WASHINGTON, USA - Case Keenum connected with Stefon Diggs on a desperation game-winning 61-yard touchdown pass on Sunday's final play, giving the Minnesota Vikings a dramatic 29-24 NFL playoff victory over New Orleans.

Minnesota advanced in astonishing fashion to play the Eagles in Philadelphia in next Sunday's National Conference final. If they win, the Vikings will become the first team to play the Super Bowl in its home stadium.

Jacksonville stunned host Pittsburgh 45-42 in Sunday's other NFL playoff game, sending the Jaguars to defending champion New England in next Sunday's American Conference final, but that upset was overshadowed by one of the most shocking finishes in NFL history.

With New Orleans leading 24-23 and only 10 seconds to play, Keenum hurled a pass to the right sideline and Diggs leaped high to grab it.

When Saints defender Marcus Williams missed the tackle, diving past Diggs, the receiver turned and raced unchallenged into the end zone as the final seconds ticked away.

"They count us out all the time. Nobody thinks we could do it," Diggs said. "Everybody thought it was over. I don't stop playing until there are all zeroes on the clock."

Moments after the astounding touchdown play, Keenum could only marvel at the miracle.

"I can't even explain it," Keenum said. "We were definitely in a desperation moment. (Diggs) made a heck of a play. That was one of the most special moments of my life.

"I don't even know what just happened. It's crazy. I have no words."

Minnesota jumped ahead 17-0 on Jerick McKinnon's 14-yard touchdown run, Kai Forbath's 20-yard field goal and a 1-yard Latavius Murray touchdown run.

Drew Brees answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and a 3-yard touchdown toss to Thomas to pull the Saints within 17-14.

Forbath added a 49-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 20-14 edge with 10:17 to play but the Saints' George Johnson blocked a later Minnesota punt and four plays later, Brees threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Kamara, Wil Lutz's conversion kick giving New Orleans a 21-20 lead with 3:01 remaining.

Forbath connected on a 53-yard field goal to put the Vikings back in front but a 43-yard Lutz field goal with 25 seconds remaining put the Saints back in front until the final heartbreaking play.

The Vikings, who boast the NFL's top-rated defensive unit, reached the conference final for the first time since the 2009 season, when they lost to New Orleans. They haven't played in a Super Bowl since 1977, when the Vikings lost to Oakland.

Jags face 'another fight'

At Pittsburgh, Jacksonville rookie Leonard Fournette ran for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns to put the Jaguars in defending champion New England's path.

"It's going to be another fight. It's crazy," Fournette said. "As a unit we came together. We kept pushing each and every play."

Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, who threw a career-high 5 interceptions in an October loss to the Jaguars, completed 37-of-58 passes for a Steelers post-season record 469 yards and 5 touchdowns but it was not enough.

"The guys played with confidence all day long," Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said. "We knew we had to hold onto the ball, make some plays and hold them off at the end and we did it. It was incredible."

It's the third time the Jaguars have come so close to the NFL championship spectacle, having lost to Tennessee in 2000 and at New England in 1997 in prior conference finals.

"We get to keep playing for another week," Bortles said. "We're just honored to be able to do this." – Rappler.com

Monday Night RAW is not off to a good start this year. The red show is suffering through two recent key injuries that’ll need a lot of work to get around.

First is the injury to star Samoa Joe, who tore the plantar fascia muscle in his foot in his well-received match with Roman Reigns on the January first episode of RAW. What the company thought was going to need only 3 to 4 months to recover from—possibly still having him be back in time for WrestleMania in April—is now much worse than expected. We still don’t know how much worse it is, and how long he’s going to be away for, but that definitely puts a damper on RAW’s strong upper midcard.

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

With a RAW Universal Championship scene mainly focused on feature attractions involving champion Brock Lesnar, Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns really needed a guy like Samoa Joe to hold down what’s essentially the top singles title on the show. (As long as Lesnar is part-timing, his title is never going to be the top title on RAW, even if it is the de facto main event championship.) Fortunately, guys like the Miz and Finn Balor are back and hovering around the scene, waiting for a shot, but Joe would have lent some much-needed credibility and killer instinct in the picture.

It looks like RAW’s going to either need a new callup from NXT or to make some more shrewd moves in this year’s Superstar Shakeup, if another one is in the cards. I can definitely see someone like Drew McIntyre (when he heals from his biceps injury) or Kassius Ohno come up to help shore the upper midcard, but then again, they may not need to as the RAW roster is certainly deep enough to elevate some other guys.

{source}<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJmn64u9VME" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}

In related news that also happened a couple of weeks ago, Paige got seriously injured at a live event after Sasha Banks gave her a routine dropkick to the back, sending her crashing to the floor. It was reported that Paige couldn’t get up after taking the bump, leading most to speculate that it aggravated her previous neck injuries. In a pretty unfortunate twist, a lot of sources are claiming that Paige’s in-ring career may very well be over after—and because of—this.

You’ll remember that Paige returned late last year with NXT ladies Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville as Absolution, and the only reason she was gone for very long was because she was recovering from the aforementioned neck injury. She was having a hard time getting medical clearance after surgery on her neck, and this development that betrays the condition of her body may be why.

While it’s terrible, I don’t believe Sasha Banks should be to blame for what’s clearly an accident on her part. The move in question didn’t look like it was done with any malicious intent, so it would be uncalled for to say that Banks meant to injure Paige and to call for her firing. This is wrestling, and unfortunately accidents just happen. I’m wishing the best for Paige.

