MELBOURNE, Australia - Top seed Rafael Nadal starts the Australian Open next week for the first time in his career without playing a warm-up tournament, and no uncle Toni by his side.

But the Spanish star said Saturday he feels good and his motivation remains strong.

Nadal, who is gunning for a 17th major title but only his second Australian Open crown, was hampered by a knee injury at the tail-end of the 2017 season.

It forced him to skip the lead-up Brisbane International this month, and he has only had a one-match workout at the exhibition Kooyong Classic in Melbourne ahead of the Grand Slam starting Monday.

Yet he is unfazed and raring to go as seeks to go one better than last year when he lost an epic Melbourne Park final to Roger Federer.

"Is the first time I am here without playing an official match in my career. It's a new situation for me. But I feel good," said the 31-year-old, who played his first Australian Open in 2004.

"I feel that I had a good week-and-a-half of practices. I really hope to be ready. I feel myself more or less playing well."

With so few matches under his belt ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam, he asked organisers if they could do him a special favour, and they obliged.

It saw Nadal play Austrian world number five Dominic Thiem this week on a practice court under full match conditions, with ball kids, scoreboard, and umpire.

"I wanted to play a couple of close competition matches. I played in Kooyong once. The club in Kooyong is great, but at the same time the conditions of play are completely different from here," he explained. 

"That's my feeling. We decided to play another match. Talking with the Australian Open, yeah, they gave us the chance to play like an open practice but closer to the match for the crowd.

"We did it. It was a good practice, good feelings for both of us I think. The job was done the right way."

Healthy and competitive

Despite his achievements in a long career, motivation for Nadal, who needs to reach the quarter-finals to be certain of retaining his world number one ranking, with Federer breathing down his neck, remains undiminished.

Not only can he clinch a 17th Grand Slam in Melbourne, but he also has the opportunity to join Roy Emerson and Rod Laver as only the third man in the Open era to win each of the four Grand Slams twice.  

The only place he is yet to achieve the double is Australia.

"For me, the Australian Open always, if you are not 100 percent motivated to play this tournament, you probably you don't love this sport," he said.

But he knows anything can happen so early in the season, despite being the top ranked player in the world.

"Everyone starts from zero. I start from zero again," he said.

"It's the start of a new season, an exciting one. I hope to be healthy and competitive, and most important thing, I hope to enjoy tennis one more year."

In Melbourne, Nadal is at his first major tournament in years without his uncle Toni, who coached him from childhood until after his US Open win last year.

Toni Nadal is now coaching at the Rafael Nadal Academy, with his nephew under the tutelage of Carlos Moya.

"In terms of professional things, I spoke to him few days ago, speaking about how the life going, how the tennis going," he said of Toni. 

"If I have something to ask, I ask him. If he have something to tell me, he call me and tell me." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines.- Poy Erram didn’t just hold his own against Barangay Ginebra’s twin towers, he looked like a star in his own right after the Blackwater Elite pulled off a statement 94-77 victory over the league’s crowd darlings.

Erram scattered 22 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks to help Blackwater hand Ginebra its first loss of the season and was a pivotal cog in containing Ginebra’s giant frontcourt in Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. 

Although Slaughter still tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists while Aguilar had 14 markers, 8 boards and 4 dishes, it was enough for Blackwater to notch its second win in 3 games and force a 5-team logjam at second place. 

What most people do not know is that Erram played as backup for Slaughter during their stints with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles. And to the Elite’s big man, it will always be a big confidence boost to get a win over one of the league’s top centers. 

“Malaking pampataas ng confidence para sa akin kasi syempre teammates kami tapos magkalaban na, tapos ayun nga, against them nanalo kami,” said Erram. “Tapos ‘yung caliber ni Greg hindi basta basta kasi naglaro siya sa Gilas, marami akong natutunan sa matchup na ‘yun.” 

(It is a huge boost in my confidence because we were former teammates and now we play for different teams and we won. Greg’s caliber is top notch since he already played for Gilas. I learned a lot from that matchup.) 

The win marked the Elite’s second win over Ginebra in franchise history and just the first in the Philippine Cup but Erram dismissed the thought that he is the “puzzle piece” Blackwater had missed in the past few years to become a competitive squad.

“Hindi ko iniisip na ganoon e kasi every person sa team namin, crucial e. Sa baba ng bench hanggang sa starters, crucial talaga siya.”

(I do not see it like that since every person in our team is crucial. From the bench to the starters, everyone is crucial.) 

For the former 15th overall pick in 2013, you cannot just overlook a bunch of guys who have “nothing to lose.” 

“Mas aggressive kami. ‘Yun nga bata, so unpredictable. ‘Yung effort namin nandun e, maeffort talaga kami, dun kami nagdadagdag masyado kasi mga bata pa, fresh legs pa. Tsaka malaki pa ang iiimprove namin kasi nga mga bata, galing pa sa iba ibang team. Para sa akin, galing ako sa ibang team, hindi kami nabigyan ng importansya so nothing to lose.” 

(We are aggressive. We are young and unpredictable. We really exert our effort and it helps that we are young, we still have fresh legs. We still have a lot to improve because we are still young. We came from different teams and for us who were not given much importance, there is nothing to lose.) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - The second round of the UAAP Season 80 Juniors basketball tournament kicked off on Saturday, January 13 with last season’s runner-up National University (NU) Bullpups once again defeating the defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) Baby Tamaraws in an 86-81 finals rematch thriller.  

NU had previously beaten the champs 80-68 in the first round. 

