Earlier, former world No.1 Srikanth had to dig deep to outlast fellow Indian Tharun Mannepalli 15-21, 21-6, 21-19.
With scrutiny and practice scheduled for November 29, the main races will unfold on November 30, promising a day of speed, skill and spectacle.
If the two-time Olympic medallist Indian wins gold on September 18, the day of the finals, he will become the third men ever to win the world championships javelin title in two consecutive editions.
Each of the three title contenders had them in 2025: Norris might have had an easier run to his first crown had he not driven into the back of Piastri's car and retired in Canada three laps from the end.
Oscar Piastri led McLaren teammate and Formula One title rival Lando Norris at the top of the timesheets in sole practice for the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday.
Both India, Malaysia and Korea finished on five points each in the Super 4 stage but the Birendra Lakra-side fell behind on goal difference.
Given the improvements at Chelsea and Arsenal, it will still be a significant achievement for United to secure a top four finish and in the Champions League, a decent run in the knockout stages would also be a sign of progress.
Premier League leaders Arsenal needed two own goals, the second deep in stoppage time, to scrape a 2-1 home win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers and open a five-point gap, while earlier on Saturday Mohamed Salah put aside a tumultuous week to help Liverpool beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.
'The guys are training hard and we can get on a bit of a roll from Sunday (against Delhi Daredevils)'
India squandered a golden opportunity to return with two titles as both Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with runner-up finishes at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 in Hing Kong on Sunday.
IMAGES from all the action on Day 8 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday.
Jannik Sinner was in ominous form on the Rod Laver Arena court he has ruled for two years before the match was cut short.
F1 champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren's strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
Liverpool rekindled the title race on Saturday with a 4-1 mauling of Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford.
'Atiqa's rise through the karting ranks has unfolded on grids where she is often one of the only girls competing against a bunch of "bullying" boys, and she doesn't shy away from bullying them back.'
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park in Melbourne on Thursday.
Here's a look at some key moments which helped decide the championship fight.
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid resume a nail-biting La Liga title race on Saturday after all notched up victories on Wednesday. Leaders Barcelona, who ended a four-game winless streak by hammering Deportivo La Coruna 8-0 away from home, host struggling Sporting Gijon on Saturday. Atletico battled to a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao to stay level on 79 points with Barcelona, who top the table with a superior head-to-head record and host Malaga. Real stayed one point behind their title rivals after beating Villarreal 3-0 and are expected to be without top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for their visit to struggling neighbours Rayo Vallecano. The Portuguese forward was unable to finish the game against Villarreal after suffering cramp in stoppage time but eased concerns he had suffered a serious injury.
The 68th Grammy Awards began at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The Briton goes into Sunday's title decider in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri a further four behind.
Real Madrid ended a turbulent week with a 2-0 LaLiga win over lowly Levante on Saturday courtesy of second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio.
The Premier League title race took another dramatic twist on Sunday when leaders Manchester United blew a two-goal lead to draw 4-4 with Everton and Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 to narrow the gap to three points.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday but McLaren's Lando Norris had one hand on the Formula One title after finishing second and stretching his lead over teammate Oscar Piastri to 30 points.
The two McLaren drivers were ruled out for excessive skid plank wear hours after the race had ended and the podium champagne been sprayed.
Toyota Gazoo Racing, the Japanese car maker's motorsport division, will become title sponsor of the Haas Formula One team next season in a deal that strengthens an existing technical partnership.
After Saturday's 2-1 win at Chelsea - their 12th in 13 league matches - Aston Villa have claimed 18 points from losing positions so far this season, more than any other team.
Real Madrid's struggles continued on Sunday as they battled to a 1-1 draw at Girona in LaLiga.
A deafening roar at Twickenham capped a 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup that smashed attendance records, while India's first Women's Cricket World Cup triumph sparked nationwide celebrations.
'I love to be defending champion. For me, it's motivation, you know, and I want to do well.'
Seven-times World champion Lewis Hamilton failed to stand on the podium all year for the first time in his career.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes Liverpool have an advantage in the Premier League title race because they will not be distracted by the Champions League.
Oscar Piastri is looking forward to watching Australia beat England at cricket after a F1 season of highs and lows ended in disappointment on Sunday.
Lando Norris can be crowned champion on Sunday but a win for Oscar Piastri would take the battle down to a final showdown in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
The 31-year-old German fell 30 points behind race-winner Hamilton after a collision with the Briton left him struggling to finish fourth in Monza last time out, one of several races where Vettel has frittered away a position of authority.
Mocked, misjudged, written off, Lando Norris's carves own road to F1 Glory
Manchester City seized the opportunity of Arsenal's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa earlier in the day to climb within two points of the leaders.
Premier League title race looks poised to be one of the most thrilling in years.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri ended a long win drought with a pole-to-flag victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race in Doha.
Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix and revived his Formula One title bid after fending off championship-leading McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri under race-long pressure on Sunday.
Rajasthan's Sanskar Saraswat clinched his maiden Super 100 title after eking out a three-game victory over fellow Indian Mithun Manjunath in the men's singles final of the Guwahati Masters in Guwahati on Sunday.
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