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Today's sports news: What you need to know

06:53 am on 22 June 2020

Latest - The Adria Tour tennis final has been cancelled after Gregor Dimitrov tested positive for COVID-19.

Grigor Dimitrov Photo: U.S. Open

The Bulgarian 29-year-old had been competing in the Adria Tour exhibition tournament in Croatia.

Dimitrov also appeared at the Serbian leg of the Adria Tour last week and has come into contact with top 10 players Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem.

He returned home to Monaco after feeling unwell during his defeat to Borna Coric yesterday and has since tested positive for Covid-19.

The final of the event, which would have featured world number one Novak Djokovic, was cancelled as a result.

"I want to reach out and let my fans and friends know that I tested positive back in Monaco for COVID-19," former world number three Dimitrov wrote on Instagram.

"I want to make sure anyone who has been in contact with me during these past days gets tested and takes the necessary precautions.

"I am so sorry for any harm I might have caused. I am back home now and recovering. Thanks for your support and please stay safe and healthy."

-Reuters

Chelsea keep top four hopes alive

Chelsea scored two goals in three minutes as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Aston Villa in their Premier League football clash and further boost their European Champions League qualification hopes.

Kortney Hause put Villa ahead just before halftime but Christian Pulisic equalised on the hour mark and Oliver Giroud won it with a second goal for the guests two minutes later.

The result kept Chelsea fourth, now five points ahead of Manchester United, while Villa remain second-bottom, still one point short of safety.

-Reuters

Joelinton ends goal drought as Newcastle overpower Sheffield United

Forward Joelinton scored his first Premier League goal since August as Newcastle United secured a convincing 3-0 win over 10-man Sheffield United.

The Brazilian striker found the net from close range to round off a dominant display for Newcastle, who were playing their first game since the Premier League restart.

Sheffield United did not create many opportunities at St James' Park and were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when defender John Egan collected his second yellow card.

Egan, who was cautioned for clashing with Joelinton over an offside decision in the first half, brought down the Brazilian striker to receive his marching orders from referee David Coote.

Newcastle seized control of the contest in the 55th minute when midfielder Matt Ritchie's cross from the left wing found Allan Saint-Maximin, whose low shot found the net.

Ritchie doubled Newcastle's lead in the 69th minute with a swerving shot from the edge of the box, before Joelinton recorded only his second league goal of his debut campaign in the northeast.

The result means Chris Wilder's Sheffield United, who played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa in their first match back, remain seventh in the standings and four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Blades next face fifth-placed Manchester United on Wednesday and will need to produce a much-improved display to keep their European qualification hopes alive.

Meanwhile, Newcastle moved up to 12th spot with 38 points to surely put any remaining relegation fears to rest.

-Reuters

Zanardi remains in serious but stable condition after accident

Former Formula One driver and twice Champ Car champion Alex Zanardi remained in serious but stable condition in intensive care on Sunday after suffering severe head injuries in a road accident while racing his handbike in Italy on Friday.

The 53-year-old Italian, who lost both legs and nearly his life in a 2001 Champ Car crash in Germany, was still under sedation, intubated and breathing with the help of a ventilator, according to a hospital statement.

The Santa Maria alle Le Scotte hospital in Siena said that Zanardi spent the night in "cardio-respiratory and metabolic stability" although the neurological situation remained serious.

"The current conditions of general stability still do not allow us to exclude the possibility of adverse events," the statement added.

Zanardi is an inspirational figure in the worlds of motorsport and paralympic endeavour, a hugely popular and positive competitor who returned from life-changing injuries with a smile.

He had both legs amputated above the knee, with his heart stopping seven times as he lost all but a litre of the blood in his body, after the horrific crash at the Lausitzring in Germany on Sept. 15, 2001.

-Reuters