The game remained relatively close until the closing moments of the first half, when RJ Abarrientos pulled up for 3 with less than 10 seconds on the game clock to put the champs up 47-40. The now 7-1 Bullpups got it together when it mattered most, scoring 29 points in the final frame compared to FEU’s 16. Thanks to the late heroics of Most Valuable Player candidate Rhayyan Amsali (21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Terrence Fortea (18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 4-of-7 threes), NU sneaked away with the lead and sealed the game for good off a late and-one from Michael Malonzo.

Season 79 Finals MVP L-Jay Gonzales paced the Baby Tams with 21 points, 5 boards and 5 helpers on 9-of-13 shooting and 2-of-2 from downtown. Bryan Sajonia also did damage in just 15 minutes (15 points, 4-of-5 threes) but the team ultimately failed to clamp down on their late lead. 

Following that thriller was another marquee matchup between the undefeated Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eaglets and 3^rd-placer University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Cubs. While the Cubs pounced out to an early 18-13 lead after the first quarter, they were slowly overpowered by the ultra-talented Ateneo squad which boasts 3 of the Top 5 MVP candidates, including 7-foot-1 Gilas 2023 prospect Kai Sotto. Ateneo ultimately won by 24, 78-54, to improve to 8-0 for Season 80. UST fell to 5-3, still at 3^rd. 

Sotto finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks off the bench while Dave Ildefonso added a game-high 20 points, 7 boards and 3 assists. SJ Belangel rounded up the MVP-level contributions with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 6 helpers of his own.

Frontrunner MVP candidate CJ Cansino – who expressed his desire to be a part of the 2023 Gilas roster after the loss – chipped in 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists but struggled from the field on 6-of-20 shooting. Only Cansino and Vince Dolendo (10 points) scored in double-figures for UST as the Eaglets held the Cubs to 27% shooting as a team. 

Coming up third in the 4-game slate was a battle between the De La Salle University-Zobel (DLSZ) Junior Archers and the University of the East (UE) Junior Warriors. DLSZ handily won 93-74 thanks to double 20-point performances from Chris Calimag (22 points, 5 rebounds) and Rogil Carlos (20 points, 4 rebounds). UE actually led 49-48 after one half but DLSZ woke up and held them to just 25 second half points. The Archers had 23 markers in the third quarter alone, with 22 more in the fourth for good measure.

Bolstering the Warriors’ ranks was Shane Dichoso, who had 20 points on 6-of-6 shooting from downtown after one half. He only scored two more in the second half as his teammate Agem Miranda overtook him by contributing 24 points of his own in the losing effort. UE remains winless at 0-8. 

The Adamson University (AdU) Baby Falcons blew out the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) Fighting Maroons, 76-58. The brotherly duo of Andrey and Adam Doria combined for 29 points and 14 rebounds in the Falcons’ win while Matt Santiago dropped 21 points to lead the Maroon charge. UPIS never came close to the Falcons' score as they only managed 17 points for the entire first half. Their 41-point 2nd half did nothing to change their fortunes as they slipped to a 1-7 record for the season. Meanwhile, Adamson ties FEU for 4^th at 4-4. 

All 8 teams are scheduled next to appear on Wednesday, January 17 at the same venue. 

Season 80 Standings (as of January 13, 2018)

School                  Win-Loss Record

ADMU                 8-0

NU                        7-1

UST                      5-3

FEU                      4-4

AdU                      4-4

DLSZ                    3-5

UPIS                     1-7

UE                         0-8

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino youth players aged 10 to 14 years old get another chance to take their basketball dreams to greater heights as Jr NBA Philippines 2018 opened its doors on Satuday, January 13. 

This year's program aims to reach more than 35,000 Filipino kids – after hitting a record-breaking 33,617 participants in 2017 – as they are implementing the program in 110 cities and municipalities. The program will return to the provinces of Agusan Del Norte, Batangas, Benguet, Cavite, Misamis Oriental and Negros Occidental. 

On its 11th year in the Philippines, the Jr NBA – the league's global youth basketball participation program – has been successful in raising the level of the basketball grassroots program in the Philippines. The best coaches in the country are able to teach aspiring players the fundamental skills and core values of the game though a variety of camps, clinics, skills challenges, league play and outreach events. 

The program holds selection camps starting with the regional selection camps in Bacolod (Feb.10-11), Butuan (Feb 24.-25), Baguio (March 17-18) and Metro Manila (April 21-22). The top 37 of each division – boys and girls – will advance to the National Training Camp (May 18-20), where they will be joined by an NBA and WNBA player or legend.

In 2017, Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton and New York Liberty center Sue Wicks graced the training camp proper. (READ: Magic's Payton, ex-WNBA player Wicks to coach Jr NBA camp in Manila)

The highlight of program is for the top 16 Jr NBA All-Stars – comprised of 8 girls and 8 boys – to get the NBA experience as they train under their NBA idols as well as watch a live NBA game. The 2017 batch of Jr NBA All-Stars went to Shanghai, China to watch the Golden State Warriors go up against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former New York Knicks player Jerome Williams also took part in the culminating event to share training tips with the All-Star teams of different Asian countries. 

NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson promises that the Jr NBA program will continue its commitment to basketball youth of the Philippines. 

"Together with Alaska, we are committed to providing proper guidelines to how the game should be played and taught to more youth, coaches and parents in the country." 

Aljon Mariano, who is currently playing for Barangay Ginebra, and UAAP stalwarts Ricci Rivero, Kib Montalbo, Aljun Melecio, Thirdy Ravena, Tyler Tio, Gian Mamuyac and Janjan Jaboneta are graduates of the Jr NBA program. 

