Nadal is out of Australian Open
Rafael Nadal’s comeback from hip surgery is on hold after he withdrew from the Australian Open with an injury a week before the start of the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.
The 22-time major champion said on social media that medical tests he took in Melbourne revealed a small tear in a hip muscle and he would fly home to Spain for treatment. Nadal, 37, has won the Australian Open twice — in 2009 and 2022.
Elena Rybakina claimed her sixth career title with a 6-0, 6-3 rout of top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka to win the Brisbane International in a perfect tune-up for the first major of 2024. Secondseeded Grigor Dimitrov beat top-seeded Holger Rune 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the men’s final for his first tour title in six years . ... In Sydney, reigning Olympic champion Alexander Zverev saved two match points in a remarkable comeback to win his singles tie in an epic three-setter and then helped clinch the United Cup final for Germany in the deciding mixed doubles match
Mark Gronowski ran for a touchdown and threw for another after halftime as South Dakota State won its second straight Football Championship Subdivision title, beating Montana 23-3 in Frisco, Texas.
Chris Kirk used a clutch five-iron to 2 feet for birdie on 17 and finished at eightunder 65 to hold off Sahith Theegala and Jordan Spieth and win The Sentry at Kapalua, Hawaii. Kirk shot 29-under, one stroke ahead of Theegala and two ahead of Spieth.
Sean Manaea became the latest pitcher to join the revamped rotation of the New York Mets, agreeing to a $28-million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told the Associated Press.
Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova held on to her first-run lead to win a women’s World Cup slalom after Mikaela Shiffrin failed to finish the opening leg in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Racing in falling snow, Vlhova finished 0.72 seconds ahead of runner-up Lena Duerr of Germany.
In Saturday’s late basketball, Lassina Traore
scored 19 points to help host Long Beach State (11-5, 3-1 Big West) defeat UC Riverside (6-10, 1-3) 83-75. Kaleb Smith led the Highlanders with 19 points and seven rebounds . ... Alex Schumacher put back a missed three-pointer by Cameron Tyson at the buzzer to lift host Seattle (10-5, 3-1 Western Athletic) past Cal Baptist (8-7, 1-3) 48-46. Hunter Goodrick led the Lancers with nine points and seven rebounds . ... De’Sean AllenEikens scored 20 points as host Cal State Northridge (12-3, 3-0 Big West) beat Hawaii (9-6, 1-2) 76-66 . ... Dominic Brewton scored 18 to lead host Cal State Fullerton (8-8, 1-3) in a 76-58 loss to UC San Diego (9-6, 3-0) . ... Bent Leuchten and Justin Hohn scored 14 points apiece in UC Irvine’s 74-71 overtime victory against UC Davis (8-7, 3-1) at Bren Center. The Anteaters are 8-5 overall and 4-0 in the Big West . .... Will Johnston had 19 points and six assists to lead host Loyola Marymount (7-9, 0-2 West Coast) in a 68-64 loss to St. Mary’s (11-6, 2-0). .. Michael Ajayi
scored 27 points to lead Pepperdine in a 78-72 loss to Santa Clara in Malibu. The Waves fell to 7-10 and 0-2.