World Sports News in Brief

Tennis: Serena cruises past Gavrilova in Yarra Valley Classic opener

Serena Williams showed no signs of rust as she began her season with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 win over Daria Gavrilova in Melbourne on Monday (Feb 1) to reach the Yarra Valley Classic round of 16.

Tennis - Yarra Valley Classic - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 1, 2021 Serena Williams of the US celebrates winning her match against Australia's Daria Gavrilova. (Reuters)
Tennis - Yarra Valley Classic - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 1, 2021 Serena Williams of the US celebrates winning her match against Australia's Daria Gavrilova. (Reuters)

* Defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin's long-awaited return to Melbourne Park on Tuesday (Feb 2) was brief after her opponent Camila Giorgi retired because of a thigh injury after Kenin clinched a tight first set 7-5 at the Yarra Valley Classic.

* Teenage American defender Bryan Reynolds has completed a loan move to AS Roma, with the deal including an obligation to make the transfer permanent from June, for an initial fee of 6.75 million euros, the Serie A side confirmed on Monday (Feb 1).

* The Premier League announced on Monday (Feb 1) that seven people tested positive for coronavirus last week, continuing a downward trend of cases in the English top-flight.

* Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich confirmed the loan departures of Chris Richards and Joshua Zirkzee on Monday (Feb 1), while naming Liverpool and Chelsea as their main rivals to sign French defender Dayot Upamecano.

* Italy's Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia will miss her home world championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo after suffering a knee injury in Germany at the weekend. The world championships at the Italian Dolomite resort are scheduled to run from Feb. 8-21.

* Paris St Germain forward Neymar said he wants to remain at the Ligue 1 champions and hopes Kylian Mbappe will also pledge his future to the club. Mbappe has 18 months remaining on his contract in Paris and new manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down reports the French forward could be on the move to Real Madrid.

* Heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be out of action until March after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury in training at the end of the year but she says the issue has not affected her plans for the Tokyo Olympics.

* Hertha Berlin signed 2014 world champion Sami Khedira from Juventus on Monday as the club look to boost the quality of their squad to avoid relegation. No details were released on the length of the central midfielder's contract.

* Liverpool's injury woes mounted on Monday (Feb 1) as defender Joel Matip was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ankle ligament injury. Matip was injured in a challenge with Tottenham striker Son Heung-min during Liverpool's 3-1 win on Thursday.

* Liverpool's Japanese midfielder Takumi Minamino has joined Premier League rivals Southampton on loan for the rest of the season, the south coast club said on Monday (Feb 1).

Reuters, CNA