The 2018 edition of the Jr NBA will still continue the Jr NBA Coach of the Year's coaching clinics, which has produced NCAA and UAAP champion coach Aldin Ayo. This year, NBA coach Carlos Barroca and former Alaska Ace Jeff Cariaso will be leading the training of the top 14 coaches from the program during the National Training Camp. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Mark Anthony Barriga, the Philippines' 2012 Olympic representative, will take his first step towards a pro title in his next fight.

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has ordered Barriga, ranked number 4, to meet the 7th-ranked Jose Argumedo to determine the mandatory challenger for IBF strawweight champ Hiroto Kyoguchi, according to a letter released by Barriga's matchmaker Sean Gibbons.

Gibbons says he's working on the fight to be held in March, with China, Mexico, and the United States named as potential sites.

Barriga, who made the second round of the London Games, has run up an 8-0 (1 knockout) record since turning pro in July of 2016, and last fought on December 16, 2017, with a unanimous decision over Glenne Calacar in Makati City, in a fight that was featured on Rappler. Barriga's best win to date was last September over Thailand's Wittawas Basapean, during which he showcased his stylish combination punching and defensive prowess.

"I've actually been waiting and preparing for this opportunity to come," said the 24-year-old Barriga of Panabo City, Davao del Norte, who trained through the holidays alongside IBF junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas at Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite.

{source}<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eqN6VbmOQeA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}

Argumedo (20-4-1, 12 KOs) of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico had previously held the IBF 105-pound title, winning it in November of 2016 before losing it by decision in his second defense against Kyoguchi.

"He's a brawler however the punches he throws don't have any direction," said Barriga of Argumedo. "I feel like that will work to my advantage but still I wont get too complacent."

Other international fights

John Vincent Moralde (19-1, 10 knockouts) of Davao City will try to bounce back from his one-sided loss to Toka Khan Clary when he meets Ray Ximenez (16-1, 4 KOs) on February 9 at the Bomb Factory in Ximenez's hometown of Dallas.

OPBF junior bantamweight titleholder Rene Dacquel (20-6-1, 6 KOs) of Manabo, Abra, Philippines will travel to Australia to face undefeated prospect Andrew Moloney (15-0, 10 KOs) at Town Hall in St Kilda, Melbourne. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - In a good, old-fashioned slugfest, the San Miguel Beermen silenced the TNT KaTropa, 88-76, at the University of San Agustin Gym, Iloilo City, Saturday, January 13.

As a treat for the Iloilo fans in the new season’s first out-of-town game, the powerhouse squads went neck-and-neck until the end of the first half, where TNT held the lead by a single point, 36-35.

The two teams ran pretty much the same script for much of the third quarter, until Kelly Williams broke free for the TNT fastbreak to put up a two-possession lead, 47-41. However, that hole was quickly plugged by SMB one stop at a time and again put themselves within striking distance entering the fourth, trailing only by 3.

An Alex Cabagnot three to open the final period started a sudden 7-0 attack punctuated by a fastbreak lay-in by June Mar Fajardo to put the Beermen up, 65-61. To no one’s surprise, Troy Rosario and Moala Tautuaa quickly answered to tie the game up 65-all. 

No team never led more than one possession until the last 3 minutes, when Arwind Santos sank a midrange jumper to put SMB up 78-74. Then Cabagnot found himself effectively ending the game the same way he started the 4^th quarter, with a pull-up three to extend the lead to 6, 81-74. To add insult to injury, Santos pulled up a 3 of his own and broke out for an easy jam with less than a minute left to formally seal the deal.

Marcio Lassiter still drained an unnecessary layup to extend the lead to 12, prompting TNT head coach Nash Racela to call an unnecessary 30-second timeout in response. No harm done in the end though as Racela and SMB head coach Leo Austria shook hands and laughed it off. 

Fajardo was named the Player of the Game after a 20-point, 6-rebound, 3-block performance.

The Beermen continue their streak as the only undefeated team left in the PBA with a 3-0 win-loss slate. TNT moves down to a five-team tie at 1-2. 

Scores: 

San Miguel (88): Fajardo 20, Santos 15, Lassiter 15, Cabagnot 11, Ganuelas-Rosser 8, Pessumal 7, Ross 5, Heruela 5, De Ocampo 2, Mamaril 0, Lanete 0, Semerad 0

TNT (76): Rosario 15, Tautuaa 12, Pogoy 11, Castro 9, Williams 9, Garcia 9, Semerad 6, Reyes 5, Onwubere 0, Golla 0, Carey 0, Torres 0 

Quarter scores: 14-24, 35-36, 58-61, 88-76. – Rappler.com

LONDON, England - Antonio Conte's problems mounted as spluttering Chelsea were held to a dour 0-0 draw by 10-man Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, January 13 (Sunday Manila time).

Conte's side produced a limp display and could easily have lost to a Leicester team who missed a host of first-half chances.

Even when Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell was sent off midway through the second half for two bookings, the champions were unable to snatch a winner.

Chelsea remains third - 15 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City - and have drawn their last 4 matches in all competitions.

The result capped a difficult week for Chelsea boss Conte, who could be in the final months of his turbulent reign despite last season's title triumph.

Responding to a report claiming he will leave at the end of the season, Conte this week said "everything is possible" regarding his future.

Conte has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain as his relationship with the Chelsea board has grown increasingly fractious following disagreements over transfers and the Italian's feud with Diego Costa, which led to the striker joining Atletico Madrid.

Conte has reportedly frustrated some of his players with his intense personality and demanding training sessions and their inconsistent performances this season have added fuel to that fire.

