All Aussie Open tuneups called off
All competition at six Australian Open tuneup events scheduled for Thursday was called off and 520 people who flew to Melbourne for the year’s first tennis major were ordered to isolate after a worker at one of the tournaments’ quarantine hotels tested positive for COVID-19.
The Australian Open is scheduled to begin Monday. Any players, coaches or officials who quarantined at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Melbourne were deemed to be casual contacts of the 26-year-old infected man and required to remain in their accommodation until they test negative.
The latest coronavirus restrictions could test the resolve of players who have recently come out of two weeks in quarantine.
Under the current plans, up to 30,000 spectators are expected daily at Melbourne Park for the two-week Grand Slam event.
Baseball: The Twins and DH Nelson Cruz agreed on a one-year, $13 million contract, ESPN reported. Cruz, 40, hit .303 with 16 HRs and 33 RBIs last season, his second with the Twins.
College basketball: Jayden Gardner had 21 points and 15 rebounds to help host East Carolina stun No. 5 Houston 82-73, securing the Pirates’ first win against a ranked opponent in nearly two decades . ... Florida F Keyontae Johnson’s collapse during a game Dec. 12 wasn’t related to a positive COVID-19 test, his family said in a statement. University of Florida Health physicians consulted with other experts who reviewed the relevant imaging and testing related to this case. Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 late last summer.
NBA: Joel Embiid had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the 76ers beat the Hornets 118-111 for their fourth straight win. The 76ers stretched their winning streak against the Hornets to 14 games, tied for the longest active streak in the NBA. The Clippers have won 14 straight against the Magic.
NFL: The Chiefs had 20 people, including QB Patrick Mahomes, other players and staff members, in line for a haircut Sunday with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN reported. Backup C Daniel Kilgore was in the chair when the the barber’s test results came in. Kilgore and the barber were wearing masks and because Kilgore was deemed a close contact, he told the barber to finish. The Chiefs on Monday placed Kilgore and WR Demarcus Robinson on the COVID-19 list . ... Former head coach Marty Schottenheimer was moved to a hospice facility near his home in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday because of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Schottenheimer, 77, who coached the Browns, Chiefs, Washinton and Chargers, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014.
NHL: Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek will be out indefinitely after undergoing thumb surgery . ... Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, and the Lightning beat the Red Wings 5-1 for their third consecutive win. The defending Stanley Cup champs are unbeaten in five home game.
Also: The National Women’s Hockey League called off the rest of its season on the eve of the playoffs due to additional positive test results for the coronavirus inside the league’s bubble in Lake Placid, N.Y.