Latest - New Zealand Breakers chief executive Matt Walsh has copped a two-game suspension and a $5000 fine following a verbal altercation with NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger.
Matt Walsh Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Walsh and Loeliger were involved in a heated exchange after the Breakers lost their latest match 103-78 to South East Melbourne Phoenix in at Melbourne Arena on Saturday.
The Auckland club's American owner was believed to be fuming over the contentious early ejection of star import guard RJ Hampton. Walsh tweeted "WHAT A JOKE" soon after the ejection.
A short NBL statement said Walsh was found to have breached the league's code of conduct and that no further comment would be made.
Walsh has until Tuesday next week to appeal the sanction.
As it stands, he will be unable to attend this Sunday's match away to the Perth Wildcats and another road match against the Adelaide 36ers a week later.
-AAP
Epic fightback by Nadal
Rafael Nadal produced an incredible fightback to beat Russian Daniil Medvedev and keep his ATP Finals hopes alive, saving a match point at 1-5 down in the deciding third set.
Rafa Nadal Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 33-year-old looked beaten as 23-year-old debutant Medvedev broke serve twice in the decider to stand on the brink of a first career victory over the Spaniard he pushed to five sets in an epic US Open final in September.
For once world number one Nadal's trademark fighting spirit seemed to have deserted him but he saved a match point at 1-5 with a superb drop shot and was suddenly re-energised.
Twice Medvedev served for the match, at 5-2 and 5-4, but he tightened up and Nadal, roared on by the 02 Arena crowd, needed no second invitation to take advantage.
Nadal edged ahead when he held serve at 5-5 and when Medvedev trailed 0-30 in the next game it appeared the Russian was now a spent force.
Nadal will have to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in his last group match to qualify for the semi-finals, while Medvedev now has two losses.
-Reuters
Plenty of runs in Whangarei
The bat dominated the ball in the two-day tour game between England and a New Zealand XI in Whangarei.
The locals finished the game on 376 for five in reply to England's 285 for three.
Auckland batsman Finn Allen hit an unbeaten century.
England play a three day game against New Zealand A before the first Test in Mt Maunganui next Thursday.
The main selection issue for England ahead of the Test is the decision to pick either Chris Woakes or Sam Curran in the bowling attack.
Tall Ferns finalise squad
Tall Ferns Head Coach Guy Molloy has shortened his squad to twelve players, ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Series beginning tonight in Auckland.
Harbour Breeze guard Matangiroa Flavell and St Mary's College (California) forward Amy West are the two young talents omitted from the squad of 14 that has been training in Auckland since Monday.
Molloy says his team is well aware they must finish in the top two to advance to the next round and have planned for their priority games.
"China is not the team with a big target on it, even though we want to play as well as we possibly can against them."
New Zealand play the Philippines tonight.
Kerr heads to London
Australian Sam Kerr, widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, has joined Women's Super League leaders Chelsea.
Sam Kerr Photo: PHOTOSPORT
She is the all-time leading scorer in the National Women's Soccer League in the US and the Australian W-League.
Kerr, 26, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal and is available for the second half of the season from January.
Former Chicago Red Stars and Perth Glory player Kerr scored five goals at the World Cup this summer, leading Australia to the last 16.
Chelsea fought off interest from a number of top European clubs including six-time Champions League winners Lyon, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
-BBC
Wenger to work for FIFA
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been appointed as FIFA's new chief of global football development, with the Frenchman set to oversee the growth of the sport plus technical matters.
The 70-year-old was recently linked with the Bayern Munich job following the sacking of Niko Kovac but said that while he was approached he was never a candidate for the job.
Wenger will be the leading authority on technical matters on FIFA's Football and Technical Advisory Panels involved in the International Football Association Board (IFAB) review and decision-making process on potential changes to the game's laws.
He will also be the chair of a technical study group for football's world governing body.
Wenger left Arsenal in May last year after a reign of 22 years during which he redefined the English Premier League club and became their most successful manager.
-Reuters
Pooran banned for ball-tampering
West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran has been handed a four-game ban for ball tampering during this week's third one-day international against Afghanistan.
