AP Sports Summary for January 26th:
Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev in 3 sets for his second Australian Open title in a row
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Jannik Sinner has defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to claim his second consecutive Australian Open championship. The victory in the final Sunday night by the 23-year-old Italian makes him the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93. Sinner has won three of the past five major tournaments, including the 2024 U.S. Open, and rose to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last June. He's also on a career-best 21-match winning streak dating to last season. The No. 2-ranked Zverev is now 0-3 in Grand Slam finals.
Be brave. That's what Madison Keys kept telling herself on the way to winning the Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Madison Keys says she kept telling herself to be brave down the stretch of a tight third set in the Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The score was 5-all, 30-all on Saturday night before Keys claimed six of the last eight points to earn her first Grand Slam title less than a month before she turns 30. The American was long ago labeled a tennis prodigy. She credits therapy with helping her confront her nerves instead of suppress them and with not worrying about whether she would ever win a major title.
Novak Djokovic takes a jab at injury 'experts' by posting a picture of an MRI of his left hamstring
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic has posted a scan of his injured left hamstring on social media more than 24 hours after being booed at the Australian Open when he quit playing one set into his semifinal because of what he said was a torn muscle. The 24-time Grand Slam champion put the picture of the MRI taken Saturday on X and wrote: "Thought I'd leave this here for all the sports injury 'experts' out there." He did not offer any additional information, such as the exact diagnosis he might have received or any timeline for his recovery.
Victor Wembanyama reflects on San Antonio's 2-game stay in Paris: 'This week was amazing'
PARIS (AP) — The final tally for Victor Wembanyama's trip in Paris: two games, 50 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, six blocks, two courts dedicated, one trip to the Eiffel Tower, a Fashion Week appearance, a Champions League match attended and about a million high-fives. And one win. It wasn't the two he wanted from this homecoming. But there were a slew of other moments to make this trip back to Paris worth remembering. The San Antonio star called his trip home to France "amazing."
No. 1 Auburn slips past No. 6 Tennessee 53-51 and extends its winning streak to 11 games
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Miles Kelly hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining and Johni Broome had 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return to the lineup as No. 1 Auburn extended its winning streak to 11 games with a 53-51 win over No. 6 Tennessee. Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) was held to its lowest point total of the season by Tennessee's physical defense. Kelly's 3-pointer off a feed from Broome turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead. Tennessee had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but a 3-point try the Vols' Zakai Zeigler missed the mark.
Harris English holds off Sam Stevens by a shot in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Harris English held off hard-charging Sam Stevens to win the Farmers Insurance Open by one shot Saturday, securing his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a 1-over 73 in challenging weather at Torrey Pines. English finished his first tour win since 2021 at 8-under 280. Stevens began the day six shots off the lead, but surged into contention with a 4-under 68 for the best final round in this edition of a tournament with a tradition of furious final-day rallies. His impressive number didn't rattle the 35-year-old English, who made two early bogeys in a round that began in strong wind. English steadied his game and calmly finished with 12 consecutive pars.
Zach Ertz returns to Philadelphia for the NFC title game as a key player for the Commanders
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Zach Ertz spent the first 8 1/2 years of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He even helped them win a Super Bowl during that run. Now the veteran tight end returns for the NFC championship game as a valuable member of the Washington Commanders' offense. Ertz has rediscovered his love of football this season playing for coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Now either Ertz or the team he spent the bulk of his career with is heading to the Super Bowl.
Vanderbilt fans storm court again as Commodores beat No. 9 Kentucky 74-69
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Nickel's 3-pointer with 1:50 left put Vanderbilt ahead to stay as the Commodores upset a Top 10 team on their home court for a second straight Saturday by beating No. 9 Kentucky 74-69. Vanderbilt fans stormed the court again after the win, a repeat from a week ago when the Commodores knocked off then-No. 6 Tennessee. The first court-storming led to a $250,000 fine from the league. Jason Edwards led Vanderbilt with 18 points, Devin McGlockton added 14, Nickel finished with 11 and Jaylen Carey 10. Kentucky lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
Josh Harris finds himself on brink of championship with Commanders he can't find with 76ers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Harris owns both the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Commanders among the many sports properties in his portfolio. The Commanders can earn a spot in the Super Bowl if they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game. Harris might become the most unpopular person in Philly if he wins a championship with another team before he wins one with the Sixers. The Commanders went from 4-13 last season to 12-5 this season behind star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Jets agree to terms with Broncos executive Darren Mougey to be their general manager
Denver Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey agreed to terms with the Jets to become their GM. The 39-year-old Mougey has worked as Broncos general manager George Paton's top assistant for the past three seasons. Mougey replaces the fired Joe Douglas in New York and joins new Jets coach Aaron Glenn as the new leaders of the franchise. Owner Woody Johnson said in a statement Saturday night that Mougey impressed the Jets with his vision for the team moving forward. Johnson added that Mougey and Glenn will work together to revitalize the franchise.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 136 San Antonio 98
Final Minnesota 133 Denver 104
Final Boston 122 Dallas 107
Final Miami 106 Brooklyn 97
Final Charlotte 123 New Orleans 92
Final Orlando 121 Detroit 113
Final Toronto 117 Atlanta 94
Final New York 143 Sacramento 120
Final Houston 135 Cleveland 131
Final Philadelphia 109 Chicago 97
Final Memphis 125 Utah 103
Final L.A. Lakers 118 Golden State 108
Final Phoenix 119 Washington 109
Final L.A. Clippers 127 Milwaukee 117
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Boston 3 Colorado 1
Final Seattle 4 Pittsburgh 1
Final Edmonton 3 Buffalo 2
Final Detroit 2 Tampa Bay 0
Final OT Columbus 3 Los Angeles 2
Final Dallas 2 St. Louis 0
Final Ottawa 2 Toronto 1
Final Calgary 5 Minnesota 4
Final OT New Jersey 4 Montreal 3
Final OT N-Y Islanders 3 Carolina 2
Final Vancouver 2 Washington 1
Final Florida 7 San Jose 2
Final Anaheim 5 Nashville 2
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Auburn 53 (6)Tennessee 51
Final (2)Duke 63 Wake Forest 56
Final (3)Iowa St. 76 Arizona St. 61
Final (4)Alabama 80 LSU 73
Final (5)Florida 89 Georgia 59
Final (7)Houston 92 (12)Kansas 86
Final (8)Michigan St. 81 Rutgers 74
Final Vanderbilt 74 (9)Kentucky 69
Final Texas 70 (13)Texas A&M 69
Final (14)Mississippi St. 65 South Carolina 60
Final Minnesota 77 (15)Oregon 69
Final (22)Missouri 83 (16)Mississippi 75
Final Xavier 76 (19)UConn 72
Final Kansas St. 73 (23)West Virginia 60
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Oklahoma City at Portland 6 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Colorado at N-Y Rangers 1 p.m.
Utah at Ottawa 5 p.m.
Calgary at Winnipeg 6 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago 7 p.m.
Florida at Vegas 8 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Washington at Philadelphia 3 p.m.
Buffalo at Kansas City 6:30 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Northwestern at (17)Illinois 3 p.m.
Nebraska at (18)Wisconsin 1 p.m.
UAB at (24)Memphis 1 p.m.
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