It has been a long wait for Stephy Mavididi and Montpellier. After more than a year without finding the net, the English striker scored two goals over the weekend, hitting form again at the right time — just before leader Paris Saint-Germain's visit on Wednesday.Before Sunday's 2-0 win at Auxerre, Montpellier and Mavididi were in full doubt mode following a run of four straight losses in all competitions.Amid growing anger from fans who displayed insulting banners an threw flares onto the field to force a match to be stopped for several minutes two weeks ago, the 2012 French champions had dropped close to the relegation zone. And Mavididi was desperately looking for his first goal since last Jan. 23, when the former England under-20 player scored a superbly-taken winner in stoppage time against Monaco.After that scintillating night, everything went downhill for the former Arsenal academy player. Mavididi injured his knee during training, keeping him sidelined for a couple of months, and then tore a muscle in his left thigh on the opening day of the current season in August.The 24-year-old Mavididi — who joined the southern team during the 2020 offseason — only came back in October and has played just 10 league matches so far in Montpellier's lackluster campaign.His scoring drought ended in the 62nd minute in Auxerre when he collected a lofted cross on the edge of the box, dribbled past a defender and concluded the move with a powerful strike under the bar. Mavididi's second goal came 10 minutes from time at the end of a counterattack.“It had been a while, but I always kept on working," Mavididi said after moving three goals behind Glenn Hoddle's record of 27 goals for the English player with the most goals in the French league.Montpellier struggled for long spells at Auxerre and Mavididi's clinical efficiency made up for his team's defensive inadequacies that still need to be fixed by coach Romain Pitau.“We all congratulated him because we did not have much chances, maybe just two and we converted them,” said goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, who returned to Montpellier this month to help his former teammates stay in the top division.Lecomte, who had been playing on loan at Espanyol from Monaco, had a successful stint in Montpellier from 2017-19, earning international calls from France coach Didier Deschamps. He was brought back as a replacement for Jonas Omlin, who left for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach.Club officials hope that Lecomte will restore the defensive stability the team lacks, having conceded 40 goals in 20 matches this season. In his 80th match in a Montpellier shirt, Lecomte was already decisive, stopping a penalty in the closing stages.“It's only one step, we need to carry on," Pitau said after his players managed a first clean sheet this year to move up to 14th place in the standings, five points above the danger zone.Keeping another one at home against PSG's attacking armada could prove too difficult, although the Qatari-backed side has been struggling since the turn of the year. PSG has won only one of its last four league games, losing two, and coach Christophe Galtier acknowledged there is a problem.“We did not propose anything in the first half, we lacked rhythm and intensity, and the players made a lot of technical mistakes,” he said after PSG was held to 1-1 draw by Reims on Sunday.Starting with the Montpellier game, PSG will play seven matches in February, including major tests against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and rival Marseille in a domestic doubleheader.In other matches Wednesday, second-place Lens hosts Nice and third-place Marseille travels to Nantes.

Before Sunday's 2-0 win at Auxerre, Montpellier and Mavididi were in full doubt mode following a run of four straight losses in all competitions

Montpellier's Mavididi hitting form again ahead of PSG test

Novak Djokovic's Australian Open championship returned him to a rather familiar spot on Monday: No. 1 in the ATP rankings. His four-place rise from No. 5 to replace Carlos Alcaraz at No. 1 is the largest jump to the top spot in the 50-year history of the computerized rankings for men's tennis.“You never know how much more time you have left, so, of course, I nurture and celebrate these moments of becoming No. 1 again and Grand Slam champion," the 35-year-old Djokovic said after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the final at Melbourne Park on Sunday night, "even more than I have, maybe ever in my career. I don’t take it for granted.”Aryna Sabalenka's first major title moved her up from No. 5 to a career-best-equaling No. 2 in the WTA rankings, behind only three-time major champion Iga Swiatek.Ons Jabeur, twice a finalist at Slams in 2022, went from No. 2 to No. 3, followed by No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 5 Caroline Garcia and No. 6 Coco Gauff.The player Sabalenka beat in Saturday's Australian Open final, Elena Rybakina, makes her top 10 debut at No. 10, up from No. 25.This marks Djokovic's 374th week leading the ATP, adding to his record. He earned a 10th title at the Australian Open and tied Rafael Nadal with 22 Grand Slam trophies.Alcaraz slid to No. 2. He had become the youngest man to be No. 1 when he took over at age 19 after winning the U.S. Open last September. Alcaraz missed the Australian Open because of a leg injury.Nadal, who hurt his left hip flexor during a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald of the United States, dropped from No. 2 to No. 6.Tsitsipas went from No. 4 to No. 3 because of his run in Melbourne; he would have been No. 1 for the first time if he had managed to win the title. Casper Ruud, a two-time Grand Slam runner-up who lost in the second round to Jenson Brooksby of the United States, went from No. 3 to No. 4. Andrey Rublev is No. 5 after getting to the quarterfinals.Cracking the top 20 for the first time is Tommy Paul, a 25-year-old American who reached his first Grand Slam semifinal before exiting against Djokovic. Paul's showing in Melbourne lifted him 16 spots from No. 25 to No. 19.He is one of 10 U.S. men in the top 50, something that last happened in 1995.

