Pliskova, Wozniacki advance to Miami semi-finals
(Reuters) – Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova avenged her Australian Open quarter-final loss to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3 6-4 win over the 26th-seeded Croatian to secure a spot in the Miami Open semi-finals on Tuesday.
Trump declines Nationals’ invite to throw first pitch
(The Sports Xchange) – President Donald Trump will not participate in the longstanding tradition of presidents throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Washington Opening Day games due to a scheduling conflict.
Iran close in on World Cup, China teeter on the brink
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Iran took a significant step towards qualifying for next year’s World Cup finals with a 1-0 win over China on Tuesday that pushed Marcello Lippi’s team closer to the brink of elimination.
Liverpool’s Lallana out with thigh injury: reports
(Reuters) – Liverpool’s England midfielder Adam Lallana could be out for up to a month after suffering a thigh injury on international duty, British media reported on Tuesday.
Russia fight back to snatch late draw with Belgium
(Reuters) – Alexander Bukharov scored a stoppage-time equalizer as World Cup hosts Russia came from two goals down at halftime to hold Belgium to a 3-3 draw in a friendly in Sochi on Tuesday.
Ice hockey: Women’s team reach tentative deal in pay dispute – report
(Reuters) – USA Hockey and the women’s national team reached a tentative agreement in their wage dispute that will avert a boycott of the upcoming world championships, according to a USA Today report on Tuesday.
Snowboarding: Injured McMorris named in Canada Olympic team
(Reuters) – Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, who is recovering in hospital from injuries sustained in an off-piste accident, received good news on Tuesday when he was provisionally nominated to Canada’s 2018 Olympic team.
Soccer: Messi banned for four international matches
ZURICH (Reuters) – Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been banned from their next four competitive internationals, starting with Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Bolivia, for swearing at a match official, FIFA said on Tuesday.
Cycling: Nibali is only Italian with talent, says Cipollini
(Reuters) – Giro d’Italia great Mario Cipollini bemoaned Italy’s lack of talent on the international cycling circuit, naming former Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali as the only ‘talented’ rider.
Soccer: FIFA decision process on 48 World Cup teams unacceptable – Rummenigge
ATHENS (Reuters) – The decision-making process that led FIFA to increase the number of teams at the World Cup to 48 starting with the 2026 tournament is unacceptable, European Club Association (ECA) chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday.
