Reuters Sports Schedule at 0600 GMT on Friday, March 31
Reuters sports schedule at 0600 GMT on Friday:
SOCCER
UEFA chief visits Serbia after FIFA World Cup teams proposal
BELGRADE - UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin meets his Serbian FA host the day after FIFA proposed intercontinenal team allocations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be the first to involve 48 countries. (SOCCER-WORLDCUP/CEFERIN, expect by 1500 GMT/11 AM ET, by Zoran Milosavljevic, 500 words)
Premier League
We will have all the latest news ahead of this weekend's Premier League fixtures which include Liverpool against Everton in the Merseyside derby and Arsenal versus Manchester City. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-TEAM/, expect throughout)
European Professional Football Leagues General Assembly
PORTO - The EPFL, representing more than 30 of Europe's professional football leagues, holds a news conference after its General Assembly. (SOCCER-LEAGUES/, 400 words)
RUGBY
Super Rugby, week six
Otago Highlanders v Melbourne Rebels, Dunedin (0635)
WELLINGTON - We kick off our rolling highlights of week six of Super Rugby with the Highlanders-Rebels match in Dunedin (RUGBY-SUPER/HIGHLIGHTS, expect by 0830 GMT / 4:30 AM ET)
FIGURE SKATING
Medvedeva targets successive titles, Virtue and Moir return
HELSINKI - Russian Evgenia Medvedeva will be favourite to become the first woman since Michelle Kwan in 2001 to win back-to-back world titles, while 2010 Olympic gold medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir return to the championships following a three-year absence as the ice dance competition begins. (FIGURESKATING-WORLD/(PIX), expect by 1600 GMT/12 PM ET, by Pritha Sarkar, 600 words)
GOLF
PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open (to 2)
Fowler masters the mud to lead Houston Open
Rickie Fowler, with one eye on Augusta, turned the other eye to the task at hand, coping with a number of "mud balls" to surge into the first round lead at the Shell Houston Open in Texas. (GOLF-HOUSTON/, moved, 400 words)
LPGA: ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage (to 2)
Icher leads as high winds halt play in opening major
RANCHO MIRAGE, California - French veteran Karine Icher held the first-round lead over an impressive chasing pack at the ANA Inspiration before high winds halted play at the first women's major of the year. (GOLF-WOMEN-INSPIRATION/, moved, by Larry Fine, 400 words)
TENNIS
ATP/WTA: Miami Open (to 2)
Federer saves match points to beat Berdych in quarter-final
Roger Federer survived two match points before beating Tomas Berdych in a third set tiebreak in the Miami Open quarter-finals. (TENNIS-MIAMI/MEN (TV), moved, 450 words)
Konta beats Venus to reach Miami final
Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach a Miami Open final when she outlasted American veteran Venus Williams 6-4 7-5.(TENNIS-MIAMI/WOMEN (TV), moved, 400 words)
NBA
Bulls hand Cavs third straight defeat
Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points as the Chicago Bulls completed a season sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 99-93 victory Thursday night at United Center. (BASKETBALL-NBA-HIGHLIGHTS/, moved, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
NHL
Career night for Gallagher as Habs beat Panthers
Brendan Gallagher enjoyed a career night with a goal and three assists to send the Canadiens to a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers that allowed Montreal to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. (ICEHOCKEY-NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/, moved, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS
Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0000 GMT/8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
(Asia desk editor: Peter Rutherford)