The player Sabalenka beat in Saturday's Australian Open final, Elena Rybakina, makes her top 10 debut at No. 10, up from No. 25

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Tommy Paul of the U.S. in their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023

Djokovic back at top of ATP rankings; Sabalenka No. 2 in WTA

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt overcame a tricky course setting to win a men’s World Cup super-G Sunday for his second victory in two days, just over a week before the start of the world championships. Odermatt extended his lead in both the overall and super-G standings, as his closest challenger, Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, was among the 10 racers in the top 30 who failed to finish.“It was a difficult super-G, I also had my troubles. I got very tight in one, two gates as well,” Odermatt said.His win came a day after he made a triumphant return from his injury layoff, having skipped two races last week to rest a sore left knee.“Two very important races for me, and as well for that mini comeback, to do this before the world champs, so now I definitely know everything fits,” the defending overall champion said.Odermatt was far from clean on the challenging Olympia delle Tofane course but just made it through a tough section about 30 seconds into the run. Skiers were coming over a roll and approached a double left turn, where many were going too fast to make the next gate.“It was on the limit. It was a very difficult turn to get the timing right. At course inspection everyone saw it a bit differently,” Odermatt said.Home favorite Dominik Paris was 0.76 seconds behind in second for his first podium of the season. Austrian skier Daniel Hemetsberger trailed by 1.03 in third.The course in the Italian Dolomites with its marquee Tofane Schuss is a usual stop on the women’s circuit but was hosting men’s World Cup races this weekend for the first time in more than three decades.A slalom in Chamonix, France, next Saturday is the last men’s World Cup race before the Feb. 6-19 world championships in Courchevel and Méribel.

“It was a difficult super-G, I also had my troubles. I got very tight in one, two gates as well,” Odermatt said

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Cortina d'Ampezzo

Swiss skier Odermatt wins super-G for 2nd win in 2 days

A long time coming getting back to the top of the podium, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier held up their shiny medals, smiled and waved once more to an audience left captivated by their sensational skating. It sure beat watching like last January when Frazier contracted COVID-19 and they had to withdraw from the event in Nashville, Tennessee. Frazier watched the event quarantined in his hotel room, while a disappointed Knierim closed herself off and stuck close to family.The dynamic twosome have another national pairs gold at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships with a spectacular free skate Saturday night that scored them an overall season-best 227.97.“It means the world for me and I think I can speak for Alexa, too, especially after missing last year to return, and to return to the top of the podium, it's a great achievement," Frazier said. “But more importantly for us, we've been reflecting a lot throughout the season, our personal journeys and our partnership. So coming here, just so many emotions in the U.S. championships every time you come and this was a week filled with emotions, and that was all heart tonight.”The reigning world champions were forced to pull out the night before last year's competition when Frazier tested positive, denying them a chance to defend their 2021 title from their first season together.Skating second-to-last and ahead of eventual silver medalists Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, Knierim and Frazier performed a breathtaking routine to Harry Styles' “Sign of the Times" for a 146.01 to win by more than 30 points. They recovered from a slight miscue in their planned triple toeloop-double toeloop-double toeloop combination by going clean the rest of the way and executing all the difficult elements with flair and determination.When they were done, fans jumped to their feet in a rousing ovation.The tandem, who train in Southern California and paired up after Knierim’s husband Chris retired from skating in 2020, had to petition for a spot on the Olympic team for Beijing after missing the 2022 nationals. There, they helped the Americans to a silver medal in the team event and placed sixth in pairs. The twosome also earned silver in the Grand Prix final last month.Knierim and Frazier held a commanding lead of more than 15 points over Chan and Howe — 81.96 to 66.86 — after a personal-best short program Thursday heading into Saturday’s free skate.It's the fifth pairs gold for Knierim, who won three with her husband.“I think I’m just so wrapped up in doing what I love that the numbers of championship gold medals for me here will never amount to how much I just love skating,” she said. “I could have no medals and I would probably feel the same way about it.”Chan and Howe continued their breakout season with a season-best score of 196.86 and their 130.00 free skate, set to a rendition of “Unchained Melody." They lost points when Chan fell on their throw triple loop.Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea placed third with a 184.01. They came into Saturday sitting third after scoring a 65.75 short program, then Kam fell on their opening triple twist in the free skate and nearly slid into the boards. The two teamed up just four months ago and have high hopes of an Olympic run.Sonia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev were fourth at 179.08, scoring a 115.96 in the free skate to move up from fifth place after the short program with a beautiful routine Saturday at SAP Center.Earlier Saturday, Madison Chock and Evan Bates defended their ice dancing title Saturday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, scoring 137.85 in the free dance for a top total score of 229.75.The recently engaged couple has medaled at nationals in every season since 2013. That’s 11 straight years, which matches former training mates Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (2012-22) for the most consecutive years on the U.S. ice dance podium.“It’s a great honor to be one of the teams with the longest longevity in the sport,” Chock said. “It’s something that we really pride ourselves on because we’re very motivated people. That’s something that drives us through our career, and we’ve had a lot of success because of that.”