The women’s Royal Rumble

Paige’s injury, however, directly affects the upcoming first-ever women’s Royal Rumble. The rest of Absolution will probably be fine on their own, despite their collective inexperience, but Paige’s absence removes one woman from a rumble match that’s only half-full.

As it stands, there are only 22 women on the main roster, including Paige herself. Remove the two women’s champions in Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair and you’re down to only 19 women, with 11 more spots to fill. Sure, you could get a few from NXT—Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Nikki Cross, and Ember Moon come to mind—but assuming all four of them are called up for the rumble, you’d still need seven spots to fill. I doubt there would be seven willing former WWE talent who they could round up for the rumble; there’ll be a few, but I’m not sure there would be seven.

That said, it seems that they didn’t think the format of the women’s rumble all the way through, and I could only hope that they would find something substantial to do for all the women they’ve called up recently for this. There’s the issue of bloat, especially on SmackDown where there are only two hours to utilize. 

*****

Want to catch this year’s Royal Rumble live with a bunch of other Filipino wrestling fans? You’re in luck—local wrestling blog Smark Henry is hosting another live Royal Rumble viewing party! It’ll be on Monday, January 29 at Skinny Mike’s Sports Bar in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig at 6 am. For only P300, you get a free drink and the chance to catch one of pro wrestling’s biggest events of the year live as it happens!

*****

Do you listen to podcasts? Would you want to listen to a local podcast about pro wrestling? If the answers to those questions – especially that last one – are yes, then you should check out the cleverly-named Smark Gilas-Pilipinas Podcast, featuring PWR General Manager Stan Sy, wrestling writer and Wrestling God Romeo Moran, and all-around multimedia person and former voice of PWR Raf Camus! For their 200^th episode, the boys along with Smark Henry writer Anthony Cuello and Rappler reporter Michael Bueza recount the story of how the podcast started, along with how they grew alongside the local wrestling scene! Listen to it here! – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia (UPDATED) - World number 5 Venus Williams and US Open champion Sloane Stephens were high-profile casualties on day one of the Australian Open Monday, January 15, but Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko survived.

Williams, who lost in the final to sister Serena last year, was stunned by Swiss star Belinda Bencic, fresh from winning the Hopman Cup with Roger Federer.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner, in her 77th major, struggled against a player who had never before beaten her to go down 6-3, 7-5 and deprive the tournament of one of its biggest names.

It is the first time since 1997 that there will be neither of the Williams sisters in the second round, with Serena not playing after giving birth to her first child.

"I would like to have played someone easier," said Bencic.

"When I was a little girl watching on TV I would never imagine I would play them (the Williams)."

Also out of the opening Grand Slam of the year is American big-hitter CoCo Vandeweghe, a semi-finalist last year at Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadow.

She slumped out to Hungary's Timea Babos 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. 

Stephens' poor run since winning at Flushing Meadows in September continued, with the 13th seed crashing out to Chinese number two Zhang Shuai, who made the last 8 two years ago.

The frustrated American put in an error-strewn performance on an overcast and windy Melbourne day and has now not won in seven matches.

"I'm not going to get too down," said Stephens after her 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 defeat. 

"I'm just going to stay positive and keep working to get back in the best shape and best place possible to do well for my next tournaments."

Really aggressive

There was better luck for Ostapenko, who saw off Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-4.

The seventh seed raced through the first set on Rod Laver Arena against the veteran Italian who was bizarrely wearing a back brace on the outside of her shirt.

She was 4-1 down in the second before knuckling down to race home and a second round clash with China's Duan Yingying.

"I knew before the match that it's not going to be easy. She's very experienced player and she's very long time on tour," said the Latvian. 

"I knew I had to play really aggressive and stay very consistent."

Also into the next round with a straight sets win was German 12th seed Julia Goerges, who won the lead-up Auckland Classic and is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak having ended 2017 with victories at Moscow and Zhuhai.

World number two Caroline Wozniacki, who lost to Goerges in that New Zealand decider, plays later Monday, along with men's top seed Rafael Nadal.

Sixteen-time Grand Slam champion Nadal insists he is feeling fine despite struggling with a knee injury and ready to go deep at an event that he has only won once - in 2009 - among his string of major triumphs.

This is despite a checkered lead-up that prevented him playing a warm-up tournament for the first time ever ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year.

"It's a new situation for me. But I feel good," said the 31-year-old, who first played at Melbourne Park in 2004.

Nadal, who faces the Dominican Republic's Victor Estrella Burgos in a night match on Rod Laver Arena, lost an epic Australian Open final last year to Roger Federer, who gets his campaign under way on Tuesday.

Fellow multiple Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, seeded 14, also starts on Tuesday, along with former world number one Maria Sharapova and top seed Simona Halep.

Among men safely through to the next round are 31st seed Pablo Cuevas and Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – If he would have it his way, NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao would rather not have Kiefer Ravena carry the scoring burden for the Road Warriors on a nightly basis. 

Not that Guiao does not want Ravena to end up with huge numbers, but he believes the Road Warriors are thriving when more people are involved in the offense.

Ravena turned in a career-high 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting to go with 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and no turnovers against Magnolia Sunday, January 14, but the Hotshots still hacked out a 105-94 win.

