In today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The Tall Blacks remain top of their Asian World Cup qualifying group after beating Saudi Arabia 80-65 in Dammam.

New Zealand dominated the first half and led 55-25 at the break.

However the homeside fought back after the break to close the gap, but the Tall Blacks were able to control the tempo of the game.

Shea Ili top scored with 14 points, Ben Gold had 13 and Issac Fotua 12.

The Tall Blacks now head home to play Jordan in Auckland on Monday.

The top three in each group qualify for next year's World Cup.

England on top

Jonny Bairstow led England to within 40 runs of South Africa's first innings total, with seven wickets in hand, on the first day of the second test at Old Trafford.

England were 111 for three at the close of play with Bairstow on 38 not out and opener Zak Crawley playing a crucial supporting role on 17 from 77 balls.

The fourth wicket partnership of 68 put England in a promising position after they had struggled early on, left at 43-3 after Joe Root was dismissed for nine.

South Africa had been bowled out for 151 after losing five wickets before lunch, with England's James Anderson and Stuart Broad picking up three wickets apiece.

The Proteas won the first test by an innings and 12 runs.

-Reuters

Tough draw for Serena

Serena Williams begins what is expected to be her final U.S. Open with a match against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic but things could get tough quickly for the 23-times Grand Slam champion with second seed Anett Kontaveit possibly awaiting the winner.

The U.S. Open draw released today did Williams no favours, the 40-year-old American landing in the bottom quarter where fifth-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the Wimbledon runner-up, 10th-seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina and last year's losing finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada all lurk.

Williams signalled her intention to retire this month, saying she was "evolving away from tennis" but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.

The tennis world, however, is preparing a massive retirement party at Flushing Meadows with fans hoping it will be a long one.

Williams starts her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title against a player she has never faced before.

But the six-times U.S. Open winner will be wary of the 189th-ranked Kovinic, who has enjoyed her best career Grand Slam results this year having reached the third round at the Australian and French Opens.

-Reuters

Mixed start for Fox

Auckland golfer Ryan Fox has made an average start to European Masters tournament in Switzerland.

Following a three week break Fox fired and opening round one over par 71 to be tied for 99th.

Fox, who is currently sixth in the World Tour rankings had five bogeys and four birdies in his round.

He's nine shots behind the leaders Thriston Lawrence of South Africa and Alejandro Canizares of Spain.

Champions League draw

Holders Real Madrid will take on RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in the Champions League group stage while Barcelona will face Bayern Munich and Inter Milan following today's draw.

Real captured a record-extending 14th European crown when they beat Liverpool in last season's final and, on paper, Carlo Ancelotti's side should have few problems in making the last 16 from Group F.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski will take on his former side in the group stage after the five-times champions were drawn with Bayern in Group C along with Inter and Viktoria Plzen.

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland will also face his former employers as the English champions were drawn in Group G with Borussia Dortmund. Sevilla and FC Copenhagen completed the group.

Qatari-owned Paris St Germain begin their quest for a maiden trophy in Europe's elite club competition in a tricky Group H with Juventus, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa.

Last season's runners-up Liverpool meet Ajax Amsterdam, Napoli and Rangers in Group A.

The Champions League group stage will begin earlier than usual on Sept. 6 and conclude ahead of this year's World Cup finals which take place in Qatar from Nov. 20.

The Champions League knockout stages begin in February, with the final taking place in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium in June.

-Reuters

Boult still wants to play tests

Trent Boult hasn't given up hope of playing test cricket again despite declining a central contract with New Zealand Cricket.

Boult has negotiated a "significantly reduced role" with the Black Caps citing the need to spend time with his family though he remains open to stints in Twenty20 leagues.

Aware that not having a central contract would affect his chances of national selection, Boult hoped the Leeds test against England in July would not prove his last.

"I hope not," said the seamer, who was picked for the three-match Chappell-Hadlee one-day international series in Australia.

"I'm fully aware that with the decision I made to give that contract back, it's going to affect that selection. I'm taking it almost week by week really."

"I know the next series is in Pakistan and then at my home ground against England in the new year, but it's too far away to tell.

The paceman, who was part of the New Zealand squads that finished runners-up in the last two editions of the 50-overs World Cup, wanted to have another shot at winning one-day cricket's biggest title in India next year.

"It's only a few months around the corner and there's a lot of hunger to try to have another crack at that trophy."

-Reuters

Young Belgian grabs red jersey

Belgium's young all-rounder Remco Evenepoel grabbed the leader's red jersey at La Vuelta in a dramatic conclusion to a rain-drenched sixth stage won by Australian Jay Vine.

The 22-year-old rider for the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team, left a group including reigning champion Primoz Roglic in his wake as he chased Vine up to the murky Pico Jano summit.

Evenepoel, long-tipped as a Grand Tour winner, put the hammer down through rain and fog and finished 15 seconds behind Vine (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who claimed his first career win.

Roglic, who took the red jersey on Tuesday but relinquished it on stage five, appeared to struggle on the final climb, the first category one ascent this year, and trailed home in a group of fellow GC contenders one minute and 37 seconds back.

Evenepoel leads the standings by 21 seconds from Frenchman Rudy Molard whose hopes of keeping the red jersey were hampered by a mechanical before he got dropped.

Jumbo-Visma rider Roglic, bidding for a fourth successive Vuelta overall victory, is in fourth place overall, one minute and one second behind.

-Reuters

Ricciardo may take a year off

Daniel Ricciardo said he could take a 'sabbatical' from Formula One next season "if it makes sense" after his split with McLaren.

The Australian was speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, a day after he and the team announced their separation at the end of the season.

"If it makes sense, yes," the 33-year-old driver said when asked whether he might consider a year out if the right opportunity did not come along.

"(Formula One) is the only racing I'm interested in. At this stage of my career, F1 is what I love and where I see myself if I'm doing any racing.

"But let's say the stars don't align and it doesn't make perfect sense next year and if it means taking that time off to kind of reset or re-evaluate, then if that's the right thing to do then I will."

Ricciardo will not suffer financially, with McLaren effectively paying him millions not to race for them.

Several teams have yet to confirm their lineups, including Renault-owned Alpine -- Ricciardo's previous employers who are battling McLaren for fourth place overall.

Alpine want Australian reserve driver Oscar Piastri to replace departing double world champion Fernando Alonso but the 21-year-old has rejected the offer and is expected to join McLaren.

-Reuters