A B de Villiers is likely to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore in the initial phase of the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League in case Virat Kohli fails to recover from his shoulder injury.
Pliskova was down 5-1 against Williams in the final set before the seventh seed produced a fight-back for the ages to claim a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 quarter-final win over the American great.
Babar named Pakistan Test captain, takes charge of all three formats.
World No 4 Andy Murray wasted six match points and overcame a knee injury to beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5 in the Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-finals on Thursday, while Roger Federer also made it through to the last four.
'I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I'm gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine'.
Apostolos immediately got up from his chair in shock and went up to the stands to sit with the rest of the Greek team while Tsitsipas, who was docked a point and warned by the umpire, received an earful from his mother Julia Apostoli.
Roger Federer warmed up for next month's Wimbledon championships by swatting aside David Goffin 7-6(2), 6-1 to win the Halle Open title for the 10th time on Sunday.
Australia's injury woes deepened on Wednesday when a hamstring problem forced all rounder Mitchell Marsh from the pitch for treatment.
Coming into the series at the back of a convincing series win over Pakistan, Australia will look to seal their seventh day-night Test win when they face New Zealand in the opening Test beginning in Perth on Thursday.
Australia, who won the toss and batted in the day-nighter, reached 248 for four at stumps with Labuschagne 110 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 20.
David Warner gave the Australian camp a scare ahead of Thursdays' opening Ashes Test by hurting his neck during a fielding drill but the opening batsman is confident he will be fit to face England at the Gabba.
Upbeat after convincingly winning the One-Day International series 4-0, Australia's Twenty20 captain Aaron Finch is confident that the hosts can handle the more experienced Indian reinforcements in Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who have joined the visitors for the three-match rubber starting in Adelaide, on Tuesday.
Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton's prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
Tennis great Roger Federer has issued a tacit apology for inadvertently provoking a war of words with temperamental local Bernard Tomic ahead of the Australian Open.
After losing the first set, Konta faced three break points in an epic fifth game of the second when she came under enormous pressure.
Spinner Nathan Lyon is likely to retain his place in the Australia side for the third Ashes Test despite the attractions of going with a four-pronged pace attack in Perth this week, coach Darren Lehmann said on Wednesday.
Commonwealth Games: The event Photographs
Images from matches played on Day 5 at the Australian Open in Melbourne Park on Friday
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and Australia played at the Gabba on Wednesday
More than his hundred on debut as captain Steven Smith was happy that Australia putting up 500 runs on the board on Day 3 of the second Test against India.
The funeral of Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes began to the strains of a song entitled "Forever Young" in his home town on Wednesday as a nation united to celebrate the life of a sportsman cut down in his prime.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
With a penchant for scoring big Test hundreds, Indian opener Murali Vijay is now aiming to cross the 200-run barrier as he approaches the next phase of his cricketing career.
Josh Hazlewood had to wait a while for his Test debut but no one can accuse him of wasting his chance when it came after he became the 33rd Australian to take a five-wicket haul on debut in the second Test against India on Thursday.
Gilchrist made the comments after the IPL governing council proposed to have a dedicated "no-ball" umpire to reduce the number of howlers in the lucrative league.
Women formed the core of India's stupendous day four at the 21st Commonwealth Games where a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker delivered a record-shattering shooting gold medal and the table tennis team shocked fancied defending champions Singapore to clinch the top honours for the first time in the event.
Kane Williamson staged a fight-back along with opener Tom Latham (36), and Ross Taylor (26) as New Zealand reached 140 for 2 (42 overs) at close of play on Day 2 of the 2nd Test at the WACA in Perth on Saturday.
Photos from matches on Day 2 at the Australian Open on Tuesday
He scripted a memorable comeback snapping five wickets to set up England's nine-wicket win over India in the tri-series and pacer Steven Finn said he was happy to see that his hard work finally paid off.
Athletes to watch at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games:
Australia's new Test captain Steve Smith is excited about the prospect of playing India on a lively Gabba pitch in the second cricket Test starting on Wednesday and said he wants his team to drive the advantage to go up 2-0 in the four-match series.
Virat Kohli said being called a "spoilt brat" by the Australians brought the best out of him as he smashed a career-best 169 to lead India's strong reply on the third day of the third Test, in Melbourne, on Sunday.
India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he is not intimidated by the Australian batsmen's strategy of attacking him as he has the ability to handle the onslaught and pick wickets as well.
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