Chelsea are reported to be considering Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique as potential replacements for the 48-year-old.

"I think a lot of our players were tired. In the first half Leicester ran more than us," Conte said.

"We suffered a lot. We are not conceding, but we are not creating chances."

Given the speculation surrounding their manager, it was intriguing to note the response of Chelsea fans.

Having grown used to big-name managers coming and going in the era of owner Roman Abramovich, they hardly seemed heartbroken at the possibility of another change on the bench.

When a chant of Conte's name emanated from the stands soon after kick-off, it quickly petered out and the Italian responded with only a bashful clap towards the supporters.

Shinji Okazaki had a chance to further dampen the muted atmosphere in the eighth minute when the Leicester striker slid in to meet Chilwell's cross, but couldn't control a close-range shot that ballooned over the bar.

Lethargic Chelsea

When Jamie Vardy fired narrowly wide from a tight angle moments later, Conte wore a thunderous expression on the touchline.

It took a superb save from Thibaut Courtois to prevent Leicester taking the lead their pressure deserved as the Belgian plunged to his right to claw away a Wilfred Ndidi header.

Chelsea threatened when Eden Hazard teed up Cesc Fabregas for a powerful drive that Kasper Schmeichel palmed away.

But misplaced passes and lapses of concentration littered Chelsea's play.

Vardy was a constant menace and Conte's defense again failed to corral the England international, who found space to shoot just wide.

An injury that forced Chelsea captain Gary Cahill off late in the first half added to Conte's problems.

Fabregas nearly put Chelsea ahead against the run of play, but the midfielder's drive was tipped over by Schmeichel.

A key cause of Chelsea's erratic form has been Alvaro Morata's struggles and the lackluster Spain striker has now gone 5 games without a goal.

Chelsea were still in disarray after the interval and Riyad Mahrez's deflected effort almost crept in, prompting Conte to send on Willian and Pedro for Hazard and Fabregas.

The decision to remove Hazard drew jeers from the frustrated Chelsea faithful.

Conte's men were gifted an unexpected lift when Chilwell, booked moments earlier, lunged into a studs-up tackle on Victor Moses in the 68th minute, earning a red card from referee Michael Jones.

However, the best Chelsea could manage were harmless long-range strikes from N'Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso as Leicester held firm to leave Conte grumbling his way down the tunnel at full-time. – Rappler.com

MADRID, Spain - Struggling Real Madrid risk falling further behind in La Liga after a cheeky late chip from Pablo Fornals saw Villarreal escape with a 1-0 win on Saturday, January 13 (Sunday Manila time), their first ever victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Fornals struck with 3 minutes left to leave Zinedine Zidane's wasteful side fourth and a whopping 16 points behind runaway league leaders Barcelona, a deficit which will turn into 19 should Barca win at Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Villarreal meanwhile move up to fifth on 31 points thanks to midfielder Fornals' stunning goal, which puts Javier Calleja's side just a point behind off-form Madrid.

Fornals was on hand for the away side just after it looked like Enes Unal had fluffed his team's chance after a blistering counter-attack following a Real Madrid corner.

Turk Unal shot straight at Keylor Navas when put through by Denis Cheryshev, but with Navas still recovering from making the save Fornals lifted the ball over the flailing Madrid stopper.

Real fired off nearly 30 shots but their accuracy was wayward, with Cristiano Ronaldo among the worst culprits in front of goal.

So often Real's savior, Ronaldo had a bad day at the office, with his worst miss coming just before half-time, when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner managed to shoot straight at Sergio Asenjo after being laid on by Isco in front of a practically open goal just yards out.

The Portuguese was livid with the referee, as he thought that he was tripped by Daniele Bonera just before he shot.

Real dominated the second period, but after failing to break down the resolute visitors, Fornals stepped up to make history and pile the pressure on Zidane. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Giant German Alexander Zverev has been widely tipped for greatness but has so far failed to go beyond a Grand Slam 4th round – something he plans to fix at the Australian Open.

The 20-year-old heads into the year's first Grand Slam ranked 4th in the world, courtesy of 5 titles last year.

His progress has marked him out as the most likely of the current crop of youngsters to translate his talent into major titles.

While he made the 4th round at Wimbledon last year, he is yet to push on further.

"I think improving the Grand Slam performances," he said at Melbourne Park when asked what his key goal was for the year.

"I mean, the furthest I've got was to the 4th round of Wimbledon. A lot of times not because I played bad, but because I played very good opponents."

"I lost to (Rafael) Nadal here. I lost to (Milos) Raonic in Wimbledon. Every time in 5 sets. That's nothing to worry about too much. But obviously that's one goal for me this year."

Zverev was one of just 4 men to beat his idol Roger Federer in 2017 when he defeated him in the Montreal final.

The Swiss great has said the German has the "full package" and Zverev is determined to demonstrate his range of skills at the opening Grand Slam of the year, starting Monday, January 15.

"I've showed on multiple occasions over the year that I can play and beat the best guys in the world. I mean, I'm number four in the world for a reason," he said. 

"I'm not trying to sound cocky or anything, but I've always said that I've always been working hard physically, I'm always trying to improve the performance at the Grand Slams."

"Hopefully I can do so this week."

At stake is the opportunity to become the youngest Grand Slam men's singles champion in a decade – a record currently held by Novak Djokovic who was 20 years and 250 days when he won the Australian Open in 2008.

Zverev was knocked out in the 3rd round here last year and opens his 2018 campaign against Italy's Thomas Fabbiano with a potential 3rd-round clash against his older brother Mischa awaiting him. 

