Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 28 January 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with surfing: The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture says the public narrative that minister Gayton McKenzie has withdrawn financial support for the World Surf League’s Championship Tour event at Jeffreys Bay is inaccurate. Organisers have blamed a lack of funds for not being able to host the event this year. Spokesperson Zimasa Velaphi says no request for national government funding, guarantees, or associated services was formally submitted for consideration:

# Rugby: Blitzbok assistant coach Renfred Dazel says success in the weekend’s world series sevens tournament in Singapore will depend on their ability to handle unexpected hurdles. South Africa tops the log after a mediocre display in the first tournament of the new series in Dubai before being crowned champions in Cape Town after scoring more tries than any other team. The Blitzboks are without experienced playmakers Selvyn Davids, Ronald Brown and Dewald Human, but Dazel says the squad’s depth would counter that.

# Netball: Proteas coach Jenny van Dyk says the three-match Test series against England allows them to build on the depth of the team. Two uncapped players, Thulisile Maduna and Tinita van Dyk, have been named in the 15-player squad, as South Africa looks to widen the pool of players in the circles. Van Dyk also stresses the importance of building towards the Commonwealth Games in July, but also for next year’s World Cup in Australia. The opening match in the series is tomorrow evening at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.

# Tennis: 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina is through to the Australian Open semifinals. The Kazakhstani fifth seed defeated world number two Iga Swiatek, 7-5, 6-1, to deny the Polish’s latest bid to win a career Grand Slam. Rybakina lost in three sets to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the 2023 final. She will face Jessica Pegula for a place in Saturday’s final after the American beat compatriot Amanda Anisimova, 6-2, 7-6, to make her first semifinal in Melbourne. The other semifinal will see Sabalenka face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

And record ten-time champion Novak Djokovic has scraped into the semifinals after Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire from their quarterfinal clash. The Italian sustained an upper right leg injury while leading the Serb, 6-4, 6-3, 1-3. Djokovic, who is bidding for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, will face either defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy or American Ben Shelton. Djokovic says he feels sorry for Musetti:

Stay tuned for more news………….