The reigning world champions were forced to pull out the night before last year's competition when Frazier tested positive

Brandon Frazier, top, and Alexa Knierim perform during the pairs free skate at the U.S. figure skating championships in San Jose

Knierim, Frazier capture pairs gold at US skating nationals

Lakers guard Patrick Beverly grabbed a courtside camera in an effort to show referee Eric Lewis what everyone who'd watched the replay already knew: LeBron James was fouled on his missed layup at the end of regulation. Instead of getting the call, Beverly drew a technical foul that gave Boston the lead to start overtime and the NBA-leading Celtics went on to beat Los Angeles 125-121 on Saturday night.“The best player on earth can’t get a call. It's amazing,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “As much as you try not to put it on the officiating, it's becoming increasingly difficult.”Jaylen Brown scored 37, completing a tying three-point play with 4.1 seconds left in regulation and adding 11 more points in overtime to help the Celtics snap a three-game losing streak. Brown added nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Malcom Brogdon scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half of a see-saw game that had 19 lead changes — six in the fourth quarter — and 15 ties.James had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. But it was his missed layup at the end of regulation that enraged him on the court and left him simmering at his locker afterward.“I don't understand. I don't understand what we're doing, and I watch basketball every single day," said James, who sat with a towel covering his head during overtime and barely looked up as he spoke from at his locker. "I watch games every single day and I don't see it happening to nobody else. It's just weird.”Anthony Davis had 16 points with 10 rebounds, coming off the bench for the second game in a row after missing 20 with a foot injury. Beverly scored 15, twice giving the Lakers the lead in the final minute of the fourth. But he also missed a foul shot that might have clinched it, and his technical gave the Celtics the lead to start overtime, and they never trailed again.“At the end of the day, the players decided that game,” Brown said. “We made plays down the stretch; they made plays down the stretch. And I thought it was a good game. It was probably one of the greater games in our recent Lakers-Celtics matchup. And I’m happy we came out on top.”With Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce cheering his former team on from the sideline and the team’s broadcasters — Boston’s Cedric Maxwell and L.A.’s Mychal Thompson — talking trash on press row, the Celtics swept their longtime rivals in the two-game season series. There was a vocal contingent of Lakers fans making noise when the visitors opened an 11-point lead in the third quarter. But they were out-shouted by the locals when Tatum, who scored 15 in the third, including three 3-pointers, helped erase an 11-point deficit.Beverly hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with 52 seconds left and then, after Boston tied it, scored on a putback dunk that made it 104-102 with 19 seconds to play. But after Brown missed a 3, Beverly missed one of two free throws; Al Horford missed a 3, and Brown scored on the putback and picked up a delayed foul call.“That was just the craziness of the game,” Brown said. “It looked like they might have missed a call on their end toward the end of the game. But that’s just life. They’ll be all right.”One game after missing a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left in a one-point game against the Knicks, Brown hit this one to tie it 105-all with 4.1 seconds to play. The Celtics (36-15) have the NBA’s best record despite losing their previous three games.TIP-INSJames is 116 points away from matching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record for career points, 38,387. … Pierce was wearing what appeared to be shamrock pajama pants. … Westbrook missed his first six shots, as the crowd taunted him to shoot, before finishing with 12 points on 4 of 14 shooting. … Brown picked up his fifth foul on the first possession of the fourth quarter. … The Celtics beat the Lakers 122-118 in L.A. on Dec. 13. Tatum scored 44 points. Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds. James scored 33 with nine boards and nine assists. … The Celtics were without point guard Marcus Smart and big man Robert Williams III, who both have sprained ankles.

“The best player on earth can’t get a call. It's amazing,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. 

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (6) reacts after missing a shot late in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics

