- The Associated Press
Ukrainian tennis player banned in match-fixing case
Ukrainian tennis player Stanislav Poplavskyy has been given a lifetime ban for participating in match-fixing activities, the Tennis Integrity Unit said Friday. The TIU said Poplavskyy took part in match-fixing and ''courtsiding'' activities on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2019. Courtsiding involves transmission of live scoring data from a match to a third party for betting purposes and is prohibited.
- Reuters
WTA plan return to China and a full 2021 calendar
China is central to the WTA's plans for 2021 as women's tennis seeks to put a COVID-ravaged season behind it and hit the new year with a full bouquet of tournaments, tour chief Steve Simon told Reuters. The WTA lost more than half its events in 2020 after a five-month shutdown of the tour in March. Despite the financial strain, the WTA kept its entire workforce in place and with support from its main sponsors, the women's governing body said it is in a strong position.
ReutersNishikori keen to test himself against the best again
Nishikori spent 10 months on the sidelines after undergoing elbow surgery and was slated to return at this year's U.S. Open but pulled out after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Nishikori was the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam final when he finished runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Open but has struggled for consistency at the highest level, lifting just one ATP Tour title in the past four seasons.
