Del Potro unlikely to be fit for Australian Open
Juan Martin del Potro is unlikely to be fit enough to play in next month’s Australian Open, the Argentine told a news conference on Tuesday. The former US Open champion also cast doubt on whether he would play in the Davis Cup first round tie at home to Italy in February when Argentina begin the defense of their title.
Kvitova undergoes hand surgery following knife attack, full recovery expected
Two-time Wimbledon tennis champion Petra Kvitova underwent nearly four hours of surgery on her playing hand on Tuesday after she was stabbed by a knife-wielding intruder in her home in the Czech Republic. Early indications showed the Czech world number 11 could well make a recovery and return to tennis, where she has been a mainstay in the top rankings for the past five years.
Motor racing: Bottas closer to Mercedes move amid Williams shake-up
Formula One’s post-season shake-up took another spin on Tuesday with Williams announcing the departure of technical head Pat Symonds while Valtteri Bottas moved closer to Mercedes and Felipe Massa’s retirement looked to be coming to an end. Williams said Symonds, 63, would be leaving them on Dec. 31, the news coming amid speculation that Paddy Lowe is set to join them from dominant world champions Mercedes to take up a similar role.
Jagr ties Messier as second highest NHL points scorer
Jaromir Jagr moved into a tie for second place on the NHL’s all-time points list on Tuesday, the Czech winger grabbing three assists for the Florida Panthers in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The 44-year-old Jagr reached reach the towering number of 1,887 points with an assist for Nick Bjugstad that tied the game at 3-3 late in the third period, drawing him level with Hall of Famer Mark Messier.
Rose helps Anthony bloom as Knicks overcome Pacers
When the New York Knicks acquired point guard Derrick Rose in the off-season they envisioned a playmaker who could accelerate to the rim and become a secondary scorer to Carmelo Anthony. The only question was could the injury-plagued Rose, a former MVP with the Chicago Bulls, hold up to the rigors of a full season?
Tennis: Queen Elizabeth stands down as All England Club patron
Queen Elizabeth has relinquished her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), home of the Wimbledon championships, after 64 years and will be replaced by The Duchess of Cambridge, a statement from the club said on Tuesday. The long-serving British monarch, who turned 90 in April, memorably presented the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy to home favorite Virginia Wade after she won the women’s singles title in 1977, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year.
Basketball: From humble beginnings, hoops celebrates 125th birthday
A game drawn up to occupy some bored boys as winter approached at a Massachusetts gymnasium celebrates its 125th anniversary on Wednesday and basketball’s status as the world’s second most popular sport. Basketball began on Dec 21, 1891 at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) gym in Springfield with rules made up by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith.
