Federer to miss Australia; planning 2021 return
Roger Federer withdrew from the Australian Open while he continues preparing to return to action after two operations on his right knee and a tour absence that will have lasted longer than a year, his agent told The Associated Press.
Tony Godsick — Federer’s long-time representative and CEO of their management company, TEAM8 — said Sunday he is working on putting together a 2021 tennis calendar for the 20-time Grand Slam champion, who plans to get back to competition soon after the year’s first major tennis tournament.
This ends Federer’s streak of 21 consecutive appearances at Melbourne Park, a run that began with his 2000 debut there and includes six championships.
The start of the Australian Open’s main draw was delayed by three weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and is now scheduled to begin on Feb. 8. In other news related to the tournament, Tennis Australia announced that five-time runner-up Andy Murray was given a wildcard entry.
Murray, a three-time major champion and former No. 1, is 122nd in the rankings after going through two hip operations and considering retirement.
College football
UTAH’S JORDAN DIED IN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING » Ty Jordan, a star freshman
running back for the University of Utah, died at a Dallas-area hospital after accidently shooting himself, authorities said.
University officials announced Jordan’s death Saturday, a day after he was named Pac-12’s newcomer of the year, but did not release details.
Jordan, 19, died in an emergency room at a hospital in Denton around 10:45 p.m. on Christmas Day, according to medical examiner’s records.
Soccer
MESSI TO MISS MATCH » Soccer great Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona’s Spanish league game against Eibar on Tuesday while he recovers from an unspecified ankle injury.
In a statement, fifthplace Barcelona said “first team player, Lionel Messi, is completing the treatment for his right ankle, and is expected to return to
training after the FC Barcelona v SD Eibar match.”
Messi is reportedly in Argentina taking a short winter break after Barcelona gave its players some time off following their last game on Dec. 22 against Valladolid.
Messi played the entire 90 minutes of the 3- 0 win over Valladolid and scored his 644th career goal for Barcelona to overtake Pelé’s all-time scoring milestone for their clubs.
As of Jan. 1, Messi can negotiate with other clubs as his contract with Barcelona is set to expire in June. LEEDS 1, BURNLEY 0 » Leeds came out on the better side of two contentious penalty calls in a win over Burnley.
Patrick Bamford scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute, converting a spot kick after he was adjudged to have been tripped by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope after latching onto a long ball. It was the striker’s 10th goal of the season.
Burnley’s players were aggrieved at that decision by the referee — replays suggested Pope might have got a touch to the ball — and they were also upset at not being awarded a penalty at the other end of the field in the 19th minute.
Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier came out to collect a high ball and appeared to jump into the back of Burnley defender Ben Mee, who was competing for the ball. Meslier dropped the ball, and Ashley Barnes swivelled to shoot into the net but a foul was called against Mee.
The VAR could not award a goal as the referee had blown for a foul before the ball went into the net.
LIVERPOOL 1, WEST BROMWICH 1 » Liverpool dropped points at Anfield for the first time this season after conceding an 82nd-minute equalizer to draw against lowly West Bromwich Albion.
WOLVES 0, TOTTENHAM 0» Wolves striker Raul Jimenez made a welcome return to Molineux for the first time since sustaining a fractured skull and saw teammate Romain Saiss score an 86th-minute equalizer to secure a draw against Tottenham.
WEST HAM 2, BRIGHTON 2 » Tomas Soucek scored for the third time in his last five Premier League games to earn West Ham a draw against Brighton, which threw away the lead twice at the Olympic Stadium.