"Hopefully we can get there. It will be an interesting day," said Zverev. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Johanna Konta believes that the lack of a clear favorite for the Australian Open reflects the growing strength in depth of women's tennis.

Asked by reporters if the year's first Grand Slam – which begins Monday, January 15 without defending champion and new mum Serena Williams – was now wide open, Konta had a curt response. 

"What does that mean? Whenever I get asked that question, it always comes across in really kind of an almost negative way instead of acknowledging how many great players we have," the world number 9 said. 

"The championship is open in the sense there's so many great players," added the Australian-born Briton. 

"You just see it in every round, in tournaments, in slams. There's so many massive first rounds, tough second rounds. That's not specific to a Grand Slam. That's the same in Brisbane. I played (US Open finalist) Madison Keys first round."

"Even Sydney I played (former world number two) Agnieszka (Radwanska). It's exciting for the fans that bought tickets. They know when they're coming, whatever day they bought tickets, there's going to be great matches on."

Konta ended her 2017 season early after a foot injury caused a slump in late-season form which saw her miss out on the WTA Tour finals.

And her start to 2018 season has not been entirely smooth – a retirement in the quarter-final at the Brisbane International with a hip injury was followed by a first-round defeat to Radwanska in Sydney. 

"I kind of hit a bit of a wall," Konta admitted when asked Saturday about her end of 2017 woes. 

"I just wasn't able to roll with the punches really any more. It was basically just a bit overwhelming."

"It just shows the margins are so small in these events. There's really not much in it on who comes through and who doesn't."

Born in Sydney before moving to England, Konta has consistently played some of her best tennis Down Under.

She made the semi-finals at Melbourne Park two years ago and last year won in Sydney before reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia - Defending champion Roger Federer says rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic should be seen as leading contenders for the Australian Open as he is too old to be considered favorite.

The 36-year-old is bidding for a record 20th Grand Slam title and is in form and fit, unlike the Spaniard and the Serb who enter the tournament under injury clouds.

But the father-of-four said at his age and in his 19th Australian Open, he liked to play down his chances.

"With age, I feel like I play down my chances just because I don't think a 36-year-old should be a favorite of a tournament, it should not be the case," the world number two said Sunday. 

"That's why I see things more relaxed, you know, at a later stage of my career.

"I feel like maybe somebody like a Rafa, with the year that he's had, and Novak with the 6 titles he's had here, even if it's unknown how he's feeling, they could very well be the favorites, too."

But he added "at the end of the day, it's all just talk beforehand. The draws are always tough".

Federer, who had an incredible 2017 after returning from injury, winning not only a fifth Australian Open but a record eighth Wimbledon, opens his title defense against Slovenia's 51st ranked Aljaz Bedene on Tuesday.

He faces a potential quarter-final against David Goffin if he stays on track to become only the fourth player ever to win 20 or more Slams - joining Margaret Court, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf.

His preparations have been good.

He comes into the tournament on the back of winning the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth with fellow Swiss Belinda Bencic, before his entourage touched down in Melbourne for the usual commitments that come with being a legend of the game.

"Busy. A lot going on with media, sponsors, practice. It was intense," he said when asked if everything was going as planned. 

But he added that he had been able to get in as much practice as he wanted.

"It's been constantly playing, practice how hopefully I can play during the Australian Open. 

"The Hopman Cup went very well," he added. "I think it's going to be helpful again for me this year because the court plays exactly the same in Perth and here in Melbourne. 

"Yeah, practice is perfect. Nothing to complain about."

Tournament of the year

Against all expectations as he returned from injury, Federer blitzed the field to win at Melbourne Park last year, crowned champion again after an epic final against Nadal.

It kickstarted a memorable 2017, and he said it was his highlight of the year.

"It was the tournament of the year for me, no doubt about it. All the five-setters, as well," he said. 

"Having no expectations was so nice after all these years always having expectations, like now this year again."

Federer, who can return to world number one if he wins the title and Nadal loses prior to the quarter-finals, said he wasn't getting ahead of himself, and was only taking it one step at a time.

"My focus needs to be early because I have my own problems, you know, to get through my section of the draw, my game," he said. 

"That's my focus, not the other players really further down the line."

He added that it was "just great to be back". 

"I'm so, so happy the Australian Open, it's time again. I can't believe it's been a year, but it's OK. I'll make the most of it." – Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA – Patrick Chan earned a record 10th national singles title on Saturday, January 13 (Sunday Manila time) by winning the men's free skate at the 2018 Canadian figure skating championships.

The 27-year-old Chan turned in a solid free skate routine to seal the win after winning the short program on Friday, January 12, at the Thunderbird Sports Centre arena in Vancouver, Canada. 

Chan finished with 272.24 total points as he easily beat runner-up Keegan Messing, who tallied 259.25 points. Nam Nguyen was third with 258.16 points.

"Today was not my dream skate but when you look at every champion in every sport, their careers are filled with ups and downs. It is how you weather the storms," Chan said.

Chan is considered a lock to be part of Team Canada at next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The Canadian Olympic figure skating team will be officially announced on Sunday, January 14. 

Chan has won 3 straight World titles but Olympic gold has eluded him. 

He has captured every Canadian championship he has skated in as a senior and Saturday's win moved him past Montgomery Wilson, who won 9 titles between 1929 and 1939.

Earlier, Gabrielle Daleman celebrated her 20th birthday in style by capturing the women's crown.

Her win comes 8 months after she underwent emergency abdominal surgery that she said saved her life

Because of the operation Daleman had to spend 3 months in rehabilitation.

