The big story: Sindhu, Srikanth advance with comfortable wins

India shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth registered comfortable victories to progress into the quarter-finals of Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold on Thursday, PTI reported.

Olympic silver medallist Sindhu took just 20 minutes to brush aside compatriot Lalita Dahiya 21-7, 21-12, while Srikanth prevailed over fellow Indian Ansal Yadav 21-15, 21-16 in a 38-minute clash.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Harsheel Dani stunned HS Prannoy 21-18, 21-18 to also storm into the quarterfinals. Prannoy is the reigning Swiss Open champion.

Other top stories

Tennis

  • Seventeenth seed Roger Federer reached his first Grand Slam final in 16 months with a 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka in the semi-final of the Australian Open on Thursday.
  • Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe to reach the final of the Australian Open on Thursday. The 36-year-old fought back from a set down to beat her much younger opponent 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3 in Melbourne.  
  • Meanwhile, world No. 2 Serena Williams hammered the 79th-ranked Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1 in a clinical display in the other semi-final of the Australian Open to set up the summit clash with her sister, Venus.
  • India’s Leander Paes and his Swiss partner Martina Hingis bowed out of the Australian Open mixed doubles after losing in the quarter-finals on Thursday. The Indo-Swiss pair were outplayed 6-3, 6-2 by Australians Samantha Stosur and Samuel Groth.  

Badminton

  • India’s doubles specialist Jwala Gutta on Thursday took to social media after being snubbed for Padma awards. She claimed that only those with “recommendation letters” could procure the honour.

Cricket

  • England romped to a comfortable seven-wicket win over India in the first Twenty20 Internatinal in Kanpur on Thursday.
  • Six office-bearers of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, including Indian Premier League chairman Rajiv Shukla resigned from their posts on Thursday following a working committee meeting of the state body, reported PTI.
  • Centuries by David Warner and Travis Head helped Australia clinch a 4-1 series win over Pakistan on Thursday.
  • Darren Bravo will not be considered for selection unless he settles an ongoing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board, said chairman of selectors Courtney Browne.  
  • South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council after flaunting a t-shirt with an image of the late Pakistan pop star and religious preacher, Junaid Jamshed.

Football

  • Recent reports state that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will consider penning a contract beyond the three years that he initially signed up for.
  • Chelsea’s bid for Atalanta’s Ivory Coast midfielder Frank Kessie has been rejected by the Italian club.
  • In the African Cup of Nations, Egypt progressed to the knockout stages through Md. Salah’s ferocious strike, which was enough to see off Ghana in their final group game.
  • Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will accept a Football Association misconduct charge for his behaviour during the 2-1 league win over Burnley.
  • Southampton stunned Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield as they progressed to the final of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
  • Spanish side Celta Vigo stunned giants Real Madrid 2-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.  
  • Juventus made the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a 2-1 win over 10-man AC Milan.   
  • Patrice Evra has joined Marseille on a free transfer from Juventus. The former Manchester United defender inked an 18-month contract.  

Formula One

  • Bernie Ecclestone and Sir Martin Sorrell, the top bosses of the sport, stand to earn $40 million after selling Formula One to US media firm, Liberty Media, who had completed a $8 billion takeover on Monday.

Golf

  • SSP Chawrasia shot a four-under on the back nine to card two-under 70 in the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf tournament on Thursday, PTI reported.
  • India’s Shiv Kapur got off to an encouraging start in the opening round of the Myanmar Open, finishing with a bogey-free four-under 67, which included an eagle in Yangon on Thursday, PTI reported.

Chess

  • Indian grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna held World Champion Magnus Carlsen to a draw in a thrilling 10th-round encounter in the Tata Steel Chess tournament at Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands on Wednesday, The Times of India reported.

Hockey

  • Ranchi Rays defeated Kalinga Lancers 7-2 in a Hockey India League match in Ranchi on Thursday. Ashley Jackson, Mohd Amir Khan, Christopher Ruhr and Manpreet Singh were on target for Ranchi.