Brown forces OT, Celtics snap skid by beating LA 125-121

Novak Djokovic found this trip to Australia far less complicated, and far more successful, than that of a year ago. Unable to enter his best event in 2022 after being deported from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic accomplished all he could have wanted in his return: He resumed his winning ways at Melbourne Park and made it back to the top of tennis.Only briefly challenged in the final on Sunday night, Djokovic was simply better at the most crucial moments and beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) for a record-extending 10th Australian Open championship and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title overall. As a bonus, Djokovic will vault from No. 5 to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, a spot he already has held for more weeks than any other man.“I want to say this has been one of the most challenging tournaments I’ve ever played in my life, considering the circumstances. Not playing last year; coming back this year,” Djokovic said, wearing a zip-up white jacket with a “22” on his chest. “And I want to thank all the people that made me feel welcome, made me feel comfortable, to be in Melbourne, to be in Australia.”And a moment later, he uttered a statement that is truly significant, given all the 35-year-old from Serbia has done on a tennis court: "This probably is the, I would say, biggest victory of my life."Djokovic stretched his unbeaten streak in Melbourne to 28 matches, the longest run there in the Open era, which dates to 1968. He adds trophy No. 10 to the seven from Wimbledon, three from the U.S. Open — where he also was absent last year because of no coronavirus shots — and two at the French Open, to match rival Rafael Nadal for the most by a man.Only two women — Margaret Court, with 24, and Serena Williams, with 23 — are ahead of him.This was also the 93rd ATP tour-level title for Djokovic, breaking a tie with Nadal for the fourth-most.“I would like to thank you for pushing our sport so far,” Tsitsipas told Djokovic.Djokovic was participating in his 33rd major final, Tsitsipas in his second — and the 24-year-old from Greece’s other one also ended in a loss to Djokovic, at the 2021 French Open.Superior throughout on this cool evening under a cloud-filled sky, Djokovic was especially so in the two tiebreakers. He took a 4-1 lead in the first, then reeled off the last three points. He led 5-0 in the closing tiebreaker and, when it finished, he pointed to his temple before climbing into the stands, where he pumped his fist and jumped with his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and other members of the entourage, then collapsed, crying.When Djokovic returned to the playing surface, he sat on his sideline bench, buried his face in a white towel, and sobbed some more.Little doubt this is of no solace to Tsitsipas, but there is no shame in failing to defeat Djokovic in Melbourne. Challenging his dominion on those blue hard courts is every bit the monumental task that taking on Nadal on the red clay at Roland Garros is.Perhaps surprisingly, Tsitsipas was willing to engage in the kind of leg-wearying, lung-searing back-and-forths upon which Djokovic has built his superlative career. How did that work out? Of points lasting at least five strokes, Djokovic won 43, Tsitsipas 30.Then again, on those rare occasions that Tsitsipas did charge the net, he likely regretted the decision, because Djokovic often conjured up a passing shot that was too tough to handle.The trophy for which they were playing was displayed on a pedestal near a corner of the court, and both men would get within reach of it whenever wandering over to towel off between points at that end. So close, yes, but for Tsitsipas, never truly close enough.It’s not as though he played all that poorly, other than a rash of early miscues that seemed to be more a product of tension than anything.It’s that Djokovic was, put simply, too unyielding. Too accurate with his strokes, making merely 22 unforced errors, 20 fewer than his foe. Too speedy and flexible chasing shots (other than on one second-set point, when, running to his left, Djokovic took a tumble).Djokovic pushes and pushes and pushes some more, until it’s the opponent who is something less than perfect on one swing, either missing or providing an opening to pounce.That's what happened when Tsitsipas held his first break point — which was also a set point — while ahead 5-4 in the second and Djokovic serving at 30-40. Might this be a fulcrum? Might the outcome’s tilt change? Might Djokovic relent? Might Tsitsipas surge?Uh, no.A 15-stroke point concluded with Djokovic smacking a cross-court forehand winner that felt like a statement. Two misses by Tsitsipas followed: A backhand long, a forehand wide. Those felt like capitulation. Even when Tsitsipas actually did break in the third, Djokovic broke right back.There has been more than forehands and backhands on Djokovic’s mind over the past two weeks.There was the not-so-small matter of last year’s legal saga — he has alternately acknowledged the whole thing served as a form of motivation but also said the other day, “I’m over it” — and curiosity about the sort of reception he would get when allowed to go to Australia this time because pandemic restrictions were eased.He heard a ton of loud support, but also dealt with some persistent heckling while competing, including applause after faults Sunday.There was the sore left hamstring that has been heavily bandaged for every match — until the final, that is, when only a single piece of beige athletic tape was visible.And then there was the more complicated matter of his father, Srdjan, being filmed with a group of people with Russian flags — one with an image of Vladimir Putin — after Djokovic’s quarterfinal. The tournament banned spectators from bringing in flags of Russia or Belarus, saying they would cause disruption because of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Djokovic and his father said it was a misunderstanding; Srdjan thought he was with Serbian fans.Still, Srdjan Djokovic did not attend his son’s semifinal or the final.No matter any of it, Djokovic excelled as he so often has, winning 17 sets in a row after ceding one in the second round last week.“He is the greatest,” Tsitsipas said, “that has ever held a tennis racket.”

He resumed his winning ways at Melbourne Park and made it back to the top of tennis

Djokovic beats Tsitsipas for 10th Australian Open, 22nd Slam

The Australian Open men’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas has started under an open roof at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.In addition to the championship, the winner will claim the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.For the fourth-seeded Djokovic, it’s also a chance to win his 10th Australian Open title a year after he wasn’t allowed to compete at Melbourne Park because he was not vaccinated for COVID-19.&nbsp;It would also be the 35-year-old Serbian player’s 22nd Grand Slam singles title, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the men's record.The third-seeded Tsitsipas is trying to become the first Greek player to win a Grand Slam singles title. In his only other major final, Tsitsipas won the first two sets against Djokovic but lost the match in five.

