Still hampered by an injury to his right forearm, French tennis player JO-WILFRIED TSONGA "has pulled out of the Australian Open." After withdrawing from the Hopman Cup this week because of pain, Tsonga said on Wednesday he is "still suffering from a forearm inflammation that prevents me from being at 100 percent of my capacities in a competition" (AP, 1/7). ... Welsh track & field athletes RHYS WILLIAMS and GARETH WARBURTON "will find out the result of their anti-doping hearings this week."
The pair "failed drug tests before the 2014 Commonwealth Games" (BBC, 1/8). ... The Junior All Whites "have sacked" assistant coach WILLY GERDSEN as the FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand looms.
New Zealand Football confirmed the move, announcing that former national U23 coach and All Whites coach NEIL EMBLEN "will take up the assistant coach's role on an interim basis" (STUFF, 1/8).
IN SPAIN: Before Barcelona President JOSEP MARIA BARTOMEU's press conference on Wednesday, he reportedly met with former Barcelona player ÓSCAR GARCIA to "offer him the position of sporting director of football" following the sacking of ANDONI ZUBIZARRETA. Garcia, who has worked as a coach since his retirement, has had stints managing Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and League Championship side Watford, among others (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 1/8). ... Former Barcelona keeper FERNANDO DE ARGILA PAZZAGLIA, who played for the club from '39-43, died on Thursday at the age of 94 (EFE, 1/8). ... Former Barcelona President JOAN LAPORTA said that he is "prepared" and has a "desire to run for Barcelona's presidential elections this summer," but has "not yet made a decision." Laporta is "in no hurry to announce his intentions, especially with the exact date of the elections unknown" (EFE, 1/8).
ON SCREEN: Indian cricketer SACHIN TENDULKAR "is expected to star in a feature-length film about his life." The Mumbai-based production company 200NotOut "confirmed on Thursday that shooting was well under way on a 90-120-minute film based on Tendulkar." The film "is expected to be released next year" (PA, 1/8).
