Maria Sharapova suffered a late wobble in the blazing centre court heat before easing past 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1 7-6(4) to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday. With the temperatures soaring, the former champion fired a barrage of winners past the Latvian to roar through the first set in 23 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Sharapova wavered when serving for the match at 5-4, allowing Sevastova to drag the match into a tiebreak, but the Russian doubled down on her baseline firepower to raise three match points quickly. She closed out the match on the second when Sev ... Read More

World number 123 Bernarda Pera sent ninth seed Johanna Konta tumbling out of the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-4 7-5 upset in blazing sunshine on court two. A lacklustre serving display from the British number one allowed lefthander Pera ample opportunity to showcase her powerful returns off both sides and the 23-year-old American duly delivered. A single break of serve for 5-4 was enough to sew up the first set after 39 minutes when Konta sent a backhand long and lucky loser Pera was soon over the Britons serve in the second. Konta, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Par ... Read More

Indian Under-19 cricket team breezed into the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup quarterfinals after hammering minnows Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in a low-scoring group B clash in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, on Tuesday. (India vs Papua New Guinea scorecard) Skipper Prithvi Shaw slammed a strokeful fifty while spinner Anukul Roy claimed a maiden five-wicket haul at the Bay Oval to earn India the win. Roy emerged as the wrecker-in-chief for India as he run through the opposition, returning with impressive figures of 6.5-2-14-5 after skipper Shaw won the toss and elected to field first under ... Read More

India continued their dominant run in the Under 19 World Cup by dishing out a clinical all-round performance with the ball that saw them steamroll Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in their second Group B match on Tuesday. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy finished with impressive figures of 5-14 as PNG were rolled over for a lowly 64. Indian batsmen, in reply, broke no sweat and took just eight overs to register their second win of the tournament and fourth over PNG in Under-19 World Cups. Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra made ensured India sealed a rather comfortable win that helped improve their NRR t ... Read More

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has been appointed as an adviser by NorthEast United FC for the remainder of the Indian Super League season. I agreed to the challenge and I am hitting the ground running. India is a new and exciting environment for football and I look forward to the pace of the League. I have confidence in the club and we will do all we can to take the club forward,said Grant, who is a long-time friend of NorthEast United FC owner John Abraham. ... Read More

Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to a hip injury. The Briton, a five-time runner-up at Melbourne Park, was in doubt for the years first grand slam after pulling out of the Brisbane International. It was confirmed on Thursday that Murray would miss the Australian Open, which starts on January 15. The 30-year-old three-time major champion is returning home, and may yet need surgery on his hip. ... Read More