It was a display of basketball brilliance and composure for the rookie, but is wasn't enough to prevent the Road Warriors from suffering their second straight loss after winning their first two. 

JR Quinahan and Kevin Alas were the only other Road Warriors who reached double figures with 22 and 13 points, respectively, while only Michael Miranda and Larry Fonacier finished with at least 7 points after posting 9 and 8 points apiece.

On the other hand, the Hotshots had 4 players having double-digit nights while 4 others ended up with at least 7 points.

"Kiefer played a great game today offensively but that’s not our style of play. We don’t want one player to take over the game offensively and try to bring us or carry us on his shoulders for us to win," said Guiao.

But the firebrand coach added that Ravena's big night was a result of NLEX resorting to desperate measures when the other players' shots were not falling.

"Sometimes you don’t have a choice. If all your other offensive options are not working, then we just have to go with what he’s working. In this situation, it was Kiefer," said Guiao.

"But I told the team, if we have to do it that way, we’re not going to win too many games. With our system, we always won more games when more people got involved and more people scored in double figures."

Rebounding woes

Another problem the Road Warriors will be facing when they clash against the San Miguel Beermen next on Friday,January 19 is their deficiency in rebounding.

In their first loss of the season against Phoenix, the Road Warriors were beaten by 9 more offensive boards, which the Fuel Masters used to score 22 second chance points. Against the Hotshots, NLEX surrendered 19 rebounds. 

Facing an undefeated foe in San Miguel which has one of the biggest frontcourts in the league in June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos, NLEX will have plenty on its hands to take care of.

"San Miguel has the upper hand now, and if you want to beat San Miguel, this is the best time to beat them, although no team has yet found a formula to beat them this conference," said Guiao.

"Pero mas mahirap silang talunin next conference pag nandyan na si Standhardinger, so siguro all the teams stand their best chance of beating them now, and in the future, baka walang ng tumalo sa kanila, kaya habang maaga, pagpursigihan na natin na talunin ang San Miguel. And we’ll prepare hard for them for Friday."

(They will be harder to beat next conference when Christian Standhardinger arrives so probably all the teams stand their best chance of beating them now. In the future, there will probably be no team that can beat them so as soon as possible, we will work hard to beat San Miguel. We'll prepare hard for them on Friday.) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Paige VanZant fought through a broken right arm suffered in the first round against Jessica-Rose Clark but fought through to the third and final round, losing a decision at UFC Fight Night 124 at the Scottrade Center in St Louis on Sunday, January 14 (Monday Manila time).

VanZant revealed in a tweet that she hurt her arm while performing a spinning back fist and was unable to use it for striking as the fight wore on. VanZant fought through as best she could but found herself in the grips of a triangle choke that she could only escape thanks to the bell to end the second.

"Well... I broke my arm in the first! I was able to finish the fight but as you can see, had a hard recovering and throwing my right," VanZant (7-4) tweeted after losing by scores of 30-27 on one card and 29-28 on the other two.

"I’ll be back better and stronger than ever!  it’s all apart of the fight game. God had other plans for me," she continued before adding "darn spinning back fist."

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spinning back fist from <a href="https://twitter.com/PaigeVanzantUFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaigeVanzantUFC</a> lands, then she gets JRC to the ground! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFCSTL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFCSTL</a> <a href="https://t.co/xh50dh4W4t">pic.twitter.com/xh50dh4W4t</a></p>&mdash; UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ufc/status/952759255660085248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well... I broke my arm in the first! I was able to finish the fight but as you can see, had a hard recovering and throwing my right. I’ll be back better and stronger than ever!  it’s all apart of the fight game. God had other plans for me.  darn spinning back fist. <a href="https://t.co/v5DhSv5YxD">pic.twitter.com/v5DhSv5YxD</a></p>&mdash; Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaigeVanzantUFC/status/952785685827719170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

VanZant, 23, has now lost 3 of her last 4 fights while Clark (9-4) is riding a 3-fight winning streak. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former Gilas Pilipinas cadet Almond Vosotros has joined Mono Thewphaingarm (Mono Thew) Basketball Club in the Thailand Basketball Super League (TBSL), which opens its 2018 season on Saturday, January 20. 

While he looks forward to playing abroad, Vosotros laments that the lack of opportunities he found in the Philippines to play the sport he loves

"Gustong gusto ko talaga maglaro ng basketball kasi ito yung dream ko simula bata pa ako. Medyo mahirap kasi malayo ako sa family ko and sa anak ko, pero gagawin ko lahat para sa kanila," said Vosotros in a Facebook message to Rappler. 

(I really want to play basketball because this was my dream since I was a kid. It's just a bit hard because I'm far from my family and my child, but I will do everything for them.)

Vosotros had signed a two-year contract with Blackwater in 2015, but received limited playing time. He saw more action as one of the Gilas cadets in the 2015 and 2017 Southeast Asian Games, among other international tournaments, but was not signed by any Philippine club after his contract expired.

"Nagdadasal din ako palagi na sana makabalik ako sa PBA kasi sobrang dream ko na balang araw makalaro na ulit ako sa PBA kung mabibigyan ulit ng chance," said the former De La Salle University standout. 

(I’m always praying to get back into the PBA because it’s really my dream to play again in the PBA if I were given a chance.)

Mono Thew finished 3rd place in the 2017 TBSL season with an 8-6 record, bringing in mixed emotions for Vosotros before the team's first game on Saturday, January 27. 

