NOVAK DJOKOVIC expressed his frustration at being “kept in the dark” about world number one Jannik Sinner’s doping case, saying in Brisbane on Sunday that it was not a good look for tennis.

Anti-doping authorities said in August Sinner twice tested positive in March for the anabolic androgenic steroid clostebol and was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal that accepted his explanation of unintentional contamination.

The 23-year-old Italian faces a potential ban of up to two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“It’s not a good image and not a good look for our sport,” Djokovic told reporters ahead of the Brisbane International.

“You don’t want to see that. I believe that in the last 20-plus years that I’ve been playing on the professional tour that we’ve been one of the cleanest sports. I’ll keep believing in that clean sport.

“I’m just questioning the way the system works, really, and why certain players are not treated the same as other players.”

Sinner’s was not the only recent high-profile case in the sport as world number two Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month ban that ended on Dec. 4 after a positive test for trimetazidine, which she said was due to contamination of her sleep medication.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency maintains that all doping cases are dealt with based on facts and evidence and not a player’s name, ranking or nationality, but has not been able to fend off allegations of double standards.

“The issue is the inconsistency and the transparency. We’ve been kept in the dark with Jannik’s case,” Djokovic added.

“I’m not questioning whether he took the banned substance intentionally or not. I believe in a clean sport, I believe that the player will do everything possible to be playing fair.

“I’ve known Jannik since he was very young. He doesn’t strike me as somebody who would do such a thing. But I’ve been really frustrated as (have) most of the other players to see that we’ve been kept in the dark for five months.”

Outspoken Australian Nick Kyrgios said the cases involving Sinner and Swiatek were “disgusting” for the sport and slammed authorities over what he saw as lenient treatment. — Reuters

PERTH — Alexander Zverev eased past Thiago Monteiro 6-4 6-4 as Germany beat Brazil for a winning start to their United Cup defense on Sunday while the Czech Republic, US and Italy were all victorious.

Zverev had a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging his ankle ligaments at the 2022 French Open but returned to his career-high ranking of number two following his Paris Masters triumph last month.

The 27-year-old continued his good form in the mixed team tournament that kicks off the new season as he used his heavy shots from the baseline to grab a break in the first game and took the opening set on serve with a huge ace.

Zverev stepped up a gear at the start of the next set with a stunning backhand winner en route to another break and he closed out the match comfortably to give Germany an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the mixed doubles match.

“I’m very happy to be back, very happy to be playing for team Germany,” said Zverev. “Perth is one of my favorite cities in Australia, I really enjoy my time here.

“I didn’t play that much tennis in the off season, I was actually in the gym… so the work has paid off I guess.”

Laura Siegemund had earned Germany their first point in the Group E encounter with a 6-3 1-6 6-4 victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia at the RAC Arena. She later partnered with Tim Puetz in a 7-6(8) 6-4 win over Carolina Alves and Rafael Matos for a clean sweep.

The US, inaugural champions of the tournament in 2023, clinched their Group A tie with Canada well past midnight as Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz beat Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(2) 7-5.

Gauff earlier defeated Fernandez 6-3 6-2 before an inspired Auger-Aliassime stunned Fritz 4-6 7-5 6-3 to draw Canada level.

Italy crushed Switzerland in Group D in Sydney, as Flavio Cobolli defeated Dominic Stricker 6-3 7-6(2) and Jasmine Paolini beat Belinda Bencic 6-1 6-1 in 58 minutes.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made it 3-0 by dispatching Bencic and Stricker 6-4 6-4.

Earlier, 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova got her campaign up and running with a 6-2 6-2 win over Malene Helgo but Norway leveled the Group B clash against the Czech Republic thanks to Casper Ruud’s fighting effort.

Ruud needed a couple of medical timeouts for a left thigh problem before seeing off Thomas Machac 7-6(6) 5-7 6-4 but the world number six was unable to return for the mixed doubles decider that followed.

United Cup debutant Muchova and Machac then shrugged off the quick turnaround from their singles matches to ease past Ulrikke Eikeri and Viktor Durasovic 6-4 6-4 at the Ken Rosewall Arena. — Reuters

LIVERPOOL, England — Goals from Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White gave Nottingham Forest a 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday to move up to the heady heights of second in the Premier League after another superb performance away from home.

