Sabalenka beats Svitolina to reach fourth straight Australian Open final
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. The top-ranked Sabalenka defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the first of the women's semifinals and has moved to within one victory of a third title in four years at Melbourne Park. Sabalenka will next face the winner of the semifinal between Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina. A point penalty for hindrance against Sabalenka at the start of the fourth game proved to be only a momentary distraction.
Patriots' Robert Kraft says Bill Belichick unequivocally deserves to be first-ballot Hall of Famer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Count New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft among those shocked that Bill Belichick reportedly will not be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In a statement to The Associated Press, Kraft said he believes Belichick’s accomplishments unequivocally merit election to the Hall on his first ballot. Citing unidentified sources, ESPN reported Tuesday that Belichick didn’t receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. Tom Brady, who played under Belichick for 20 seasons and won six Super Bowl titles together, called that decision “completely ridiculous.”
How are the inductees selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Bill Belichick’s reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach has placed scrutiny on the process of picking pro football Hall of Famers. While the specific reasons why Belichick didn’t get into the Hall in his first year of eligibility are unknown, there are some possible explanations.
Todd Monken, ex-Ravens offensive coordinator, hired as the Cleveland Browns head coach
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as the franchise’s 19th full-time head coach, wrapping up a three-week search. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired on Jan. 5, the day after Cleveland finished a 5-12 season. This is Monken’s first NFL head coaching job after 11 years in the league as an assistant. He spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. He first interviewed on Jan. 10 and had a second interview on Jan. 20. Monken previously served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019.
Ziebell leads UConn to 50th consecutive Big East regular-season victory, beating Xavier 97-39
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Allie Ziebell had a UConn program record-tying 10 3-pointers and a career-high 34 points, and Sarah Strong had 19 of her 25 points in the first half as the top-ranked Huskies won their 38th consecutive game with a 97-39 win over Xavier on Wednesday night despite missing two of its top four scorers. Ashlynn Shade had 12 points, nine steals, six rebounds and six assists for UConn. It was the 50th regular-season win in a row in Big East play. Mariyah Noel had 12 points, and Meri Kanerva added 11 for Xavier.
Brooks Koepka gets a fresh start at a familiar place in Torrey Pines
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Brooks Koepka is used to being the center of attention when he's winning majors. Now he's in the spotlight just by playing on the PGA Tour. The five-time major champion becomes a footnote in PGA Tour history as the first member to defect to Saudi-funded LIV Golf and find his way back on tour. It starts Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Koepka says he has some catching up to do because so much has changed on the tour in the last three-and-a-half years. That includes some of the names of players he is facing.
Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf. He can return to the PGA Tour in September
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour. Reed is the second major champion to leave LIV. He posted his intentions Wednesday on social media. His decision comes the same week that Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines. The PGA Tour has shared the news in a memo to players. Reed is eligible to return to the PGA Tour in September. It will be one year since he last played on LIV in August 2025. The tour season will be over by then but he can play in the fall.
LeBron James wipes away tears during tribute, says he doesn't know if he'll play in Cleveland again
CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James doesn’t know if Wednesday night will end up being his last trip to Cleveland as a player. If James doesn’t return, the Cavaliers and their fans continued to let James know how much he means to them. James teared up during a video tribute played during a timeout in the first quarter. The 41-year-old Akron native wiped his eyes with a towel after the Cavs played highlights of him scoring 25 straight points in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. The Lakers lost 129-99 to the Cavs, but James appreciated getting to see his son, Bronny James, play in the fourth quarter.
Real Madrid dropped by Mourinho's Benfica into Champions League playoffs round alongside PSG
Real Madrid was stunningly dumped into the knockout playoffs of the Champions League by its former coach Jose Mourinho and will be joined there by Paris Saint-Germain. Madrid started play third in the 36-team standings but despite two goals by Kylian Mbappé lost 4-2 at Benfica and fell to ninth — one place below advancing direct to the round of 16. Benfica only advanced to the knockout phase in 24th place because goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored deep in stoppage time. PSG and Newcastle both started in the top eight but drew 1-1 in Paris. They fell to 11th and 12th respectively.
Feeling disrespected, Djokovic plans on 'creating my own history' in Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic is feeling disrespected. He had to pause before summarizing a question out loud just to process it again as he previewed his Australian Open semifinal against Jannik Sinner. The most successful player ever in men’s tennis didn't like the tone when asked to compare eras where he's been ‘chasing’ other rivalries to win titles. He says “I don’t feel like I’m chasing, to be honest. I’m creating my own history.” Djokovic reached the semifinals at all four majors last year but couldn't add to his record 24 titles. Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have split the last eight Grand Slam singles events. Alcaraz plays Alexander Zverev in Friday's other semifinal.