"Yung feelings ko before our first game, mix of emotions, sobrang excited kasi makakapaglaro na ulit ako pero at the same time, nalulungkot kasi hindi ako mapapanuod ng mga mahal ko sa buhay. Pero ayun nga, lahat gagawin ko para makabalik ulit ako sa PBA kung mabibigyan ulit ng chance."

(My feelings before our first game, mix of emotions. I'm very excited because I get to play again but at the same time, I'm sad because my loved ones in my life will not be able to watch me play. But there, I will do everything to get back into the PBA if given a chance.) – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia (UPDATED) - Rafael Nadal says he has no doubts over a knee injury as he destroyed his opening round opponent at the Australian Open on Monday, January 15.

The world No.1, a beaten finalist to Roger Federer in Melbourne last year, clinically took apart Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in 94 minutes in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.

The Spaniard will play Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the second round.

Nadal, who is gunning for a 17th major title, 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 only had a one-match workout at the exhibition Kooyong Classic in Melbourne ahead of the open.

But he said his troublesome right knee felt absolutely fine during his rout of Estrella Burgos.

"It's feeling good," Nadal said. "If I did not feel myself ready I would not be here.

"I am happy to be here and happy to be on court again.

"I always have doubts, but at the same time I have confidence that I was ready to start the tournament and that was the case."

Nadal, who wore no protective strapping on his knee,  left nothing to chance with 8 service breaks and 28 winners in a complete first-up performance.

It took the 31-year-old Spaniard's Australian Open record to 52-11 as he chases his second Australian title after beating Federer in the 2009 final.

"It's a positive start with a good result. If I do months without playing official match it's always a little bit more difficult," he said.

"But I started with positive feelings. That's most important thing for me now.

"Of course, there are things to improve. But the thing that I need to improve, the matches will give me those things. Victories are the most important thing now."

Nadal needs to reach the quarter-finals to be certain of retaining his world number one ranking after the Australian Open, with Federer breathing down his neck.

The top seed only conceded three games in the match and had few problems with Estrella Burgos, who has a modest 6-15 record at Grand Slams.

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.

"Toni was not always in the (player's) box. It's true that in the Grand Slams he was here all the time," Nadal said.

"I cannot think about that all day. I just have to move forward, believe in the team I have. I feel lucky I have Carlos today in my box, and the rest of the team that is a huge support.

"Toni is the most important person in my career," he added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ceres-Negros FC will face Burmese squad Shan United in the first preliminary round of the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs on Tuesday, January 16, in Yangon, Myanmar.

The inaugural Philippines Football League champions will debut in the the continental competition's qualifying round as they face the 2017 Myanmar National League champions.

Despite losing Roland Müller and Iain Ramsay, the core of Ceres-Negros – including Stephan Schröck, Bienvenido Marañon and Manny Ott – will still banner the team in the 2018 season. 

New signings Azkals Mike Ott and Sean Patrick Kane, Japanese striker Takumi Uesato and Spanish goalkeeper Toni Doblas will also fortify the Busmen's line-up. Only Amani Aguinaldo, a transferee from Global Cebu, will be sitting out of the competition as he recovers from a knee injury. 

Head coach Risto Vitakovic admitted that Shan United would be at an advantage as Ceres-Negros is still in their preseason and the club has only met for 3 training sessions prior to the match. 

"For us its a historic moment. Again, it's the first time we'll play in the champions league. We're just in the preseason and we [had] maybe 3 training sessions. We are not prepared but we will try our best. I think its a big motivation for our players to play this game and I think we will give everything tomorrow," said Vitakovic.

The Bacolod-based squad will be ready for "tough game" against the Myanmar club that is known for their tactical defensive skills and disciplined style of play. 

"Like I said they are a very serious team. Defensively very organized and I hope we can get a good result here." 

Only 8 teams from the qualifying play-off round will advance to the group stage of the AFC Champions League. A win by Ceres-Negros against Shan United will see them square off against Brisbane Roar and a victory in Australia will catapult them to face Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian. 

The Busmen will only be able to qualify for the group stage if they defeat all 3 teams in the stepladder. 

Global Cebu FC is the first Filipino club in the elite competition after they beat Tampines Rovers in the first round last year. They met Brisbane Roar in the second round, but the Cebu-based club was eliminated in the playoff game in Australia.

Kickoff is set at 4:00 pm (5:30pm Manila time) and the game can be streamed live at the Pyone Play Facebook page. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is leading a push to create an independent players union to fight for even more prize money, reports said Tuesday, January 16.

The Serb, president of the ATP Tour player council, made the suggestion at a mandatory player meeting in Melbourne on Friday, January 12, attended by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, among others.

The London Times said he took the stage and suddenly asked that ATP officials and any non-players leave the room, bringing in an Australian professor with specialist knowledge of workplace law.

According to Britain's Telegraph newspaper, Djokovic then outlined his argument that the Grand Slams only pay out about 7% of their income.

It said he compared this to American basketball, which pays about 50%.

His speech reportedly came after Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley outlined plans to boost prize money at the opening Grand Slam of the year from $55 million to $100 million over the next 5 years.

The Times said any new union would break away from the present setup under the ATP, the men's governing body, which jointly represents the interests of both the players and tournaments.

The ATP refused to comment to Agence France-Presse, while Tennis Australia had no immediate reaction.