Skating to "Rhapsody in Blue" on Saturday, the Toronto athlete scored a Canadian record 229.78 points. Kaetlyn Osmond  fell twice to finish second with 218.73. Crowd favorite Larkyn Austman, of Vancouver, won bronze with 169.62.

Also, Olympic gold and silver medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir captured their 8th Canadian figure skating ice dance title, in their final appearance in the event.

In pairs skating, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford breezed to their seventh straight national title.– Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA - The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots beat the Tennessee Titans 35-14 Saturday, January 13 (Sunday Manila time) to move within one win of a return to the NFL's championship showcase.

But the Atlanta Falcons, the team the Patriots stunned in last season's Super Bowl, won't get a shot at redemption after falling 15-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Another milestone night for superstar quarterback Tom Brady saw the Patriots roll past the Titans and into their seventh straight American Football Conference title game.

They will face either the Jacksonville Jaguars or Pittsburgh Steelers for a berth in the February 4 Super Bowl.

In frigid temperatures at the Patriots' Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Titans seized a 7-0 lead.

But the Patriots responded with a vengeance, with three second-quarter touchdowns giving them a 21-7 halftime lead that they stretched to 35-7 before the Titans tacked on another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Brady completed 35 of 53 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns as he set an NFL record with his 10th career post-season game with three TD passes.

Danny Amendola posted his first career 100-yard receiving game, catching 11 passes for 112 yards.

James White scored two touchdowns and Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski scored one apiece while the Patriots defense sacked Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota eight times.

The Patriots had been riled in the run-up to the contest by a bombshell ESPN report that painted a picture of internal strife and a rift between Brady, coach Bill Belichick and billionaire owner Robert Kraft.

But Brady insisted that didn't alter his approach -- or his satisfaction in the win.

"I just try to be consistent, show up and do the best I can do every week for the team, regardless of whether I'm the worst quarterback in the league or the best quarterback in the league or somewhere in between," he said. 

"My job is to do the best I can do for us every week. It was a good team win today - and we're going to need another one next week."

Eagles thrive as underdogs

In Philadelphia, the Eagles didn't mind admitting they were motivated by pundits who branded them underdogs against the Falcons despite Philadelphia's number one seed in the National Football Conference.

"Keep calling us underdogs, man, keep doing it," defensive end Chris Long crowed. "We love it! Keep it up! We stink!"

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was more reflective.

"I think negativity by so many can certainly fuel you in a positive way and we felt it," Cox said. "We felt disrespected, sure, but it wouldn't have mattered unless we had won, which we did. We earned our respect."

Expectations for the Eagles dipped when quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a season ending knee injury on December 10.

Nick Foles -- who has struggled to convince since replacing Wentz - finished the game with 246 passing yards, making 23 of 30 attempts.

Foles overcame a slow start to set up a touchdown for LeGarrette Blount from one yard on a brave fourth down play in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 6-3 lead.

Rookie kicker Jake Elliott booted three field goals as the Eagles advanced to a meeting with either the Minnesota Vikings or the New Orleans Saints in the National Football Conference championship game next weekend in Philadelphia.

The Falcons, desperate for a shot at redemption after squandering a 28-3 lead in their Super Bowl loss to the Pats last season, had a late chance to take the lead.

But quarterback Matt Ryan's pass to receiver Julio Jones fell incomplete in the end zone on fourth and goal from the two-yard line with 58 seconds left to play.

"We had chances to make plays and we didn't make them," Ryan said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Kia Picanto entered history books Sunday night, January 14, when they succumbed to their 16th straight loss, the longest losing streak in a decade, following a 37-point drubbing from the Alaska Aces, 102-65, in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Trailing by just 4 points after the break, 34-39, the Picanto quickly ran out of steam entering the second half. They scored only 5 points on 2-of-23 shooting in the 3rd quarter while allowing the Aces to scorch hot for 36 for a 75-39 advantage. 

In that 3rd quarter, Jeron Teng poured in 13 points, including 6 in an unanswered 24-0 salvo that virtually put the game beyond the Picanto's reach.

Kia’s losing streak is the longest since Ginebra dropped 17th straight games in 1995.

"I thought our defensive energy was a little undirected in the first half and it caused us to give up some baskets we don't want to give up. In the second half it was a little more focused,” said Alaska head coach Alex Compton.

Teng paced the Aces, who improved to 2-2, with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists while Carl Bryan Cruz added 16 markers and 9 boards. 

Jake Pascual made his presence felt with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Calvin Abueva took the backseat but still contributed 10 markers and 9 boards.

The Aces completely obliterated the hapless Picanto side by having 18 more rebounds, 11 more assists and 6 more steals that translated to an impressive 46.8% shooting. 

Rashawn McCarthy topscored for Kia with 16 points. Eric Camson and Ronald Tubid added 15 and 13 markers, respectively, in the losing effort.

Kia remained winless in 4 games this season. 

The Scores:

Alaska (102): Teng 23, Cruz 16, Banchero 11, Abueva 10, Manuel 10, Pascual 10, Enciso 8, Galliguez 5, Thoss 5, Exciminiano 2, Potts 2, Casio 0, Racal 0.

Kia (65): McCarthy 16, Camson 15, Tubid 13, Ababou 5, Caperal 4, Reyes 4, Cabrera 3, Celda 3, Yee 2, Galanza 0, Jamon 0, Paniamogan 0, Sara 0.

Quarter scores: 20-21, 39-34, 75-39, 102-65.

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Magnolia Hotshots spoiled Kiefer Ravena's 31-point night with a 105-94 win over the reeling NLEX Road Warriors, for their second straight win in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, January 14.

