Update on the latest sports
APTENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Djokovic wins 9th Australian Open, 18th Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) has beaten Daniil Medvedev (DAN’-ihl MEHD’-veh-dehv) in three sets to win his ninth Australian Open championship and 18th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic used superb serving, his usual relentless returning and baseline excellence to grab 11 of 13 games in one stretch and beat Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to end the Russian’s 20-match winning streak.
It’s the third consecutive Australian Open trophy for the No. 1-seeded Djokovic. The 33-year-old from Serbia has won six of the last 10 major tournaments overall and his total of 18 Slams moves him within two of the men’s record of 20 shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
The No. 4-seeded Medvedev was appearing in his second Grand Slam final. He was the runner-up to Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open. Sunday’s loss ended the Russian’s 20-match winning streak.
PGA-GENESIS INVITATIONAL
Burns survives toughest weekend at Riviera to lead by 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sam Burns made two big par putts Sunday morning in the Genesis Invitational to finish a 3-over 74 for a two-shot lead on what turned out to be the toughest weekend round at Riviera since the PGA Tour started keeping such records.
Burns had a two-shot lead over Dustin Johnson, Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa.
The third round had to be completed ahead of the final round because of wind so strong it halted play Saturday for four hours and made Riviera, a tough test in normal weather, feel like a U.S. Open.
The average score was 73.34, the highest ever for a third or fourth round at Riviera. Fitzpatrick was among only three players who managed to break 70. His 69 matched the low score, and it included a bogey on the final hole.
Burns was at 9-under 204.
NHL-OUTDOOR GAME-ICE CONDITIONS
Bright sun, poor ice delay outdoor NHL game at Lake Tahoe
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — The start of Sunday’s outdoor NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers has been moved back by more than five hours to avoid the bright sunshine that caused problems for the weekend’s first game at Lake Tahoe.
The setting was spectacular for Saturday’s game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche but the ice conditions were far from it, leading to a more than eight-hour delay. Bright sun and temperatures hovering around freezing made the ice slushy, causing players and officials to fall repeatedly. The game was halted between the first and second periods and didn’t resume until 8 hours and 7 minutes later, with the Avalanche leading 1-0. Colorado eventually won the game 3-2.
Sunday’s game at will now start at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time. It had originally been scheduled for a noon local start and then was moved back to 11 a.m. earlier in the week because of the forecast. The game has also been moved from NBC to NBCSN, with the New Jersey Devils-Washington Capitals game previously scheduled for 7 p.m. EST now being changed to 2 p.m. and being broadcast on NBC.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS
Rockies’ Desmond opts out for 2nd straight season
UNDATED (AP) — Colorado Rockies veteran outfielder Ian Desmond is opting out for a second straight season.
Desmond announced Sunday on his Instagram account that his Desire to be with his family is greater than his desire to play baseball “under these circumstances.” He added “for now” in his statement to opt out, leaving the door open for a possible return. He said he is going to train and “watch how things unfold.”
The 35-year-old Desmond is in the final year of a five-year, $70 million deal he signed in December 2016. He is scheduled to make $8 million this season. Colorado has a $15 million option for 2022 with a $2 million buyout.
In opting out last year for the coronavirus-shortened season, Desmond cited a desire to spend more time with his family and to help grow youth baseball in his Florida hometown. He also said the COVID-19 pandemic made the baseball season “a risk I am not comfortable taking.”
In other pandemic-related news:
— Texas A&M’s Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game at Kentucky on Tuesday night has been postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and quarantining within the Aggies’ program. It’s the seventh consecutive postponement for A&M, which hasn’t played since beating Kansas State in late January in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The SEC has built in March 5-7 to make up games postponed because of COVID-19 protocols, but no makeup date has been determined. Kentucky’s Dec. 29 SEC game against South Carolina was also postponed.
