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Today's sports news: what you need to know

17:55 pm on 24 November 2019

Latest - Canada reached the Davis Cup final for the first time as they won a thrilling semi-final against Russia with Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil clinching victory in the deciding doubles rubber.

Denis Shapovalov Photo: Panoramic

Shapovalov and Pospisil, who have shouldered the burden through four ties in La Caja Magica this week, combined to beat Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov 6-3 3-6 7-6(5).

"I have no words, it's unbelievable," the 20-year-old Shapovalov said on court as Canada's fans celebrated.

Things had looked bad for Canada when Pospisil's incredible run of singles wins here came to an end in the opener against Rublev, the 29-year-old going down 6-4 6-4.

But Shapovalov levelled things up when he beat Khachanov 6-4 4-6 6-4, sending the tie down to the wire.

Canada will face Spain in Sunday's final in Madrid after Rafael Nadal fired the hosts through when he joined Feliciano Lopez to win a thrilling late-night doubles and seal a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Britain.

The world No.1, playing like a man possessed, sent a capacity crowd in the Magic Box wild as he almost single-handedly hauled his country home and set up the final with Canada in the inaugural edition of the revamped competition.

With the semi-final on a knife edge at 1-1 after the singles were shared, Nadal and veteran Lopez came through a scintillating doubles clash against Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, winning 7-6(3) 7-6(8) to take five-time winners Spain into their first Davis Cup final since 2012.

- Reuters

Mourinho gets winning start

Jose Mourinho got off to the best possible start as Tottenham Hotspur manager as his new side beat West Ham United 3-2 at London Stadium - their first Premier League away win in 10 months.

Jose Mourinho. Photo: Photosport

Elsewhere, Manchester City returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, ending the Londoners' run of six straight wins and keeping Pep Guardiola's side nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to 30 games after a scrappy 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Arsenal drew 2-all against Southampton, a result that extended the Gunners' winless run to six games.

Wolverhampton Wanderers continued their sparkling run of form with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Second-half goals from Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy earned Leicester City a convincing 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

Todd Cantwell and Dennis Srbeny scored a brace of rare away goals to give struggling Norwich a 2-0 win over Everton, a result which sees them climb off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Bottom club Watford's miserable season continued with a 3-0 defeat to a clinical Burnley at Vicarage Road.

- Reuters

Paul Coll beaten in semi-final

New Zealand squash player Paul Coll has just lost to Egyptian Karim Gawad in the semi-final of the latest PSA World Tour event in England.

It took the second seed 45 minutes to beat Coll, seeded 3rd 11-8, 11-4, 11-3.

All New Zealand podium for opening race

New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen won Saturday's opening race but Shell V-Power Ford has one hand on the coveted Team's Trophy following the results at the Newcastle 500.

Van Gisbergen beat Scott McLaughlin by more than 10 seconds, having just held off the #17 in the run to the first corner, and never looked like losing from there.

McLaughlin has already sealed the championship.

McLaughlin's Ford teammate Fabian Coulthard finished third meaning the Shell outfit extended their Championship lead to 143 points with just today's final race of the year left to decide the Teams title.

Things could've been very different for Red Bull when they looked to lead home a Red Bull Holden Racing Team one-two before a late-race Jamie Whincup error.

Perth Heat too good for Tuatara

Perth have beaten the Auckland Tuatara 6-1 in an Australian Baseball League match at North Harbout Stadium, wrapping up the four-match series three games to one.

Johny Homza Photo: Photosport

The New Zealanders had given themselves a chance after winning game three 5-2 on Saturday, but were comprehensively outplayed on Sunday.

The Heat pitched exceptionally well, not allowing an Auckland hit until the fifth inning. The Tuatara finally scored in the sixth, through Hansel Moreno.

Auckland travel to Melbourne to face the Aces next weekend.

Women's pair in Multi Nations final

A third New Zealand combination will feature in a gold medal match on the final day of the bowls Multi Nations tournament on the Gold Coast.

Jo Edwards (skip) and Tayla Bruce outclassed Wales 17-9 in their women's pairs semi-final after sweeping all comers in round-robin play.

They will now play Australia Green's Ellen Ryan and Karen Murphy in today's decider, after the New Zealand men's pair and men's triple play their finals.

Edwards will first play Australia Yellow's Kristina Krstic for bronze in the women's singles.

Katelyn Inch (skip), Val Smith and Selina Goddard will also play for third place in the women's triples, after being outgunned 19-8 by Australia Green in their semi-final.

Gary Lawson and Jamie Hill will play Canada in the men's pairs gold medal match, while Ali Forsyth and Chris Le Lievre will join Andrew Kelly in the men's triples final against Australia Green.

The men's pairs and triples title deciders will be played at 3pm, with the women's pairs final to follow three hours later.

Australia scent victory in Brisbane

Marnus Labuschagne scored a sparkling 185 to help Australia to a commanding lead before its pace attack struck to leave Pakistan facing a heavy defeat on the third day of the first test in Brisbane on Saturday.

Queenslander Labuschagne's maiden test century combined with a doughty 154 from the bat of David Warner fired the hosts to 580 all out in response to Pakistan's 240 an hour after tea at the Gabba.

Quicks Mitchell Starc (2-25) and Pat Cummins (1-16) then took over to reduce the tourists to 64 for three, still 276 runs short of forcing Australia to bat again.

Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq were all sent packing cheaply to leave opener Shan Masood, who had made 27 not out, and Babar Azam, unbeaten on 20, fighting a desperate rearguard action.

Australia have not lost at the Gabba since 1988 and the efforts of the experienced Warner and the more junior Labuschagne almost certainly ensured that record would be extended for another year.

- Reuters

Rampant India on verge of series sweep

India captain Virat Kohli embellished the pink-ball test with a sparkling century before his quick bowlers reduced Bangladesh to 152-6 in their second innings as the hosts closed on a 2-0 series sweep on day two of the second and final test on Saturday.

After India declared their first innings on 347-9 in their maiden day-night test, Bangladesh risked losing the match inside two days after slumping spectacularly to 14-4 in the seventh over.

But Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, who made 39 before a hamstring injury forced him to retire hurt, batted resolutely to force a third day at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

Bangladesh, dismissed for 106 in the first innings, still trail their hosts by 89 runs.

- Reuters