Venus Williams upended defending champion Johanna Konta 5-7 6-1 6-2 on Monday to reach the Miami Open quarter-finals while a dominant Victoria Azarenka also advanced with a straightforward win over Agnieszka Radwanska. Three-times champion Williams stormed back from an early deficit to cruise past the British 11th seed, who needed several bouts of treatment on her lower back throughout a match that lasted two hours and 19 minutes. Perhaps more impressive was that Williams, who turns 38 in June, was able to look so in control despite playing a day after spending nearly three hours on the cour ... Read More

Twenty-four years ago Fanie de Villiers dismantled an Australian cricket team with a sensational spell of swing bowling. Now he has emerged as one of the key figures in exposing the current Australian side as ball tamperers. In January 1994, an inexperienced South African team, on their first tour of Australia after two decades of political isolation, faced almost certain defeat when Australia needed just 116 runs to win the second Test in Sydney. Playing in just his second Test, De Villiers took six for 43 and bowled South Africa to an improbable five-run victory in a match in which they ha ... Read More

Australian skipper Steve Smith today relinquished captaincy of Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming 11th edition of Indian Premier League starting 7th of next month. Indias Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has been named new skipper of Rajasthan Royals. Steves decision to step down came in the wake of severe backlash he has faced after admitting to ball tampering during the third Test against South Africa. Steve has been given a one-Test ban by the ICC. But Cricket Australia is understood to be considering still harsher sanctions. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman, mentor of another IPL franchisee, Sun ... Read More

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has hinted that the nations involvement in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia can be a curtailed one owing to the nerve-agent attack in Britain earlier this month, allegedly backed by Russians.The FIFA World Cup is one of the further actions that could be taken in relation to this matter, she was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald while addressing a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. ... Read More

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has chosen PV Sindhu as the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent for the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The IOA, it is learnt, picked the 22-year-old Rio Games silver medalist ahead of Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal, who were also in contention, because of ‘better colour of the medal at the Olympics and her consistent performances in the last few years. The opening ceremony will be held at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast on April 4. World Championship and Olympic medalists Mary Kom and Nehwal – both competing in their second Comm ... Read More

Novak Djokovic’s 16-match Key Biscayne winning streak ended, and his struggle to come back from an elbow injury continued. Djokovic lasted barely an hour at a tournament he has won six times, losing his opening match Friday in the Miami Open to Benoit Paire, 6-3, 6-4. The defeat was Djokovic’s third in a row. He returned from a six-month injury absence at the Australian Open and lost in the fourth round, and was upset two weeks ago at Indian Wells by Taro Daniel, a 109th-ranked qualifier. I’m trying, but it’s not working, Djokovic said. Obviously, I’m not feeling great when I’m ... Read More