Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Motorcycling-Marini obliterates lap record to take pole at Qatar Grand Prix
VR46 racing rider Luca Marini smashed the lap record late in the second qualifying session to take pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday as Ducati bikes locked out the front row. On a day when the lap record was broken by several riders across the two qualifying sessions, Gresini Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was the first rider to dip below the one minute 52 second mark and he was soon joined by team mate Alex Marquez.
Tennis-Sinner thrills Turin crowd with semi-final win over Medvedev
Home favourite Jannik Sinner became the first Italian to reach the title match in the season-ending ATP Finals as he beat Russian Daniil Medvedev at a raucous Pala Alpitour on Saturday. The 22-year-old soaked up everything Medvedev threw at him and emerged with a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-1 victory.
NBA roundup: Thunder sink Warriors again, this time in OT
Chet Holmgren hit a game-tying 3-pointer in regulation and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 of his 40 points in overtime as the Oklahoma City Thunder swept two games from the Golden State Warriors with a 130-123 victory on Saturday night in San Francisco. Holmgren finished with a season-best 36 points and Jalen Williams had 22 for the Thunder, who used 19 3-pointers and 59.4 percent shooting from behind the 3-point arc to outgun the Warriors 128-109 on Thursday.
Soccer-Haaland to miss Norway’s Euro qualifier with foot injury
Erling Haaland will miss Norway’s final European Championship qualifier against Scotland after injuring his foot in a friendly match against the Faroe Islands, his team doctor said on Saturday. The Manchester City striker suffered a knock in Thursday’s friendly and will not be available for Sunday’s Group A game against Scotland in Glasgow.
Tennis-Djokovic looking to cap off ‘almost perfect’ year with ATP finals win
Novak Djokovic said he is hoping to put the cherry on top of a successful 2023 season with a record seventh ATP Finals title, after the world number one beat Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final to set up a showdown with Jannik Sinner. Djokovic has won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open this year to take his tally up to 24 Grand Slam titles and overtake rival Rafa Nadal. He also surpassed Steffi Graf’s record for the most weeks as world number one.
Golf-Woods to return at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods will return to competitive action at the Hero World Championship, the 15-times major champion said on Saturday, in what will be his first PGA Tour start since undergoing ankle surgery in April. Woods, 47, is hosting the Nov. 30-Dec. 3 tournament in Albany, Bahamas which features six top-10 players in its 20-player field, including American world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Golf-Wallace leads DP World Tour Championship after history-making back nine
Matt Wallace hit nine birdies on the back nine to card a third-round 60 at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Saturday, and takes a one-stroke lead going into the final round. Wallace had 12 birdies in total, but it was the Englishman’s run on the last nine holes which saw him become the first male golfer in a top flight tournament to birdie every hole on either the back nine or the front nine.
NHL roundup: Down by three goals, Avs score 6 to top Stars
Mikko Rantanen and Andrew Cogliano scored 11 seconds apart in the third period, four teammates also scored, and the visiting Colorado Avalanche rallied from three goals down to beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Saturday night. Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton had a goal and an assist each, Ryan Johansen and Miles Wood also scored and Cale Makar had three assists for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev turned away 25 shots.
Tennis-Djokovic beats Alcaraz to set up ATP Finals title clash with Sinner
World number one Novak Djokovic outclassed Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 6-2 on Saturday to reach his ninth ATP Finals title clash where he will face local favourite Jannik Sinner. In a rematch of this season’s Wimbledon final, the winner of an all-time record 24 men’s Grand Slam titles capitalised on the Spaniard’s inconsistency to continue his quest for a seventh trophy this year and become the most successful player in 2023.
Ice hockey-Nottingham Panthers pay tribute to late player Johnson
The Nottingham Panthers paid tribute to the late Adam Johnson by hosting a memorial game at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday as they returned to the ice for the first time since his death. The 29-year-old American died last month after suffering serious injuries during a game against Sheffield Steelers.
(With inputs from agencies.)