"It was a discussion, nothing more than that," Kevin Anderson, who is vice-president of the ATP player council, was cited as saying.

But he added: "I think there's a big case to be made as far as percentage goes."

"If you see an NBA (basketball) player or an NFL (American football) player you think 7 figures in their bank account and I don't think that's the case even for some players who make the main draw at Grand Slams."

Nadal did not want to be drawn on the issue.

"Every year here in Australia, there is talk about new things. There is always an issue here in Australia, no?" he said when asked about it following his first round match in Melbourne late Monday, January 15. 

"I really believe that there is plenty of time later on the year to speak about things. But now is the moment, for me personally, to play tennis. That's all really. I really focus on this." – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – British hope Johanna Konta showed no signs of her recent injury troubles Tuesday, January 16, as she dismantled Madison Brengle to continue the dismal US start to the year's first Grand Slam.

An incredible 12 of the 15 American players on court on day one were dumped out of the event – including women's title fancies Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe plus Jack Sock and John Isner on the men's side.

And Brengle became the unlucky 13th American to head for the exit door after impressive 9th seeded Konta overpowered her 6-3, 6-1 on the back of 8 aces and 37 winners in just 66 minutes on Hisense Arena. 

The world number 90, who could find just 4 winners of her own, was always on the back foot against Konta who came into the tournament under a slight injury cloud.

The British number one withdrew from a warm-up event in Brisbane with hip trouble and then lost her Sydney title in the first round.

The Sydney-born Konta, who has made the semi-final and quarter-final in her previous two Australian Open appearances, is a crowd favorite in Melbourne.

"I'm very happy with that match," she said. "She really makes her opponents work for it." 

Konta will face either Russian Anna Blinkova or another American Bernada Pera on Thursday, when temperatures are expected to be close to 40°C (104°F).

"I look forward to the heat, I love it," she added. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Former world number one and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber blitzed into the Australian Open second round on Tuesday, January 16, dropping just 4 games in a comfortable victory.

Seeded only 21st, the left-hander is one of the form players heading into the first Grand Slam of the year, and she laid down her title credentials against fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam.

Kerber sprinted through the first set 6-0 in just 17 minutes before her 388th ranked opponent woke up and started a fightback.

She broke twice on Hisense Arena to make a match of it in the second set before Kerber completed the job 6-4.

"I started well but Anna began playing better and better," said Kerber, who turns 30 on Thursday, January 18.

"I was just trying to play it point-by-point in the end, but it's great to be in the next round."

Kerber had a standout 2016 when she won in Australia, beating Serena Williams in the final, to become the first German since Steffi Graf in 1999 to claim a Grand Slam.

She backed it up by being crowned US Open champion and began 2017 as world number one, before her form deserted her and she slumped to 21st by the end of the season. 

But a series of wins at the Hopman Cup this month, coupled with ending a 27-tournament title drought by winning the Sydney International – her first since the US Open – has restored her confidence. 

She is now on a 10-match win streak and with Serena Williams, sister Venus, and US Open champion Sloane Stephens already out, Kerber will be looking to go far.

"2017, I have said goodbye already, I am not looking back," she said.

"I'm feeling good and trying to continue how I have played in the last few weeks. I'm just trying to enjoy it again on court."

Her next test is against either Japan's Nao Hibino or Croat Donna Vekic on Thursday, January 18.– Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Former world number one Maria Sharapova on Tuesday, January 16, sailed serenely into the second round of her first Australian Open since returning from a 15-month doping ban, sealing victory with an ace.

The unseeded Russian beat Germany's Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 18 minutes.

"Look, I've got shivers," said Sharapova, pointing to her arm when asked on court how much being back in Melbourne meant to her.

"I cherish these moments. I love it here," she added.

"It's been a couple of years and I wanted it to be really meaningful to me. But we know it's only going to get tougher."

On paper this should have been a close match. Sharapova, who is climbing her way back up the tennis ladder following her ban, is ranked 48th with her German opponent one place higher.

But the gulf in class and experience between Sharapova, who has won 36 singles titles, and the 30-year-old journeywoman yet to register a WTA title was evident from the opening exchanges. 

The Russian 2008 Australian Open champion raced into a 2-0 lead, holding her own serve to love and then breaking Maria with ease.

It set the tone for the opening stanza with Sharapova, behind her trademark loud shrieking, powering home winners as Maria failed to hold serve.

A couple of double faults and one dropped service game aside, Sharapova was almost flawless in taking the first set 6-1 in just 32 minutes behind 14 winners, most of them driven unerringly from her powerful forehand side.

Decibel meter

The German found her service range at the start of the second and briefly led 3-1 after breaking Sharapova for a second time.

But the Russian cranked up the decibel meter, broke back with a further flurry of forehand winners and levelled at 3-3 when holding serve with a cry of "Come on!"

When Sharapova forced another break point after an attritional 18-shot rally, the German’s fleeting resistance melted away on a double fault as the 5-time Grand Slam champion scented victory.

The German held for 4-5 but, serving with new balls, Sharapova closed out the win with an ace and a huge smile for the rapturous crowd on Margaret Court Arena. 

Sharapova had been banned for taking the performance-enhancing substance meldonium, and has been working her way back up the rankings since returning in April 2017.

One of the highest earners in women's sport, she suffered a string of early defeats after her comeback.

But she showed glimpses of her old self by reaching the last 16 at the US Open and then broke through to win the Tianjin Open in October – her first title since 2015. 