In addition to the championship, the winner will claim the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings

Djokovic, Tsitsipas start Australian Open men's final

Freestyle skier Alex Hall’s happy place this winter has been sliding down hand rails outside of offices and schools all over Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and other midwestern spots. The steeper and twistier, the better. Last winter, he found happiness at the Beijing Olympics on a run that nobody mistook for high-flying but that purists in his sport understood was worth what it earned — a gold medal.Hall is among those at the action park who refuses to go all-in on “spin to win” — the idea that maxing out flips and twists is the only way for a freeskier or snowboarder to make it big. He would rather do things his way and let the judges decide, whether it's at the Olympics or the Winter X Games this weekend.“Adding some flavor has been a goal of mine for sure in the last couple of years,” said the 24-year-old, who was slated to compete in slopestyle, big air and knuckle huck in Aspen.“It’s always a little bit of a risk as a rider to do it that way, especially in competitions, because you never really know how it’s going to score, or how you’re going to do," Hall said. "But ultimately, at least for myself, I know I’m doing all this stuff because I enjoy doing it. You've just got to go out on the limb and go for it.”Hall won at Beijing with a run that didn't look like anything that had preceded it over a week-plus on the super-sized slopestyle course. He edged teammate Nick Goepper, with tricks no one else tried.Hall skimmed the top of one jump while spinning 720 degrees, then jumped again on the same “kicker” and threw a 540-degree spin while reaching backward with his right hand and grabbing his left ski.Where others were flying and maxing out on jumps with 1440 degrees of spin or more, Hall never got more than 3 feet off the ground on that one. His final trick was just as difficult — a vertebrae-testing jump called a “pretzel” that involved 900 degrees of spin one way, then, as the G-forces were taking over, stopping the spin in midair and twisting 180 degrees the other way.He wasn't sure how it would score, only that it was something he really liked.“You try to find a middle to be true to yourself and do a little more creativity, which is what I’ve been trying to push the last couple years,” Hall said. “You have to figure out how far you want to push that progression piece.”Australia snowboarder Scotty James shares Hall's ethos. James' switch backside double cork 1260 is as tough as anything out there, even if it doesn't always gets the love it deserves.The devil is in the details: James executes that trick while riding backward and flipping without being able to see the landing.For about an hour at the Olympics last year, James was in the lead after landing that trick, even though Japan's Ayumu Hirano had put down the most progressive jump — a triple cork, in which he went head over heels three times while twisting above the pipe.The scoring brought outrage across the snowboarding world and social media: How could a triple cork be losing to anything that wasn't a triple cork? Hirano landed the triple cork again on his final run and earned enough points to overtake James.The Aussie, who added a silver to go with his Olympic bronze from 2018, had been critical of judging in the past but said he was fine with that result.“The wow factor is unreal, when you watch Ayumu’s run," James said. "I think that’s probably where people were just a bit torn between the two different runs. It’s completely different.”James said he's not willing to put that trick above all else in the pursuit of victories — or at the expense of everything else that has made him stand out over the years. He didn’t even need a triple cork to win the gold medal at Winter X on Friday night.“The really relevant point is I’m doing it because I can live with it,” James said. “If I went the other way, I would feel like I might just be another sheep in the herd following the leader.”The push and pull between height and style will again be a front-burner issue in action sports as the 2026 Olympics in Italy approach.On Friday, New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott backed up her Olympic gold by defending her X Games title in snowboard slopestyle with a run included back-to-back double corks, the likes of which have made her stand out as one of the sport’s highest-flying jumpers for years.“It’s pretty exciting, the more you level up,” Sadowski-Synnott said.Canadian freeskier Megan Oldham became the first woman in skiing or snowboarding to land a triple cork in competition later Friday, and earned a perfect score of 50 to capture the title in big air.While she has the big tricks, she respects the downsizing happening elsewhere on the mountain.“It’s cool to see that people are kind of pushing in a different direction,” Oldham said. “The audience is able to follow along, too, because it’s smaller tricks and they can kind of understand how you’re landing and what trick you’re doing.”Hall said whether he goes big or small, wins or lose, the ultimate goal is to remember why he got into this sport in the first place: fun.“Just take time to realize, there’s no reason to do it unless I’m enjoying it," Hall said.

He wasn't sure how it would score, only that it was something he really liked

Alex Hall of the United States, checks the score following his run in the slopestyle finals

Winter X daredevils ride fine line between height, happiness

Italy has been boosted by the return of Montpellier flyhalf Paolo Garbisi for the start of the Six Nations. Garbisi was absent from the enlarged training squad last week as he recovered from a knee injury and was expected to miss at least the opening two rounds.But on Saturday he was included in the 33-man group for the opening two games against France and England. Garbisi has quickly established himself as the team's leading flyhalf since his debut in the 2020 Six Nations.Experienced lock Marc Fuser, however, was out injured.Italy opens against defending champion France in Rome on Feb. 5.

