Reuters Sports Schedule at 0600 GMT on Wednesday
Reuters sports schedule at 0600 GMT on Wednesday:
SOCCER
Premier League
Arsenal v Chelsea (1945)
Arsenal, Chelsea clash in London derby
LONDON - Fifth-placed Arsenal and Chelsea, in third, continue the fight for Champions League places in a London derby. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/ (PIX), expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, 500 words)
Spanish King's Cup
Formentera v Alaves
Lleida v Atletico Madrid
Las Palmas v Valencia
Cadiz v Sevilla
Costa set for Atletico return
MADRID - Diego Costa could make his long-awaited second debut for Atletico Madrid since re-signing for the club from Chelsea when they take on third division Lleida in a King's Cup last 16 first-leg game. (SOCCER-SPAIN/CUP, expect by 2000 GMT/4 PM ET, 300 words)
Coppa Italia
Juventus v Torino
MILAN - Titleholders Juventus host neighbours Torino in the last of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. (SOCCER-ITALY/COPPA, expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, 200 words)
CRICKET
Ashes
Australia v England, fifth test
Smith okay for fifth test, Starc likely to be back
SYDNEY - Australia captain Steve Smith suggested Mitchell Starc would be back to spearhead their pace attack against England and brushed off concerns about his own fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes test on Wednesday (CRICKET-ASHES/AUSTRALIA, moved, by Nick Mulvenney, 400 words)
Crane in for Woakes as England seek redemptive win
SYDNEY - England leg spinner Mason Crane will make his debut in the fifth and final Ashes test against Australia this week after all-rounder Chris Woakes was ruled out of the match by injury, captain Joe Root said. (CRICKET-ASHES/ENGLAND, moved, by Nick Mulvenney, 400 words)
WINTER OLYMPICS
Over the next two weeks we will be moving a series of features and previews ahead of the Feb. 9-25 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
ALPINE SKIING
LOS ANGELES - American Mikaela Shiffrin said she relishes the chance to be a multiple-medal threat at the Olympics in Pyeongchang next month and is brimming with confidence after a dominant run through World Cup events in the lead up to the Games. (OLYMPICS-2018-ALPS/SHIFFRIN (PIX), expect at 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, by Rory Carroll, 450 words)
Gut battling for full fitness after knee injury
ST MORITZ - Widely seen as Switzerland's great hope for a skiing gold at the 2018 Games, Lara Gut is still struggling to regain race fitness after suffering a knee injury one year ago. (OLYMPICS-2018-ALPS/GUT (PIX), expect at 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, by Brian Homewood, 467 words)
Speed queen Vonn ready for battle in Pyeongchang
LOS ANGELES - Lindsey Vonn comes into next month's Olympics dogged by questions about her health after recent crashes but said she is not about to start playing it safe as she prepares to race in what is expected to be her last Olympics. (OLYMPICS-2018-ALPS/VONN (PIX), expect at 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, by Rory Carroll, 508 words)
TENNIS
Brisbane International
Defending women's champion Karolina Pliskova makes her return to Pat Rafter Arena when she takes on rising 18-year-old American CiCi Bellis, while Australian number one Nick Kyrgios meets compatriot Matt Ebden for a place in the quarter-finals. (TENNIS-BRISBANE/WOMEN and TENNIS-BRISBANE/MEN, expect by 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, 300 words)
Hopman Cup
PERTH - Angelique Kerber will face Eugenie Bouchard while Alexander Zverev squares of with Vasek Pospisil as Germany and Canda meet in the mixed teams event. Locals Australia will face a David Goffin-led Belgium in the evening session.(TENNIS-HOPMAN/, expect by 1400 GMT/9 AM ET, 300 words)
WTA International - Auckland Classic
In form Wozniacki on a mission in Auckland
Caroline Wozniacki continued to build on her WTA Finals victory late last year with another impressive performance on her way to a 6-2 6-2 victory over Croatia's Petra Martic to reach the quarter-finals of the Auckland Classic. (TENNIS-AUCKLAND/WOMEN, moved with updates to follow, 300 words)
Shenzhen Open
Top seed Halep meets Duan
SHENZHEN - Top seed Simona Halep takes on Duan Yingying while Irina-Camelia Begu meets Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. (TENNIS-SHENZHEN/, expect by 1400 GMT/9:AM ET, 300 words)
ATP - Qatar Open
Top seed Dominic Thiem will meet Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene, who has reverted to the country of his birth after previously playing for Britain, while former top-10 player Fernando Verdasco faces promising Russian Andrey Rublev in the second round. (TENNIS-DOHA/MEN, expect by 1000 GMT/5 AM ET, 300 words)
GOLF
Thomas gears up to defend title at year-opener
Defending champion Justin Thomas, world number one Dustin Johnson and in-form Rickie Fowler are among those scheduled to talk with the media on the eve of the Tournament of Champions at the picturesque Kapalua Plantation course on the island of Maui. (GOLF-CHAMPIONS/, expect by 0200 GMT/9 PM ET, 400 words)
ALPINE SKIING
World Cup
Women's slalom, Zagreb
(Asia desk editor: Greg Stutchbury)
