Sports

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Chip-ins from Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton fueled their surge into contention at the Dubai Desert Classic. The player they’ll try to catch over the weekend is Justin Harding. The South African has a two-shot lead after holing his own spectacular shot in the second round from much further

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have hired Chris Tabor from the Chicago Bears to be their new special teams coordinator. Tabor replaces Chase Blackburn, who was fired after Carolina finished 5-12 this season. Tabor has 14 years of NFL experience, including spending the last four seasons as the Bears special teams coordinator. He

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Crisis-hit Borussia Mönchengladbach has been left reeling after sporting director Max Eberl quit the Bundesliga club. It ends an association of 23 years. Gladbach wanted the 48-year-old Eberl to stay but Eberl said “I don’t have the strength anymore to do this job.” Eberl took over

By JEFF BABINEAU Associated Press BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Lydia Ko keeps taking steps toward the top of women’s golf again. She ended a three-year victory drought last year. She opened the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio with a clean card and a 63 for a two-shot lead over Danielle Kang. It’s easy to

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Andrew has given up his honorary membership of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, considered one of the world’s most prestigious golf clubs, as he fights allegations of sexual abuse that have forced him to retreat from public life. The club in St. Andrews, Scotland, announced the

By PREDRAG MILIC Associated Press BUDVA, Montenegro (AP) — Novak Djokovic was honored at a small Adriatic Sea resort in Montenegro even as doubts re-emerged about the positive COVID-19 test he used to try to compete in the Australian Open. The BBC on Friday reported discrepancies in Djokovic’s test serial numbers that were issued by

ZERMATT, Switzerland (AP) — Skiing’s newest downhill course that crosses between Switzerland and Italy next to the Matterhorn mountain will have its debut World Cup races in October. The International Ski Federation says the course will stage back-to-back weekends of two downhills each for men and women. The available dates are Oct. 29-30 and Nov.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Brazilian Olympic committee says cross-country skier Bruna Moura will miss the Beijing Games after sustaining multiple fractures in a car crash in Italy. The 27-year-old Moura was hospitalized with fractures in her feet, arm, hips and shoulder. She was traveling to Germany after a period of training in Austria.

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer Russia is heading to the Beijing Olympics against a backdrop of international tension. A build-up of Russian forces on the border with neighboring Ukraine is causing concern in Washington and among the United States’ NATO allies in Europe. Russia is sending 212 athletes to Beijing despite still being under

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal advanced to the Australian Open final by beating Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and is now within one victory of a men’s-record 21st Grand Slam singles title. He’ll have to beat second-seeded Daniil Medvedev to get the record. The U.S. Open champion

BEIJING (AP) — A snowboarder from Slovenia has tested positive for the coronavirus after landing in Beijing for the Olympics. The country’s national Olympic committee says Žan Košir has taken a second test to confirm the result and is now in isolation. Košir had been chosen as one of Slovenia’s flag bearers for next Friday’s

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer Liverpool could strengthen its attacking options in the final days of the January transfer window by signing Colombia international Luis Diaz from Porto. Diaz is currently with his national team and preparing for a World Cup qualifier against Peru on Friday before the Colombia squad heads to Argentina for

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Coveted striker Dušan Vlahović is undergoing a medical at Juventus to complete what is expected to be one of the biggest moves of the transfer window. Juventus tweeted a video of Vlahović signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans before he went inside Juventus’ medical facility. Juventus will reportedly pay

BEIJING (AP) — Human rights activists have issued a call to action against the Beijing Olympics, imploring athletes and sponsors to speak out against what they call the “genocide games.” Organized by the rights group Human Rights Watch, activists representing Chinese dissidents and the minority Uyghur and Tibetan populations all urged athletes to condemn the

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Justin Harding birdied the 18th hole twice at Emirates Golf Club on the way to taking a three-shot lead midway through the second round of the Dubai Desert Classic. The South African returned to the Majlis course early to complete his first round with a tap-in birdie at the

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal has advanced to the Australian Open final with a win over Matteo Berrettini and is now within one victory of a men’s-record 21st Grand Slam singles title. Nadal broke the seventh-seeded Berrettini’s opening service games in the first two sets and finished off