The 24-year-old Pooran, who has played 16 ODIs and 14 Twenty20 internationals for West Indies, has admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee, the governing body said in a statement.
"Pooran was charged with violating Article 2.14 of the code, which relates to 'changing the condition of the ball' after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail," the ICC said.
"He will now miss the next four T20I games."
Pooran will not be available for West Indies' three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the first game of the subsequent three-match series against India.
-Reuters
Berdych to retire
Two-time Australian Open semi finalist Tomas Berdych has retired from tennis and will make an official announcement at the ATP Finals in London this weekend, his father has said.
Berdych's father, Martin, told the Czech paper Blesk about the decision which his son seemed to confirm in an online video, saying: "it was supposed to be a surprise."
The 34-year-old former world No.4 has recently suffered hip problems which kept him well away from the form with which he reached the Wimbledon final in 2010.
He reached the last four at Melbourne in 2014 and 2015, also making the semifinals of the US Open in 2012 and the French Open in 2010.
In addition to winning 13 career singles titles, Berdych was Davis Cup champion with the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013.
-AAP
Springbok hooker calls time
Springbok Africa hooker Schalk Brits has announced his retirement from all forms of rugby, the second time the 38-year-old has brought down the curtain on his career.
Brits retired in May 2018 after leaving Saracens but was lured back by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus and helped them lift the Rugby World Cup in Japan this month, ending his international career with 15 caps over an 11-year period.
He played 74 Super Rugby games with the Lions, Stormers, Bulls and more than 200 appearances for English powerhouse Saracens.
-Reuters
Teenager impresses for Pakistan
Pakistan's 16-year-old quick Naseem Shah has given Australia's batsmen plenty to think about with a fiery spell in the drawn pink-ball tour match against Australia A.
Two days after the death of his mother, Naseem delivered a bruising display of fast bowling at Optus Stadium that culminated in the teenager dismissing Marcus Harris (20) with a fearsome bouncer that caught the left-hander's edge.
Boasting an unusual technique and impressive pace, the right-arm quick finished with figures of 1-21 before Australia A captain Alex Carey and Pakistan counterpart Azhar Ali shook hands with half an hour left on Wednesday evening.
Australia A were 91-2 in their second innings at the conclusion of the three-day match, still 367 runs shy of Pakistan's tally after a dominant display by the tourists.
The first Test at the Gabba starts on 21 November.
-AAP
Villa to retire
Spain's all-time top scorer David Villa has announced he is retiring from football at the end of the Japanese top flight season.
Villa, who has been playing in Japan with Vissel Kobe since the beginning of this year, made the announcement with a statement on his official Twitter account as well as calling a news conference.
The 37-year-old began his career with Sporting Gijon, later moving to Real Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid before leaving Spain in 2014 for MLS- side New York City. He also had a brief loan spell at Melbourne City.
He won two La Liga titles with Barca and one with Atletico among other trophies, also lifting the 2011 Champions League title with the Catalans, scoring in the 3-1 win over Manchester United.
Villa also won the 2008 European Championships with Spain and the 2010 World Cup. He retired from international football in 2014 and remains his country's record scorer with 59 goals in 97 games.
-Reuters
Pou-Pou dies
French cyclist Raymond Poulidor, best known for failing to win the Tour de France while coming agonisingly close on numerous occasions, has died aged 83.
Nicknamed "Pou-Pou" and a public favourite because of his perennial runner-up status, Poulidor's rivalry with compatriot Jacques Anquetil - who won the Tour de France five times - gripped the country in the 1960s.
As Anquetil's career wound down at the end of that decade, many thought Poulidor's time had come. But it was not to be ashis path was then blocked by another Tour de France great, Belgian Eddy Merckx, who also won the sport's big prize five times between 1969 and 1974.
Poulidor finished the Tour de France in second place three times (1964, 1965, 1974) and five times in third (1962, 1966, 1969, 1972 and 1976).
He did win one Grand Tour during his almost 20-year career, the Spanish Vuelta in 1964, as well as several classics, including "Monument" Milan-San Remo in 1961 and La Fl+che Wallonne in 1963. He also won seven Tour de France stages.
-Reuters