She got back into the world's top 50 just before the year's first Grand Slam and on this form will relish a potential second-round meeting with 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia or American Varvara Lepchenko. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest return to WWE so far this year wasn't a wrestler, but a finisher. 

The Curb Stomp, the move Seth Rollins used to defeat foes from his days with The Shield through his WWE champion-crowning moment, returned from a nearly two-year absence in the main event of RAW on Monday, January 15 (Tuesday Manila time), against Finn Balor.

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Curb Stomp is back, baby! <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/E8sXh2aaOo">pic.twitter.com/E8sXh2aaOo</a></p>&mdash; Pro Wrestling Sheet (@WrestlingSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlingSheet/status/953117491714117632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

WWE management banned the move in 2015, not because it hurt performers, but that it appeared "too perceptually violent," Rollins told Fox Sports at the time.

"It was a decision that was collectively made from a PR standpoint," he said.

The move had been a big part of his success, and was what he used to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract in the main event against Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. After the move was banned, Rollins began using the Pedigree, the finisher of his then-mentor Triple H in The Authority faction.

Perhaps the return of his finisher, which had been among the most celebrated in the industry at the time, is just the spark "The Architect" needs to build momentum as WrestleMania season approaches. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Underprepared Milos Raonic was dumped out of the Australian Open by Lukas Lacko on Tuesday, January 16, in his earliest exit at Grand Slam for 7 years.

The 86th-ranked Slovakian defeated the 22nd seeded Canadian 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in 3 hours and 22 minutes on Show Court 3.

It was Raonic's worst performance at a major since losing in the first round at Roland Garros in 2011.

The Canadian, a semi-finalist in Melbourne two years ago, was fighting to make up for lost time after wrist and calf injuries last year and an early exit at the lead-in Brisbane International tournament this month.

"I wasn't sharp and I struggled physically, thankfully not from injury, but from fitness and preparedness and that caught up with me a lot," Raonic told reporters.

"I was hoping I would be a little more efficient on the court but things dragged on a little bit and I wasn't that sharp, quick, I wasn't hitting that hard or aggressive and I wasn't able to dictate."

Asked about his lack of preparation time for the Australian Open, Raonic said: "It is what it is.

"It's what I was aware when I came here, I knew it was going to be something along these lines, obviously I wished it would be much better.

"I knew that the time I had to spend in the gym and on the court wasn't ideal and I just tried to make the most of it."   

Raonic, a 2016 Wimbledon finalist, is fighting his way back from a wrist injury last season and despite serving 36 aces, he made 47 unforced errors and had his serve broken 3 times.

Lacko, who hasn't been beyond the 3rd round in Melbourne, will play Argentina's Nicolas Kicker in the second round. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Six-time champion Novak Djokovic looked his old self as he powered to a convincing first round victory at the Australian Open on Tuesday, January 16, on his return from an elbow injury, saying he felt "great."

The 12-time Grand Slam winner, seeded an unfamiliar 14, was too strong for American Donald Young, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 51 minutes on Margaret Court Arena.

The Serbian former world number one has been out of action for 6 months.

But he looked in good fettle as he worked his way into the second round where he will play Frenchman Gael Monfils.

Djokovic, wearing a flesh-colored protective guard on his right serving elbow, saluted the cheering crowd as he won on his 6th match point.

"It felt great to be back on the court and compete again. It's been a while. Obviously, you don't know how you're going to start off," he said.

"I was putting a lot of hours on the court in the last couple weeks, and I played a lot of practice sets, and I had only one match leading up to this tournament in Kooyong."

"In more or less all of these practice sessions, I could feel that I'm hitting the ball well. So I was hoping this is going to obviously continue and be transferred into the first round of Australian Open."

"The first two sets went extremely well, considering that I haven't played for 6 months. The 3rd was up and down a little bit, but in general it was a great performance."

It was an impressive return to action with the Serb breaking Young's left-handed serve 6 times, hitting 33 winners, and conceding only 27 unforced errors.

"I did have various emotions, mostly good ones: excitement, joy, gratitude for being able to have an opportunity to compete," Djokovic added.

"About 3 weeks ago I didn't know whether I'm going to play in Australia or not.

"I was looking forward to getting out on the court and compete. But I did feel nerves and I did feel a bit skeptical whether I'm going to be able to continue playing well as I have in the last couple weeks in the practice sessions."

"But I thought I controlled it well. I didn't get carried away by anything, I just didn't allow it to happen. Very, very solid performance."

Asked if he felt rusty after his months out of the game, Djokovic replied: "There were not too many things I didn't feel so good about.

"There were certain parts of the match, maybe in the 3rd set, where I didn't capitalize on all these opportunities, break points, match points.

"Maybe I should have just approached these kind of points with a little bit more of intensity, a little bit more of [aggressiveness], but I haven't."

He added: "It's fine. I won a straight-set match. After 6 months, there's not much to say in a negative note about it."– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ceres-Negros FC bested Myanmar club Shan United, 1-1 (4-3), on Tuesday, January 16 at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Shan United surrendered the win as Christopher Chizoba and William Nyakwe failed to convert their penalty kicks. Carli de Murga, Stephan Schröck, Mike Ott and Bienvienido Marañon led the charge for Ceres in the penalty shootout. 

The Bacolod-based club advances to the preliminary round 2 of the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifiers, matching the campaign of Global Cebu FC last year.

