Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 8 January 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with cricket: Proteas wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from Tests after playing only four games for South Africa since making his debut in 2019. The 32-year-old scored 104 runs in his four Tests, but one-thousand-638 in one-day games and 710 in T20s. Klaasen says although the longest format is his favourite, he believes this is the right decision for him at this stage of his career. He says red ball cricket shaped him into the player he has become, but for now a new challenge awaits.

# Rugby: Another new record was set by the United Rugby Championship this weekend with the league setting an all-time high for single-round attendance. SuperSport reports the 19-thousand-703 fans who attended the final game of Round 8 in Durban, where the Sharks took on the Lions, pushed the total for the round to 135-thousand-747, which surpasses the figure of 123-thousand-207 set in Round 11 last season. This comes off the back of a record 1.6-million total attendance for the 2022/23 URC season, which also saw the highest-ever crowd for the league’s Grand Final, 56-thousand-334, while an all-time high of 37.4-million watched across the campaign.

# Tennis: Twenty-two-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open. The Spaniard’s comeback has been placed on hold following a micro muscle tear he sustained in Brisbane, during his quarter-final match against Australian Jordan Thompson. Nadal announced on social media on Sunday that an MRI scan he underwent in Melbourne revealed the muscle tear and that he would return home to Spain. The injury comes barely a week after he made his comeback from a year-long absence. He underwent hip surgery after an injury at the 2023 Australian Open.

More news about the sport is that Alexander Zverev saved two match points in a gruelling three-set win over Hubert Hurkacz to help Germany upset top seeds Poland and clinch a maiden United Cup title in Sydney yesterday. The world number seven secured a 6-7, 7-6 , 6-4 victory after top-ranked Iga Swiatek had swept past Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-love. Zverev and partner Laura Siegemund sealed the title with a 6-4, 5-7, 10-4 win over Swiatek and Hurkacz in the deciding mixed doubles. Swiatek is in top form and heading into the Australian Open on a winning streak of 16 matches.

# And, soccer: Liverpool struck twice late on to beat Arsenal 2-0 at Emirates Stadium and reached the FA Cup fourth round. Arsenal paid the price for missing a host of opportunities and were punished as Liverpool grew increasingly dangerous. Their triumph was completed in the closing seconds when Luis Diaz scored with a kick high past Arsenal’s goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp expressed his satisfaction with his team:

Stay tuned for more news………….