Digest

SOCCER

Shenhua off to flier in Doha's Asian bubble

Peng Xinli

Shanghai Shenhua banished its pre-tournament trepidation with a 2-1 win over Perth Glory in its opening Asian Champions League East Zone clash in Doha on Wednesday.

First-half goals from Peng Xinli and Yu Hanchao proved enough for Shenhua, although an 81st-minute Jonathan Aspropotamitis strike ensured a nervy finish for the Chinese side at the air-conditioned Education City Stadium.

Shenhua coach Choi Kang-hee had been pessimistic about his team's chances for the Group F restart due to a long injury list.

Eight months after the tournament was halted by the coronavirus pandemic, matches have resumed in a bio-secure bubble in the Qatari capital, although both Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG had not started play before the suspension. Iran's Persepolis won the West Zone in October to reach the Dec 19 final.

Italy, Belgium reach Nations League finals

Italy earned the right to host a star-filled Nations League finals that will feature the current No 1-ranked team and three of the past four World Cup champions.

Italy's 2-0 win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday sealed top spot in Group 1 above the Netherlands, which beat Poland 2-1. That group winner had been preselected to host the Final Four next October.

Top-ranked Belgium also booked its place in that knockout bracket, lifted by Romelu Lukaku's 56th and 57th international goals in a 4-2 win over Denmark.

With Spain and France also through, the tournament will feature the winners of the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2018.

A total of 18 Nations League games were played Wednesday to complete a difficult 2020 program for Europe's 55 national teams amid a spike in the coronavirus pandemic.

Salah returns second positive COVID-19 test

Mo Salah

Liverpool forward Mo Salah will likely miss the club's next Premier League game after the Egyptian soccer association said on Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time.

The 28-year-old Salah, who has mild symptoms, has been in self-isolation in Egypt's Red Sea resort of El Gouna, where he arrived earlier this week. He had previously self-isolated in a Cairo hotel.

He first tested positive for the virus on Friday on the eve of Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo. The Pharaohs beat Togo 1-0 in Cairo, and 3-1 on Tuesday in Togo's capital, Lome.

Salah is now set to miss Liverpool's top-of-the-table clash at home to Leicester City on Sunday.

OLYMPICS

No partying, sightseeing discouraged at Games

Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics won't have the luxury of hanging around once they've wrapped up their event.

Instead of getting to know their global neighbors, Olympic athletes will be encouraged to leave Japan a day or two after they've finished competing.

The postponed 2020 Games will be like no other, with the International Olympic Committee set to enforce stringent rules and guidelines－including no partying in the Athletes' Village－to pull off the event in the middle of the pandemic.

"Staying longer in the village increases the potential for problems," said IOC member John Coates at a briefing on Wednesday.

Coates was asked if athletes would be discouraged from sightseeing, or looking around the city."Yes," he replied simply. He added that the opening ceremony would be restricted to only athletes and a maximum of six team officials.

TENNIS

Medvedev dominates out-of-sorts Djokovic

Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is enjoying the ATP Finals a lot better in his second appearance.

Medvedev secured a spot in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament by dominating five-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in London on Wednesday for his second straight win of the group stage.

Medvedev, who lost all three of his group matches last year, has now beaten Djokovic in three of their last four meetings. The top-ranked Serb can still advance if he beats 2018 champion Alexander Zverev in a winner-takes-all match on Friday.

"He was just better, no question about it," Djokovic said."Just not a great match from my side. I thought I could have and should have done better, but credit to him for playing on a high level."

BASKETBALL

Warriors fear worst over Thompson injury

Golden State Warriors All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson is awaiting tests to determine the severity of a right leg injury the team reportedly fears is a "significant Achilles injury".

Yahoo! and TNT reported Thompson's injury was specifically to his Achilles.

According to multiple reports, Thompson has a lower-leg injury and was injured Wednesday in a pickup game. Thompson, per The Athletic, was unable to place any weight on his right leg after he was hurt. ESPN cited a source that described the injury as "not good".

Thompson missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury. Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James tweeted:"Praying a lot@KlayThompson is cool!! Like it's super minor."

Xinhua - Agencies