Experienced lock Marc Fuser, however, was out injured

Italy's head coach Kieran Crowley watches on as players warm up, prior to the start of the Six Nations rugby union match between Ireland and Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin

Six Nations: Italy's Garbisi recovers from knee injury

Pedri marked his 100th Barcelona appearance by scoring to squeeze past Girona 1-0 and increase their lead of the Spanish league on Saturday. The 20-year-old Pedri started on the bench as Xavi rotated his lineup ahead of a busy week, but the playmaker replaced the injured Ousmane Dembélé in the 25th minute.Girona stymied the league front-runner until Pedri's fellow substitute, Jordi Alba, found him with a low cross at close range in the 61st. Pedri, who won the 2021 Golden Boy for the continent’s most promising under-21 player, is considered one of the pillars of Barcelona’s post-Messi rebuild. The Spain midfielder has scored six times this season.Xavi’s team moved six points clear of Real Madrid before the titleholder hosts third-placed Real Sociedad on Sunday at the Liga's midway point.Dembélé asked to be substituted after he was apparently bothered by his left thigh following a sprint. Barcelona has yet to give any information on his status. He walked off the field and watched the rest of the game from the dugout.The France forward, who suffered a series of injuries in his first seasons with Barcelona, has avoided serious injury since returning from a knee issue in November 2021.Xavi said was Dembélé injured but the nature of it won't be known until an exam on Sunday.“It is too bad because he is one of our most decisive players,” Xavi said about his speedy winger. Dembélé has eight goals in this campaign and is Barcelona's best one-on-one attacker in open space.That left Barcelona without its top two scorers. Robert Lewandowski, who leads the league with 13 goals, completed a three-game league suspension. Forward Ferran Torres was also suspended.With Ansu Fati and Raphinha unable to generate much in attack, Xavi sent on Jordi Alba at halftime at left back for Marcos Alonso to help find a breakthrough.A series of one-touch passes freed Alba down the left flank to square the ball across the goalmouth, where goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga let it slip through his hands and Pedri ensured Barcelona extended its winning streak to eight games across all competitions.Girona, in 12th place, did nothing in attack until a late push. Ivan Martín was left wide open in front of the goal in the 86th, only to volley a cross high and wide.Girona coach Michel was sent off in stoppage time with a direct red card for vehemently protesting what he thought was a foul on one of his players.“We made a huge effort and played a good game,” Michel said. “We only threatened them two or three times, but they only had that one chance that they converted. With what we saw on the field the defeat is not fair.”

The 20-year-old Pedri started on the bench as Xavi rotated his lineup ahead of a busy week

Barcelona's Pedri celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Girona and FC Barcelona at the Montilivi stadium in Girona

Pedri leads win at Girona in 100th game for Barcelona

United States midfielder Weston McKennie was left out of the Juventus squad for this weekend’s match amid a potential move to the English Premier League. McKennie has been strongly linked with a move to Leeds, which is coached by American Jesse Marsch.And Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri confirmed Saturday that he did not call up McKennie for Sunday’s match against Monza.“He absolutely won’t be involved, he’s at the center of transfer rumors,” Allegri said. “I think the club has already reached an agreement with the club he’ll be joining.”The 24-year-old McKennie joined Juventus from Schalke in 2020, becoming the Bianconeri’s first American player. He has made nearly 100 appearances for Juventus, scoring 13 goals.McKennie was a key member of the U.S. squad at the World Cup and has scored nine goals in 41 appearances for his country.Leeds already has U.S. midfielders Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson and this week hired former U.S. international Chris Armas as assistant coach.

He absolutely won’t be involved, he’s at the center of transfer rumors, Allegri said

“He absolutely won’t be involved, he’s at the center of transfer rumors,” Allegri said

McKennie left out of Juventus squad amid possible Leeds move

Union Berlin fans brought fire to the city derby as their team consolidated second place in the Bundesliga by beating Hertha Berlin 2-0 on Saturday. Goals either side of halftime from Danilho Doekhi and Paul Seguin earned Union its fourth consecutive league win over its old rival and left Hertha mired at second-from-last at the season's midpoint.The second half commenced with a spectacular pyrotechnics display from Union fans, who ignored the stadium announcer’s pleas for them to stop. Many of the supporters seemed to be delayed getting to the game – particularly those carrying flags – but they made up for their lateness after the break.After losing both of its opening games in 2023, Hertha pushed forward more and was initially met only by stiff resistance as the game settled into a tough-tackling midfield battle.Union started to threaten only toward the end of the first half. It was enough to seize the lead in the 44th minute when Doekhi headed in a free kick from captain Christopher Trimmel. It was the Dutch defender’s third goal in three games for Union, all set up in similar fashion by Trimmel.Seguin scored in the 67th after the smoke cleared from the fans’ fireworks show, tapping into an empty net after Sheraldo Becker crossed to finish off a counterattack.Union keeper Frederik Rönnow produced an outstanding save to deny Lucas Tousart a response.Freiburg moved to fourth with a 3-1 win at home over Augsburg, Werder Bremen defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 to bounce back from two demoralizing defeats, and American defender John Brooks made his Hoffenheim debut but couldn’t prevent his new team losing at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-1.Also, Mainz enjoyed a 5-2 win at home over Bochum.League leader Bayern Munich hosted Eintracht Frankfurt in the late game.

