MELBOURNE -- Caroline Wozniacki will, fittingly, take her final bow over the next fortnight at Melbourne Park, the scene of her only Grand Slam victory in a career that earned her praise for her tenacity and approachable character but also saw her acquire detractors.

THE country’s premier tennis organization has given recognition to 2019’s tennis superstars who have brought home glory to the Philippines in a recent awarding ceremony held on Jan. 7 in Makati.

FORMER Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Chess Team standout Roberto M. Racasa and his daughter (country’s youngest Woman Fide Master) Antonella Berthe M. Racasa will showcase their talents in the upcoming 3^rd Chooks-to-Go National Rapid Chess Championships slated on Jan. 25 at the Exhibition Hall 5/F, Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

“Don’t cheat to cheat” is essentially how Major League Baseball wants all and sundry to view its prohibition on the use of any and all forms of technology to decode signs. Having already thrown the book at the Astros for providing batters with otherwise-privileged information through extra-legal means, the Commissioner’s Office is slated to do the same to the Red Sox once its probe ends. To be sure, its intent is clear; it wants to free the sport of suspicions on its integrity and commitment to fair play. Using circumstantial advantages -- such as when a runner is in second base and able to see the opposing catcher’s gestures -- is one thing. Tapping other parties with access to electronic equipment in order to get ahead is quite another.

THE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings are on the cusp of winning another Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup title after dominating the Meralco Bolts, 94-72, in Game Four of their best-of-seven finals on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

WHILE happy to have been able to overcome its first hurdle in the preliminaries of the AFC Champions League 2020, top local club football team Ceres-Negros FC nonetheless looks to shape up some more heading into the next round.

LOS ANGELES -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points in just 21 minutes Tuesday night for the host Milwaukee Bucks, who concluded their season-long dominance of the New York Knicks by cruising to a 128-102 victory.

NEW YORK -- The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced today the formation of a first-of-its-kind collective -- WNBA Changemakers -- which brings together values-driven businesses who lead the way in the advancement of women and sports. WNBA Changemakers will partner with the WNBA to significantly elevate the player experience and enable the league’s business transformation. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert highlighted the Changemakers platform during the league’s announcement with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) of a new, historic WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

THE MISSION of the Special Olympics to foster an inclusive environment for persons with intellectual disabilities (PIDs) got a big boost locally after poultry integrator company Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. (BAVI) entered into a partnership with the sports organization for a campaign geared towards providing opportunities to individuals with special needs.

SOUTHEAST Asian Games Filipino dancesports gold winners will undergo a one-month European training camp in February for their preparation for this year’s World Dancesports Federation (WDSF) World Championship Standard Adult competition in Nov. 21 in Vienna, Austria.

The Women’s World Chess Championship is currently ongoing between the defending champion Ju Wenjun of China versus Russian challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, who won the 2019 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. The first six games were held in Shanghai, China and they are currently moving over to Vladivostok, Russia, for the second half.

Who’s to say why Tyronn Lue suddenly felt the urge to publicly convey his sentiments regarding his unceremonious departure from the Cavaliers six games into the 2018–19 season? He managed to stay silent for 15 whole months, only to open up about his firing in a story published by The Athletic yesterday. And, given his pronouncements, it was one that hurt. “I don’t think it should’ve happened,” he told senior writer Joe Vardon. “It was tough. To win the first championship ever in Cleveland history, and then make the Finals [the next two years] and then get fired six games in, it’s hard to swallow and it’s tough to deal with.”