Both teams were scoreless during the regulation time that required two 15-minute halves of extra time. Schröck got the score moving, 1-0, in the 93rd minute as he curled in a ball that was deflected by Nyakwe into the goal.

In the 99th minute, Shan United's Patrick Asare leveled the score, 1-1, with a strike from the edge of the box. 

As both teams failed to break the deadlock in the second half of extra time, the game restored to a penalty shootout.

Despite being able to qualify for the second round, Ceres captain de Murga admits that the team was not ready to endure this long game after only 4 days of training. He also praised the skills of Shan United that held down Ceres until the penalities.

"Shan United was good. They fired, they had their chances, they endured the game, we went into penalties and we wish them good luck for the league," said de Murga. 

Before heading into extra time, the first half tested the keepers from both teams. In the 40th minute, Toni Doblas saved a header near the post. 

In the second half, the Bacolod-based squad failed to convert their shots, while Shan United experienced difficulty in bringing the ball to their attacking 3rd. 

During the added time (90+2'), a chance came for Ceres when Burmese keeper Thiha Si Thu spilled the ball and collected it again before Mike Ott could take a shot. Three minutes later, Manny Ott fired a free kick that sailed over the bar. 

Ceres-Negros FC will square off against Brisbane Roar on Tuesday, January 23 in Australia.  – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Australia's volatile Nick Kyrgios has been fined for being heard saying "shut the fuck up" to the rowdy crowd during his opening round win at the Australian Open. 

The 22-year-old was slapped with a $3,000 penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct early in his 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva in a night match on Hisense Arena on Monday, January 15.

The Australian was among 6 players fined a total $15,000 for indiscretions in qualifying and the main draw's first phase at the year's opening Grand Slam.

Croatia's Borna Coric was hit with a $5,000 penalty for racket abuse during his defeat to Australia's John Millman.

Argentina's Diego Schwartzman and Romanian Marius Copil were fined $2,000 each for the same offense.

Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik was handed two $1,000 fines and American Stefan Kozlov was penalized $1,000, both for audible obscenities during qualifying. – Rappler. com

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao said on Wednesday he was in talks for a blockbuster bout with world champion Vasyl Lomachenko, widely considered the best "pound-for-pound" fighter on the planet.

Pacquiao, 39, who has won world titles in an unprecedented 8 weight divisions, is eyeing an April date with the Ukrainian World Boxing Organization super featherweight champ during a break from his duties as a Philippines senator.

"There are negotiations now about the number one pound-for-pound (boxer) which is Lomachenko," Pacquiao said in an interview on ABS-CBN television.

"There are still talks on the weight, reducing the weight," said Pacquiao, who has been fighting as a welterweight.

Pacquiao aides told AFP there has been no agreement on the venue and the actual date of the Lomachenko fight.

Rated by some boxing experts as the world's top "pound-for-pound" fighter, Lomachenko, 29, has lost just once in 11 pro bouts and won all the others by knockout. 

Pacquiao, whose loss of his WBO welterweight title to Australia's Jeff Horn last year left his record standing at 59 wins, 7 losses and two draws, is now in the twilight of his career.

The Filipino southpaw retired briefly in 2016 but made a comeback to retake his WBO title from Jessie Vargas just months later. He has not scored a knockout win in the past 8 years.

In contrast Lomachenko cemented his status last year after retaining his WBO junior lightweight title.  

Lomachenko, who won gold in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, rocketed to the top of his weight class after turning pro in 2013, winning nine world championship fights in his first 11 contests.

Pacquiao, who has not climbed the ring since the Horn loss, said last month he had opened talks to fight mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor in April.  

But the Irishman said he wanted his next bout to be a return to the octagon after losing a boxing bout to unbeaten Floyd Mayweather by a 10th-round technical knockout in their much-hyped fight in Las Vegas in August last year. 

On Wednesday, Pacquiao rejected calls for him to retire for good, adding he did not believe his recent losses tarnished his record.  

"You know, I miss boxing," Pacquiao said, adding he was "still okay." 

Pacquiao, elected a senator in 2016, said he would only train for 3 months for an April fight so he did not neglect his legislative duties. 

"That's more than enough." 

Pacquiao said Wednesday he was also open to fighting British boxer Amir Khan but said any fight would have to be done in April when the Philippine Congress would go on break. – Rappler.com

MELBOURNE, Australia – Caroline Wozniacki saved two match points to scrape through to the 3rd round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, January 17, after being 5-1 down in the final set to unheralded Jana Fett.

The number two seed somehow prevailed after a titanic struggle, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, against the little-known Croat on a searing Rod Laver Arena in two hours and 31 minutes.

The Danish former number one teetered on the brink of becoming the latest big-name casualty in the bottom half of a draw that has become the seeds' graveyard when Fett held two match points.

"That was crazy, I don't how I got back in the match. She really took her shots, she had nothing to lose," said Wozniacki

But when in sight of by far the biggest win of her career, the world 119's nerves got the better of her as Wozniacki reeled off 10 points in a row to spark a winning run of six unanswered games.

"Experience was crucial," said Wozniacki. "I think she suddenly realized at 5-1 what was happening and I just had to attack and take advantage of it."

On Monday, January 15, 5th seed Venus Williams, 10th seed CoCo Vandeweghe and 13th seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens all made early exits, meaning the bottom half of the draw is now wide open.