The second half commenced with a spectacular pyrotechnics display from Union fans, who ignored the stadium announcer’s pleas for them to stop

Richter let's fly from range but it's turned behind for a corner

Union Berlin beats Hertha in derby, stays 2nd in Bundesliga

FIFA banned Uruguay players Fernando Muslera and José María Giménez for four games each on Friday for aggressively confronting match officials when the team was eliminated from the World Cup last month. Veterans Edinson Cavani and Diego Godín must also serve one-game bans when Uruguay next plays, FIFA said in disciplinary verdicts.The players must all carry out community service on a soccer project and pay fines of up to 20,000 Swiss francs ($21,600), FIFA said.<h2>Uruguay players confronted German referee</h2>Disorder flared when Uruguay failed to advance to the round of 16 in Qatar despite beating Ghana 2-0 in its final group-stage game on Dec. 2.The Uruguayan soccer federation was also fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($54,000) and must close some of its stadium for one home game.FIFA disciplinary judges ruled the federation “was responsible for the discriminatory behavior of its supporters as well as for the misconduct, offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play” by players.Uruguay players confronted German referee Daniel Siebert after the final whistle at Al Janoub Stadium.They believed Uruguay should been awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time. One more goal scored would have sent Uruguay to the round of 16 instead of South Korea.South Korea advanced instead and created one of the most memorable images of the World Cup.<h2>Fourth World Cup and Giménez</h2>As Uruguay and Ghana played out stoppage time across the city in Doha, South Korean players and staff gathered in the center circle after their 2-1 win over Portugal to watch on cellphones as their rivals played and waited to discover who would advance as runner-up in Group H.Cavani, Godín and goalkeeper Muslera were each playing at their fourth World Cup and Giménez was at his third.Uruguay has not yet announced its opponents for games in the late March international break.

The players must all carry out community service on a soccer project and pay fines of up to 20,000 Swiss francs ($21,600), FIFA said

Uruguay's Edinson Cavani, right, argues with referee Daniel Siebert of Germany, at the end of a World Cup group H soccer match against Ghana at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah

FIFA bans 4 Uruguay players for disorder at World Cup

Barcelona and defender Marcos Alonso have reached an agreement to extend his contract until the end of the 2023-24 season, the Spanish club said Friday. Alonso joined Barcelona as a free agent in September after terminating his contract with Chelsea. His initial contract only tied him to Barcelona until the end of this season.The 32-year-old Alonso has scored two goals in 19 appearances since arriving to Camp Nou. He has played both as a left back and as a central defender for coach Xavi.He was part of a major overhaul of Barcelona's squad last summer made possible by the club selling some of its future television rights and other assets.Barcelona said that his buyout clause remained at 50 million euros ($54 million).

Alonso joined Barcelona as a free agent in September after terminating his contract with Chelsea

Barcelona's Marcos Alonso, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League group C soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and FC Barcelona at the Doosan Arena in Plzen,

Marcos Alonso agrees to contract extension with Barcelona

Novak Djokovic's father stayed away from the 21-time Grand Slam champion's semifinal victory on Friday after getting embroiled in a flap involving spectators who brought banned Russian flags to Melbourne Park. Srdjan Djokovic released a statement saying he would not be at Rod Laver Arena, “so there is no disruption.”Novak Djokovic wound up beating unseeded American Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to earn a berth in the men's singles final.Afterward, the younger Djokovic defended his father, saying there was “absolutely no intention whatsoever to support any kind of war initiatives or anything like that” and adding that he was sorry the whole episode “escalated so much.”He also said he wasn't sure yet whether his father would attend Sunday's final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.“Throughout the event, we’ve spoken with players and their teams about the importance of not engaging in any activity that causes distress or disruption,” Tennis Australia said.“We will continue to strive for the safety of fans at the event and reiterate our position banning flags from Belarus and Russia," the group added. "Tennis Australia stands with the call for peace and an end to war and violent conflict in Ukraine.”After Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal victory over Russian player Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, Srdjan Djokovic was filmed standing with a group of people waving Russian flags — at least one showing an image of Vladimir Putin — outside the main stadium.Four people were kicked out of the tournament because of the flags and for threatening security guards that night, police and Tennis Australia said.On Jan. 17, the second day of the Australian Open, flags from Russia and Belarus were banned from Melbourne Park after more than one was brought into the stands by spectators the day before.Normally, flags can be displayed during matches at Melbourne Park. But Tennis Australia reversed that policy for the two countries involved in the invasion of Ukraine that began nearly a year ago, saying the flags were causing disruption.Athletes from Russia and Belarus were barred last year from competing in various sports events, including men’s World Cup qualifying in soccer and Wimbledon, the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in tennis, because of the war in Ukraine. Russia invaded, with help from Belarus, in February.Russian and Belarusian players have been allowed to play at the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open, but as “neutral” athletes, so their nationalities are not acknowledged on any official schedules or results for the event and their countries’ flags are not displayed on TV graphics.

