the last four. He shattered his racket in the third set by smashing it into the court when he lost a game. But that only seemed to spur a resurgence as he won the next five games to take the set. He will next play Aslan Karatsev after the No. 114-ranked Russian qualifier beat Grigor Dimitrov to become the first man in the professional era to reach the semifinals at his first Grand Slam tournament.
— Serena Williams returned to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time since she won the tournament in 2017. Williams claimed the last five games and beat No. 2 seed Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals despite 33 unforced errors. She set up a showdown with Naomi Osaka for a spot in the final. Osaka advanced by overpowering Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2. Williams is seeking a record-tying 24th major singles championship.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Bucks back home, hoping to end losing streak
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks begin an eight-game homestand looking to recover from three straight losses on the road. The Bucks are 16-and-11 so far this season. Last year after 27 games, they were 24-and-3 with an 18-game winning streak.
Also on the NBA schedule:
— The Los Angeles Lakers are in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. The Lakers will be missing Anthony Davis, who is out indefinitely after aggravating the injury to his Achilles tendon.
— The Phoenix Suns, winners of six in a row, host the Brooklyn Nets, who beat Sacramento by 11 points Monday even with injured Kevin Durant watching from the bench.
— The Boston Celtics, who’ve lost 10 of their last 16, host the Denver Nuggets, winners of three straight.
— The New Orleans Pelicans, on a three-game losing streak, are in Memphis to play the Grizzlies. New Orleans won their last matchup, 118-109, earlier this month.
— The Portland Trail Blazers, winners of four straight, are in Oklahoma City. The Thunder is coming off of a five-point win over the Bucks Sunday night.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Knights and Avalanche play second of four
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche continue their four-game set in Las Vegas, before playing the third of the four games at Lake Tahoe later this week and then the finale in Denver next Monday. Vegas won the opener on Sunday, 1-0.
Also on the NHL schedule:
— The Pittsburgh Penguins are unbeaten at home so far this season — and three of their five wins there have come against the Washington Capitals. The two teams meet again in Pittsburgh tonight.
— The Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators in what was supposed to be the second game of a Monday-Tuesday set. But last night’s game was postponed because of the winter weather affecting Texas.
— The New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres complete a two-game set in Buffalo.
— The Minnesota Wild, who’ve had six games postponed because of COVID-19 cases within the team, are scheduled to skate at Los Angeles.
— The New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Illinois at Northwestern
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — In college basketball, fifth-ranked Illinois plays at Northwestern. The Illini moved up one spot in the last AP poll.
The only other action involving ranked teams finds number-20 Missouri at Georgia, and 24th-ranked Arkansas hosting Florida.
NFL-CHIEFS-BRITT REID
Girl hurt in crash involving Chiefs coach Britt Reid awake
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The family of a 5-year-old girl left in a coma following a crash involving Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid says the girl is now awake. The news was delivered Monday in a post on the GoFundMe page for Ariel Young. The girl has been hospitalized since the Feb. 4 crash.
Reid is head coach Andy Reid’s son. Britt Reid was initially placed on administrative leave following the multi-vehicle crash. He’s no longer employed by the team.
Police said the crash happened near the team’s training complex next to Arrowhead Stadium when Reid’s truck slammed into two cars on the side of the road. Police say Reid admitted to having “two or three drinks” before the crash.