The win gives Forest, who battled relegation for much of last season, 37 points after 19 games. They are five behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand and face West Ham United later on Sunday.

Forest is one ahead of third-placed Arsenal, who do not see action again until New Year’s Day, and two ahead of Chelsea, who can overtake them if they beat Ipswich Town on Monday.

Everton got off to a bright start as Iliman Ndiaye created the game’s first chance, slicing through the heart of the Forest defense before firing a shot high over the bar in the sixth minute.

That positive opening came to an abrupt end when the visitors took the lead in the 15^th minute as Chris Wood nodded a long ball to Anthony Elanga on the counter-attack.

The Swedish winger headed it back into his path, teeing New Zealander Wood up to deftly lift it over the advancing Jordan Pickford and into the net.

Gibbs-White made it two on the hour mark as Wood rescued a broken-down counter-attack by sliding the ball through to him in the penalty area to cut back inside and fire home.

Everton did its best to knock the visitors out of their stride, picking up four yellow cards during some tough tackles, and defender James Tarkowski sailed close to the wind with a couple of challenges that could have earned him a second booking.

With Forest sitting back and protecting their lead, the Toffees enjoyed plenty of possession and registered 13 shots on goal, but only two of them were on target as their four-match unbeaten run came to an end.

The combination of Wood’s physicality and the speed of the rest of the Forest forward line may have been too much for Everton, but goal-scorer Wood was not getting carried away with his side’s high spot in the league table.

“It is nice, but we are not worried about that. We have got to keep focusing on what we are doing and take it game by game,” he told the BBC.

“It was a hard-fought victory today but a nice one… It is about taking your opportunity when it comes, and fortunately, I was able to do that,” the 33-year-old added. — Reuters

LONDON — Replacing Kop idol Juergen Klopp at Anfield looked to many like mission impossible for Dutchman Arne Slot when he was named as the German’s successor in May.

Now the appointment looks like a masterstroke halfway through his maiden Premier League campaign.

Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United on Sunday put Slot’s side eight points clear of surprise second-placed side Nottingham Forest and 14 ahead of champions Manchester City.

They have lost only once in all competitions this season and Slot can look back on an almost perfect 2024.

His Feyenoord side was unbeaten from the turn of the year to when he left as they finished runners-up to PSV Eindhoven.

The only side to get the better of Liverpool this season is Nottingham Forest and the way Slot’s side has ended the year, a 20^th title for the club now looks in their grasp.

“Compliments to Nottingham Forest. They were the one,” Slot said after his side’s rout of West Ham at the London Stadium.

While Slot inherited a high-quality squad and has not had to instigate a major rebuild, the tweaks he has made to Liverpool’s style have put them in total control of the table.

They are a little more pragmatic than they were under Klopp’s high-octane pressing game, but Slot has still retained Liverpool’s attacking verve, evidenced by the fact they have scored 45 goals in 18 games including 14 in the last three.

The 46-year-old has benefited hugely from Mohamed Salah having what promises to be his best-ever season at Liverpool despite the ongoing saga of the Egyptian’s contract talks.

Salah’s goal on Sunday took his tally for the season to 20 and his two assists mean he has been involved in 30 goals in 18 Premier League games for Liverpool this season.

The 32-year-old Salah has been involved in 52 goals in all competitions in 2024 (29 goals, 23 assists), which is more than any other player in Europe’s big five leagues.

“Mo and the word extraordinary is something I’ve heard a lot in the last six months,” Slot told reporters.

“He truly deserves this and probably for the eight years, but I am involved in the last half-year. I don’t think he keeps surprising us because we know what a player he is and we know he is able to do so. We can only hope he can keep bringing these performances in, but I would like to add that if he scores there’s also a lead-up to him scoring.

“So there are also other players that bring him into these positions, but if you bring Mo in these positions, he is extraordinary. Definitely.”

While Slot was delighted to see five different players on the scoresheet on Sunday, a first clean sheet in five games was equally satisfying after his side conceded nine goals in their previous four.

“Clean sheets are one of the reasons why you win a lot. If every time you have to score two, three or four goals it is difficult,” he said. “At the moment we do but it is not sustainable for a longer period of time.

“Sometimes you need a win by keeping a clean sheet and scoring one or two.” — Reuters