Novak Djokovic wound up beating unseeded American Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to earn a berth in the men's singles final

The parents of Novak Djokovic of Serbia, father Srdjan and mother Dijana react during his post match speech following his win over Andrey Rublev of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne

Djokovic's dad stays away from Australian Open semifinal

Tommy Paul went into his first career Grand Slam semifinal with a specific game plan to confront Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. Makes sense, right? Have to approach that sort of match with a way you think will help you win. And then, Paul explained, it all fell apart rather quickly in what became a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 loss to Djokovic, who has won nine of his 21 Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park.“I mean, he didn’t let me do all those things,” said the 25-year-old American, who was born in New Jersey, grew up in North Carolina and is now based in Florida, “because of things that he did so well.”They played under the lights in front of a packed house at Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic knows these settings and circumstances so well, especially at a tournament where he's won 27 matches in a row and is 19-0 in semifinals and finals for his career. He will face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday for the title.“I mean, walking on the court was cool,” said Paul, the first U.S. man in the semifinals at Melbourne Park since Andy Roddick in 2009. “Playing the match and getting beaten like that kind of sucked. But, I mean, it’s great I got to see the level of where I want to be and know how good I have to play if I want to beat people like that. It was I think a good experience."Let's let the unseeded Paul explain what his strategy was and what happened:— “I wanted to serve and volley some. I didn’t serve and volley once. ... When I did make my first serve, I felt like he was returning it to the baseline. I was automatically on defense. Like, you get down love-30 in your service games, it’s hard to be like, ‘All right, I’m going to serve and volley now.’"— “Wanted to throw in drop shots. Didn’t get an opportunity to do any of that because he was hitting so deep.”— “Wanted to change up pace with my slice. Missed my first three slices of the match. I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to start hitting my backhand; I’m not slicing well today.'”— “Attack on the second serve. He definitely surprised me. On big points, he was going big seconds. Pretty much every point, the average second-serve speed was a little higher than I thought it was going to be.”All of that said, Paul did make some inroads against Djokovic.He did, after all, win more of the 23 points that lasted at least nine strokes, 14-9.There were the two break points in the match's opening game — although Djokovic ended up holding there.“It felt like things were getting away from me really fast,” Paul said. “Felt like points were moving really fast. In-between-points time was going really quick.”There was the four-game run that turned Paul's 5-1 deficit into 5-all in the opening set — although Djokovic then proceeded to collect seven games in a row and 14 of the remaining 17.“I was really fortunate to kind of hold my nerves toward the end of the first set. That was a key,” Djokovic said. “After that, I started swinging through the ball more.”The 35th-ranked Paul had never been past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament before.His first trip to the semifinals of a major will lift his ranking into the top 20 for the first time.“I want to keep moving up the rankings, you know? It would be nice to end the year top-10. I feel like the way I started the year is the right path to do it,” he said. “Obviously I have a lot of matches to win this year. Hopefully get some titles, too. I don’t want to just lose in semifinals. I want to have my name on some trophies.”

The 35th-ranked Paul had never been past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament before

Novak Djokovic, left, of Serbia is congratulated by Tommy Paul of the U.S. after their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia

Montpellier's Mavididi hitting form again ahead of PSG test

Djokovic back at top of ATP rankings; Sabalenka No. 2 in WTA

Swiss skier Odermatt wins super-G for 2nd win in 2 days

Knierim, Frazier capture pairs gold at US skating nationals

Brown forces OT, Celtics snap skid by beating LA 125-121

Djokovic beats Tsitsipas for 10th Australian Open, 22nd Slam

Djokovic, Tsitsipas start Australian Open men's final

Winter X daredevils ride fine line between height, happiness

Six Nations: Italy's Garbisi recovers from knee injury

Pedri leads win at Girona in 100th game for Barcelona

McKennie left out of Juventus squad amid possible Leeds move

Union Berlin beats Hertha in derby, stays 2nd in Bundesliga

FIFA bans 4 Uruguay players for disorder at World Cup

Marcos Alonso agrees to contract extension with Barcelona

Djokovic's dad stays away from Australian Open semifinal

Paul says Djokovic thwarted his Australian Open gameplan

Sports

Montpellier's Mavididi hitting form again ahead of PSG test

Djokovic back at top of ATP rankings; Sabalenka No. 2 in WTA

Swiss skier Odermatt wins super-G for 2nd win in 2 days

Knierim, Frazier capture pairs gold at US skating nationals

Brown forces OT, Celtics snap skid by beating LA 125-121

Djokovic beats Tsitsipas for 10th Australian Open, 22nd Slam

Djokovic, Tsitsipas start Australian Open men's final

Winter X daredevils ride fine line between height, happiness

Six Nations: Italy's Garbisi recovers from knee injury

Pedri leads win at Girona in 100th game for Barcelona

McKennie left out of Juventus squad amid possible Leeds move

Union Berlin beats Hertha in derby, stays 2nd in Bundesliga

FIFA bans 4 Uruguay players for disorder at World Cup

Marcos Alonso agrees to contract extension with Barcelona

Djokovic's dad stays away from Australian Open semifinal

Paul says Djokovic thwarted his Australian Open gameplan