After winning by 47 points against the Kia Picanto in their previous game, the Hotshots looked like they were in for another lopsided triumph as they led by as much as 23 points in the 3rd quarter, 71-48, thanks to a 10-0 run ignited and capped by Paul Lee's triples.

NLEX threatened to make a comeback early in the 4th period, closing the gap to just 8 points following an 11-2 spurt, 79-87. But Magnolia kept its composure down the stretch with a game-clinching 11-2 run, 105-87. 

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Tanduay Alab Pilipinas found its rhythm in demolishing the highest scoring team of the league, the Mono Vampire Basketball Club, 114-87, on Sunday, January 14, at Stadium 29 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Alab immediately recovered from snapping their 3-game winning streak with a loss to the Singapore Slingers at home, as they pulled off a 27-point drubbing of the 3rd-seeded Mono Vampire.

The Philippine team kept their promise to show "unselfish basketball" after the loss by dishing out a total of 32 assists in Sunday's match. 

Justin Brownlee flirted with a triple-double as he led Alab with 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. He went 12-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-18 from the 3-point range. 

Singletary led the 3 double-digit scorers of Mono Vampire with 24 points. Former University of the East Red Warrior Paul Zamar followed with 20 points, while 7-foot-6 center Samuel Deguara – also the tallest man in Italy and Malta – chipped in 17 points. 

Bobby Ray Parks Jr led Alab's hot start as he drained back-to-back triples that gave the Philippine team an early 8-point lead, 15-7. But the team almost seemed to cool down as Mono Vampire managed to cut the deficit to 4 points with 1:36 left in the first quarter.

Josh Urbiztondo buried his 4th triple in the second quarter with 3:01 left to give Alab an 18-point lead. Alab import Renaldo Balkman was subbed out in the last 2:39 of the first half, which saw head coach Jimmy Alapag unleash an all-Filipino lineup to limit the Thai team. 

Mono Vampire imports Deguara and Mike Singletary led the scoring for the Thai team early in the second half. The home team failed to sustain their offense as Alab Pilipinas limited them to zero field goals in 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter.  

Alab Pilipinas left no mercy for Mono Vampire as they brought the game to a massive 33-point lead via Brownlee's solo 5-0 run in the final frame.

Alab's record improved to 4-4, while Mono Vampire fell to 5-4 in the ASEAN Basketball League.

The Scores:

Alab (114) – Brownlee 29, Parks 19, Urbiztondo 17, Balkman 14, Raymundo 10, Maierhofer 7, Javelona 6, Domingo 4, Alabanza 4, Celiz 2, Hontiveros 2, Sumalinog 0. 

Vampires (87) – Singletary 24, Zamar 20, Deguara 17, Brickman 7, Boonyai 5, Ananti 4, Chanthachon 3, Khukandhin 2, Phuangla 2, Apiromvilaichai 2, Samerjai 1, Kruatiwa 0. 

Quarter scores: 32-22, 54-37, 88-62, 114-87.

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Jeron Teng admitted to still be adjusting to Alaska’s system but his numbers indicate otherwise as he once again starred for the Aces’ second straight win over the Kia Picanto Sunday, January 14.

Teng torched the Picanto with 23 points on an ultra-efficient 58.8% shooting on top of 9 rebounds and two assists en route to a 102-65 Alaska victory.

After scoring just 4 points in the first half, Teng did the most damage for the Aces in the third quarter, pouring in 13 points in the frame to outscore Kia, which only had 5 third quarter points.

He was also the catalyst of the Aces’ 24-0 run that put the Picanto at bay for good.

Although he has logged in two 20-point outings in just 4 games in the PBA, the former De La Salle University standout said that he has yet to fully familiarize himself with the Aces.

“Medyo nangangapa pa ako sa sistema ng Alaska. It takes time to be 100% familiarized with the system. But I’ll get there with the help of the coaches, teaching me a lot of things, and my teammates who are helping me out,” said Teng.

(I am still coping with the system of Alaska. It takes time to be 100% familiarized with the system. But I’ll get there with the help of the coaches, teaching me a lot of things, and my teammates who are helping me out.)

Alaska head coach Alex Compton is pleased with Teng, saying that the 23-year-old can match up with the league’s big boys even as a rookie. 

“You know how rookies come in and they have to learn how to bang with the big boys? It seems like Jeron's whole career, even when he went to the next level, he was immediately still one of the big boys,” said Compton.

“His physicality, he's inserted that, he helps us in rebounding, obviously getting to the basket, he draws a lot of contact. The kid's got a knack for scoring and attacking the basket. We were very happy with the pick we had at number 5.”

The Aces’ mettle will be tested when they face Barangay Ginebra next on January 21 and Teng hopes to keep Alaska in the winning track.

“I think we're ready for the challenge, we’re up to it. We’re practicing really really hard and I think we’ll be ready by that game.” – Rappler.com 

LONDON, United Kingdom - Liverpool condemned Manchester City to their first Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, January 14 (Monday Manila time) as Arsenal's defeat was marked by the missing Alexis Sanchez, who looks set to leave the club imminently.

Jurgen Klopp sent out an attack-minded line-up and was rewarded with a scintillating 4-3 win at a jubilant Anfield, where the emotions were in sharp contrast to Wenger's misery after a 2-1 loss at struggling Bournemouth. 

At Anfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's early strike was cancelled out by Leroy Sane's goal shortly before half-time but three goals in 9 scintillating minutes stunned Pep Guardiola's men. 

Two late goals gave City hope but they fell just short in their desperate bid to keep their unbeaten run going. 

