Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Ferrari's Raikkonen faster than ever on final test day
Ferrari went faster than ever on the final morning of Formula One's pre-season testing on Friday, with Kimi Raikkonen breaking through the one minute 19 seconds barrier at the Circuit de Catalunya, while McLaren stayed slow. The Finn's best effort of 1:18.634 seconds, on supersoft tires, was a circuit record and 0.804 seconds quicker than Red Bull's Dutch teenager Max Verstappen on the same tire compound in 1:19.438.
Facebook signs soccer live-streaming deal with MLS, Univision
Facebook Inc signed a deal with Major League Soccer and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc on Friday to stream at least 22 matches in English during the 2017 regular season. As fans increasingly rely on the internet to watch games, social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter Inc have stepped up their focus on signing live-streaming sports deals.
Baseball: Cuba edge Australia to reach second round of WBC
Alfredo Despaigne's fifth-inning grand slam gave Cuba all the runs they would need in a 4-3 win over Australia on Friday to reach the second round of the World Baseball Classic for a fourth consecutive tournament. Despaigne's blast put Cuba ahead 4-1 and they held on to finish second in Pool B with a 2-1 record, setting up a showdown with Pool C winner Israel on Sunday at Tokyo Dome.
Golf: Hadwin heats up to grab one-shot lead at Valspar
Canada's Adam Hadwin turned red hot at the turn, reeling off five birdies in a row from the 10th on his way to a seven-under-par 64 on Friday for a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the Valspar Championship in Florida. Hadwin, who has a knack for going low as evidenced by the 59 he fired in January in finishing second at the CareerBuilder Challenge, held a 36-hole lead for the first time at a PGA event as he sought a maiden victory on the tour in his 78th start.
New U.S. women's basketball coach not tinkering with winning formula
Newly-appointed U.S. women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley said on Friday she knows better than to mess with a winning formula that has resulted in a run of six consecutive Olympic gold medals. The University of South Carolina women's coach, a three-time Olympic gold medallist player with the U.S. team who was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, said she will not bring in a new coaching philosophy.
1964 Formula One champion Surtees dead at 83
John Surtees, a Formula One great who won the 1964 championship with Ferrari and remains the only man to win world titles on two wheels and four, died on Friday at the age of 83, his family said in a statement. The Briton won his four 500cc and three 350cc motorcycling world titles with Italian marquee MV Agusta between 1956 and 1960.
USOC renew call for independent anti-doping agency
The United States Olympic Committee renewed its call for an independent global anti-doping agency in a position paper issued on Friday ahead of a World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium at the weekend. The USOC has been vocal in a call for an overhaul of the global anti-doping effort, including a restructuring of WADA.
NFL denies misuse of painkillers described in court filings
NFL teams violated federal laws governing prescription drugs, according to a Washington Post story based on sealed court documents contained in a federal lawsuit filed by former players against the league and reviewed by the newspaper. The documents showed that the league disregarded guidance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on how to store, track, transport and distribute controlled substances, the Post said.
Five world athletics championships facing bribery probe: source
French prosecutors investigating whether bribery was involved in the award of the 2021 world athletics championships to the U.S. city of Eugene are also looking into several other host city decisions, a source close to the case said on Friday. The inquiry, one of a group of French probes into cash-for-votes allegations surrounding the award of sporting events around the world, is looking at decisions by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to give their blue riband event to Doha (2019), London (2017), Beijing (2015) and Moscow (2013), the source told Reuters.
Pliskova rallies past Puig to avoid Indian Wells upset
Karolina Pliskova roared back from a set down to outlast Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig 1-6 6-4 6-4 as the Czech third seed avoided a major upset at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Friday. Pliskova, after falling behind 3-0 in the third set, fought through a long sixth game to help turn the tide and won six of the last seven games to advance to the third round.