Wozniacki will continue her quest for a first Grand Slam title next against either Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands or American Nicole Gibbs for a place in the last 16. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – "We will not let ourselves be overpowered by men because we don’t want to accept that it’s only a men’s game," said a voice that emanated from the middle of 3 towering men during the tip-off the 2018 Jr. NBA program held on Saturday, January 13

The sole Jr. WNBA graduate present in the press conference Arielle Lanot was not afraid to speak out about the situation of women's basketball in the Philippines. Her courage won applauses and cheers from the audience, but there was more to her story of being a struggling woman baller in the Philippines. 

Rise to basketball

At 7 years old, Lanot was introduced to the sport when she started scrimmaging with the boys in her village in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Her standout athleticism made her "one of the boys," as her skills were at par or even better than the boys she played against. 

The more she played, the more she fell in love with basketball. 

However, Lanot never received any formal training during the times she played around the village. She had to rely on her peers and on herself to improve her skills until she joined the Milo Training Camp in 2013. 

In 2014, Jr. NBA Philippines opened it doors to women through the Jr. WNBA program. News reached Lanot through her relative who was in the Philippine basketball loop. She was among the first of batch of the new program. 

The Jr. WNBA was Lanot's first exposure to playing with other girls her age who, like her –  had the talent and passion for the male-dominated sport. From being a mere participant, Lanot rose up the ranks in the program to land among the top 5 of the inaugural batch. 

"First of all, I [couldn't] escape the feeling of nervousness. [It’s] a competition within ourselves and not with other people who are joining you. Instead, we helped each other. That’s what I learned just by joining the first day of the skills challenge," recalled Lanot of her experience in the Jr. WNBA. 

"I noticed that in each of those skills challenge, we all have to do our best in just one try. And I had a friend I needed to remind her that whatever she is about to do, she has to do it her best already because it’s just one try."

Just like the male counterpart of the program, the STAR values – Sportsmanship, Teamwork, positive Attitude and Respect – were also shared to the Jr. WNBA participants. Every graduate of the Jr. NBA program, including Lanot, agreed their experience with the STAR values could be applied on and off the court. 

"I never forget the STAR values because I can not only apply that to basketball but life in general since it can help you in each and everything you do. And this is one thing that not only a basketball player but everyone who has been working and it’s that you can’t give up. Whatever comes in your way, as long as you put your heart to it, you won’t let anyone stop you," said Lanot. 

Basketball for women

Lanot is a strong believer that basketball is for women. In an interview with Rappler, she said it dates back to the 19th century when basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Through the works of Senda Berenson, the founder of women's basketball, Lanot learned how basketball was first organized for women who historically played in skirts and modified rules from the men's game. 

However, it was men's basketball that rose to fame and was first professionalized. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was founded in 1932 and only held international games among the participant countries for men. The Basketball Association of Amercia (BAA) – now known as the NBA – was born in 1946 and has become one of the most significant professional basketball leagues up to this day. 

With the growing popularity of men's basketball all over the world, the sport was all the more portrayed to be masculine by media, giving the notion that basketball is more exciting when it's played by the world's greatest male players. Professional leagues were easily monetized for their men's basketball games, leaving a stigma of inferioririty on women who play the same sport. 

Although FIBA held its first championship for women in 1953 and the Women's National Basketball Association was established in the United States in 1996 – 40 years after the NBA – players like Lanot still feel the gap in the development of women's basketball as compared to men. 

"Basketball has been dominated by men and na-oovershadowyung mga women na gusto i-prove ang sarili nila lalo na yung mga basketball players," lamented Lanot. 

("Basketball has been dominated by men and women who want to prove themselves, especially the basketball players, are overshadowed.")

Having experienced beating boys in games and growing up playing basketball with boys, Lanot knows that gender is not a factor in her perfromance in the sport. 

"I came to have a discussion about it with my friends: 'How can we prove ourselves to other people who underestimate our gender and that we can be as good as men in basketball... Women can even be better in the sport itself?'," recalled Lanot. 

This does not mean that there should be a competition between men and women for dominance in the sport. Lanot believes that the development of women's basketball can be for the good of basketball as a whole. 

"[Women]can be great in that game ourselves and we can show that we can be better. But it’s not about the competition for dominance. Even men and women can help each other be great at the sport and tell each other not to give up."

What will be next for her (and PH Women's basketball)? 

Lanot currently is a grade 12 student in De La Salle-Zobel (DLSZ) and she was also a member of the high school women's basketball team. 

The DLSZ women's basketball team is currently the runner-up of the WNCAA and the Women's Basketball League (WBL) competitions in the juniors division. 

In a few months, Lanot will be pursuing her collegiate studies, but it may be her last opportunity to play ball. 

"Since [men] have UAAP then PBA. But for us women, we don’t have that." 

The Philippines used to have the Women's Philippine Basketball League, which was originally formed in 1998. After two seasons, the league went on a hiatus and was able to start up again in November 2008, but it officially folded up after that season. Ever Bilena was the reigning champion in all 3 seasons. 

With a lack of a professional women's league in the Philippines, players like Lanot are limited to only making it to the Philippine national team and can only dream of continuing their careers elsewhere. 

"After we graduate college, our only choice to continue our journey or passion for basketball is maybe to being included in Perlas. Kulang ang women’s opportunities when it comes to basketball and I think we should have enough opportunites as the guys have," said Lanot. 

– Rappler.com