The result means that City remain 15 points clear of second-placed Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table ahead of United's match at home to struggling Stoke on Monday. Liverpool leapfrog Chelsea into third spot.

Klopp's side, in their first match since Philippe Coutinho left to join Barcelona, showed they still have enviable depth in attack, taking the lead in the ninth minute when Oxlade-Chamberlain marauded forward and thundered a shot past City stopper Ederson. 

The home side held onto their lead until five minutes before half-time, when Leroy Sane gathered a raking cross-field ball from Kyle Walker and beat Loris Karius at his near post with a rasping left-foot shot that the Liverpool keeper should have saved. 

Guardiola's team looked in control after the break before Liverpool's goal glut.

Roberto Firmino dinked a clever shot in off the post following a through-ball by Oxlade-Chamberlain and just two minutes later Sadio Mane smashed a shot into the top corner to make it 3-1. 

With City rocking, Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's fourth with a left-footed shot from more than 35 yards out after Ederson had misplaced a clearance. 

City scored late through Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan but ran out of time in their search for a dramatic equalizer. 

Sanchez off?

Earlier, Arsene Wenger left Chile international Sanchez out of his squad to travel to Bournemouth as transfer speculation swirls over a potential move to Manchester City or Manchester United. 

"Alexis would have played," said Wenger, after Arsenal leaked two goals in 4 second-half minutes to slip to defeat. 

"Alexis would have played, but it's a difficult period for him. He's always been committed until now but he could have gone yesterday and he could go in the next 48 hours." 

Wenger, who said Sanchez had not refused to play, added that he would be replaced if he left.

City remained favorites to sign the Chile international this month until Manchester United expressed their interest last week. 

The Old Trafford club's willingness to meet Arsenal’s £35 million valuation of Sanchez, who can leave as a free agent at the end of the campaign, together with the possibility of offering one-time Arsenal target Henrikh Mkhitaryan as part of any deal, has increased the chance of the forward joining Jose Mourinho's squad. 

Arsenal have lost their past 3 Premier League games in which Sanchez has not played any part, showing how much they will miss the forward when he leaves the club. 

On Saturday, 10-man Leicester held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge while Tottenham put Everton to the sword, with Harry Kane scoring twice in a 4-0 rout. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France - Referee Tony Chapron became the pantomime villain of Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 win at Nantes on Sunday, January 14 after responding to an accidental collision with Diego Carlos by kicking the Brazilian and sending him off.

In injury time and with PSG on the counter-attack, Chapron stepped across the backtracking Nantes centerback Carlos and tumbled to the floor.

The official stunned the stadium and those watching at home by kicking out at Carlos while still on the ground, in an incident reminiscent of David Beckham at the 1998 World Cup, before brandishing a second yellow card at the unfortunate player.

"He told me that he had never wanted to kick the player and that he had felt himself pushed in the back," said Nantes president Waldemar Kita after talking to Chapron.

"It's a joke. I got 20 text messages from across the world telling me this referee is a joke," Kita told French TV. "What do you want me to say? If I speak too much I'll be called in front of an ethics commission. We have no right to say anything."

Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier had a good view of the incident and called for the referee to be given a lengthy ban.

"He says he slipped, but I know he kicked him," Rongier told Canal+.

"I know it's very difficult to referee but you have to question them from time to time... We do that, we get a 10-match ban."

Former England striker Gary Lineker and ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas were among those to express their bemusement on Twitter.

"Surely the good man will have apologized. It was spontaneous," wrote Casillas.

"Yes, for me it's agression and red! Three matches minimum!" – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia - Tennis bad boy Bernard Tomic faced a heavy backlash Monday, January 15 after boasting "I just count my millions" in response to failing to negotiate qualifying for the Australian Open.

Once a rising star, the 25-year-old's ranking has plunged after a car-crash 2017 season in which he admitted he was "bored" and not always giving 100 percent.

He missed out on a wildcard to his home Grand Slam from Tennis Australia after failing to front up for the December playoff, forcing him to go through 3 sudden-death qualifying matches.

He negotiated two but not the third on Sunday, denying him entry to the Open for a 10th straight year. Reports said he could now be heading to take part in a reality TV show.

In his only post-match comments afterwards, he said sarcastically: "I just count money, that's all I do. I count my millions.

"You go do what I did. You go make 13-14 million. Good luck guys. Bye bye," he added.

It sparked a fierce backlash on social media, including from ex-players.

Former Grand Slam winner Andy Roddick said he had no sympathy for Tomic. 

"Maybe stop for a second and think of the millions you've left on the table," he wrote on Twitter. 

When someone criticized Roddick, the American said Tomic's troubles were "self-inflicted".

Fellow former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash said Tomic had led "a privileged life".

"It's a situation where (it was) too much too early as a young player," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

"He really has done nothing in his career. That's true, and that's kind of sad in a way."

Tomic has long had a fractious relationship with Australian tennis fans and Tennis Australia. Last year he admitted he had no love for the game, saying it is just a job and he felt "trapped".

Australian Open director Craig Tiley in November offered him "health and wellbeing" support.

The one-time prodigy was variously described online as "arrogant, a spoilt brat and a loser" after his latest outburst, although some appealed for his critics to cut him some slack.

Australia's media let rip, with Brisbane's Courier Mail calling him "Million Dollar Baby", while the Melbourne Herald Sun headlined its report "Fool's Gold."

Local reports said Tomic's next move could be to appear on the reality show "I'm a Celebrity … Get me out of here!" in coming weeks.

A teaser from Australia's Ten Network, which airs the show, on Sunday stated a tennis star would be "at break point before they know it" on the program. – Rappler.com