🗞 Sport Journal - BACK SOON

January 17, 2023

G'day sports fans,

🧹 Housekeeping: This is the last issue using the Twitter email platform (they're closing it down at midnight tonight, which is why this is getting to you early). I'll take a few days to find the best alternative and get Sport Journal set up there.

Sport Journal will return on the 30th Jan.

📧 As I will be using a new platform, there's a chance Sport Journal will end up in your "other" email folder, so please check in there for it.

See you for the next issue on the 30th January! 🤝

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🏏 Steve Smith has smashed the first century by a Sixers player in BBL history, reaching the milestone in only 56 balls in his side’s big win over the Strikers.

The Sydney side finished their innings with their fourth highest-ever total, belting 5/203 with the 33-year-old leading the charge to dispatch Adelaide’s bowlers around the park.

The Strikers managed only 9/144 in response, despite Alex Carey’s impressive knock of 54 from 35 balls.

🎾 Even with Australia’s top-ranked man and woman, Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic, not competing at this year’s Australian Open the local results have still been strong.

Four Aussies made it through on day one, and wildcard Kim Birrell produced the biggest upset to become the fifth, knocking off reigning quarter-finalist Kaia Kanepi.

No.22 seed Alex de Minaur was a hot favourite to become the sixth, and he made it look easy, cruising past Taiwan’s Yu Hsiou Hsu 6-2 6-2 6-3.

He will face either John Isner or Adrian Mannarino in the second round.

🎾 Australia's Kim Birrell claimed her first win at a grand slam in four years, stunning 31st seed Kaia Kanepi in three sets.

🎾 Taylor Fritz defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili from Georgia 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-5 at John Cain Arena.

It is tradition for winning players to write a message on the camera at the end of their match, but viewers were quick to say the 25-year-old’s choice looked a little inappropriate.

Fritz tweeted: “For ur information, i was trying to draw a (lock) emoji... I just forgot the very important fact that I suck at drawing.”

🏉 Broncos star Kurt Capewell has not ruled out a player strike if the NRL refuse to negotiate the details of the new collective bargaining agreement.

🇦🇺 North Melbourne is on the hunt for a new captain after Jack Ziebell announced he will step down from the role after six seasons.

🏉 Titans recruit Sam Verrills is backing Justin Holbrook’s Gold Coast outfit to return to finals football this season — likening the club’s resurgence to a the Panthers.

🚴🏼‍♀️ Italian Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) captured the victory on the first race day of the 2023 World Tour season, powering into the overall lead at the Tour Down Under after the opening prologue in Adelaide.

🏀 The entire NBL community mourns the loss of former NBL player Mark Leader.

The 6’4 American, born and raised in Idaho, came to Australia in 1982 to pursue his professional basketball career, which originally started with the Ulverstone Redhoppers in the North West Basketball Union in Tasmania.

Playing 327 games in the NBL, Leader scored over 4000 career points and won two championships with the North Melbourne Giants.

🌍 World Sport

🎾 Andrey Rublev is through to the second round of the Australian Open with a straight-set victory. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev defeated former US Open champion Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in his opening match on Tuesday.

🎾 Italian player Camila Giorgi has denied obtaining a false Covid-19 vaccination certificate in order to compete in tournaments.

Italian media reported last month that a doctor, Daniela Grillone, had named Giorgi as one of the people who came to her seeking fake documentation.

⚽️ Amid their worst run in a long time, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he will not leave the club unless he is forced to and hinted at changes at Anfield during the summer.

🏀 LeBron James scored a season-high 48 points to help Los Angeles Lakers past Houston Rockets (140-132) and further close in on the all-time NBA points record.

He has 38,072 career points, 315 behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record.

“You played against my dad your first NBA game ever.” - Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. made LeBron feel really old during the game.

⚽️ Arsenal have made West Ham's 24-year-old England midfielder Declan Rice their top transfer target this summer and are confident of beating Chelsea to his signing. (Times)

🏏 India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant says "the road to recovery has begun" after he was injured in a car crash.

Police say the 25-year-old "dozed off" and lost control of his car, which flipped over twice and caught fire last month.

⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to captain the All-Star Team that is to take on Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly match on Friday AEDT.

🗞 Please share Sport Journal

📲 Share via WhatsApp HERE

🧑🏻‍💻 Share the link with a friend to sign up HERE

📺 Live sport 👇🏼

TODAY

🏒11:00 - NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs v Florida Panthers (ESPN 2)

🏏 11:05 - Women's ODI Series - Australia v Pakistan (7mate, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Milwaukee Bucks v Toronto Raptors (ESPN)

🚴🏼‍♀️ 12:00 - UCI Men's World Tour - Tour Down Under, Stage 1, 149.9km (7TWO)

🏀 13:30 - Men's NCAA - Kentucky Wildcats v Georgia Bulldogs (ESPN 2)

🏀 14:00 - NBA - Los Angeles Clippers v Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Tasmania JackJumpers v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN)

🏏 19:30 - ODI Series - India v New Zealand (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:40 - Big Bash League - Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏏 22:30 - SA20 - MI Cape Town v Sunrisers Eastern Cape (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY

🏏 02:30 - SA20 - Pretoria Capitals v Joburg Super Kings (Fox Cricket)

⚽️ 06:00 - Supercoppa Italiana - Milan v Inter Milan (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Manchester United (Optus Sport 1)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Atlanta Hawks (ESPN)

🏒 11:30 - NHL - New York Islanders v Boston Bruins (ESPN 2)

🏀 14:00 - NBA - Denver Nuggets v Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN)

🏒 14:00 - NHL - Vancouver Canucks v Tampa Bay Lightning (ESPN 2)

🏀 17:30 - NBL - New Zealand Breakers v Illawarra Hawks (ESPN)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v Adelaide 36ers (ESPN)