Today's sports news: What you need to know

Young New Zealand driver Liam Lawson is a step closer to realing his Formula One dream.

The 19-year-old has impressed in his first stint behind the wheel of a Formula One car at the 2021 end-of-season young drivers' test in Abu Dhabi.

Driving for the Alpha Tauri team, Lawson has completed 125 laps and finished second fastest of the 19 drivers who took to the track.

Lawson, who will return for his second seson in Formula Two next year, said it had been an amazing day.

"It's incredible how unbelievably fast these cars are. I've obviously driven in the simulator before and when I'm there I always think that there's no way that the car can actually be that quick in real life, but it really is.

"I was definitely nervous pulling out of the garage for the first time, I tried not to show it, but I definitely felt it. It took me a little while to get to full throttle but when I did I thought 'holy moly that's a lot of power'."

Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost said Lawson did a "very good job", while chief race engineer Jonathan Eddolls also praised the young New Zealander's performance.

"He adapted quickly to the handling and speed of the current Formula 1 machinery and after just the first couple of runs he had built up the pace to a level where we could start to complete some test items with him, to give him a feel of the car with a variety of car balances.

"It was a pleasure working with him and we can already see from this short working relationship that he has great potential and will have a very bright future in motorsport."

Nix into Cup quarterfinals

The Wellington Phoenix have bounced back from a heavy A-League defeat to advance to the FFA Cup quarterfinals for the first time.

Beaten 4-nil by Newcastle last Friday, the Phoenix thumped 10-man Avondale FC 4-1 in Melbourne on Tuesday night.

Jaushua Sotirio put Wellington in the box seat with two goals inside the first 15 minutes, before fellow striker Ben Waine made it 3-0 shortly after.

Avondale, who had Blake Carpernter sent off in the 25th minute for a bad tackle on Louis Fenton, pulled a goal back through Matthew Reid with 25 minutes to play.

But the Phoenix finished the match off through a fourth goal to substitute Luka Prso.

The victory set up a quarterfinal against reigning A-League champions Melbourne City next Wednesday, with Wellington's next league match coming against Sydney FC on Sunday.

Breakers secure quality injury replacement

The Breakers have secured former NBA player Chasson Randle as a replacement for injured import Peyton Siva.

After starting the new NBL season with three straight losses, the New Zealand club received a further blow when Siva suffered a serious hamstring injury in Friday's game against the South-East Melbourne Phoenix.

But the Breakers have moved quickly and been able to secure the services of Randle.

The 28-year-old has 119 NBA games to his name, include 41 appearances for the Orlando Magic last season.

Randle played an average of 20 minutes per game in those 41 appearances.

Breakers owner Matt Walsh said Siva's hamstring tear could keep him out of action for up to eight weeks, meaning Randle would stay with the club for at least two months as cover.

The club were hopeful captain Tom Abercrombie and another injured import, Jeremiah Martin, would be make their return from injury this weekend.

Italian star on board with vaccine mandate

Italy's world number seven Matteo Berrettini has thrown his support behind the decision to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for players at next month's Australian Open.

In November, tournament chief Craig Tiley said all players competing at the first Grand Slam event of 2022 must be fully inoculated, following months of negotiations between Tennis Australia and the Victoria state government.

"I have been vaccinated and from that moment things have got better. I think that the request of the Australian Government is sensible," Berrettini told Italy's Sportface website.

The measure has thrown the involvement in the tournament of Serbia's Novak Djokovic into doubt, as the world number one has yet to disclose his vaccination status.

But Berrettini backed the decision, after having to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel in the lead-up to last year's Australian Open.

"Last year we tried out something difficult. I would not wish two weeks of quarantine, like we had in 2021, on anyone," he said.

- Reuters

Match-fixing by Moroccan tennis players

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) says six Moroccan male tennis players have been given lengthy bans for violating the rules of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.

The investigation, which was conducted by QC Charles Hollander, concluded that the players were guilty of multiple offences and a variety of match-fixing charges, including fixing elements of matches, receiving money for fixing and failing to report corrupt approaches.

The six players, who were provisionally suspended in July, have 20 days to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"The sanctions mean that the players are prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by any international tennis governing body or national association for the length of their bans," the ITIA said in a statement.

Ayoub Chakrouni, who achieved a career-high singles ranking of 1,098, was banned for life and handed a US $10,000 fine, while Amine Ahouda and Anas Chakrouni were barred from competition for 11 years and 10 years, respectively, and fined $5,000 apiece.

Mohamed Zakaria Khalil, Soufiane El Mesbahi and Yassir Kilani were all suspended for nine years and fined $5,000.

- Reuters

Root backing Burns, Leach

England captain Joe Root has backed Rory Burns and Jack Leach to rebound from their horror shows in the series-opening defeat in Brisbane as the tourists look to square the Ashes with victory in the day-night second test at Adelaide Oval.

Burns was bowled out first ball of the series, dropped an easy catch that allowed David Warner to go on to score 94, and failed with the bat again in the second innings of England's nine-wicket defeat by Australia.

"Rory is a very strong character, you can't doubt that side of his game," Root said in Adelaide on Tuesday, two days before the start of the pink ball test.

"He'll come back in and want a response and want to put some big scores on the board."

Leach conceded 1-102 at nearly eight runs per over as Australia's batsmen hit the spinner out of the attack.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson were rested in Brisbane and both pacemen are expected to come in for Adelaide but Root would not rule out Leach retaining his place in the side.

In the 2017/18 Ashes series, England lost the pink-ball test in Adelaide on the way to a 4-0 defeat and will face an opponent who have never lost a test under lights.

Root said his batsmen should feel more comfortable against the swinging pink ball after they struggled with the bounce at the Gabba, where they were skittled for 147 in the first innings and lost eight wickets in a session in the second.

- Reuters

Rival club make request to Chiefs' fans

English rugby club Glasgow Warriors have called on fans of Champions Cup opponents Exeter Chiefs to avoid wearing Native American headdresses and refrain from their 'Tomahawk Chop' chant this weekend.

The Chiefs' logo features a Native American and some fans of the club who wear faux headdresses during games have been accused of cultural appropriation.

Exeter reviewed the club's branding in the wake of a petition seeking an end to their use of "harmful imagery" last year and though they said the use of the logo was "highly respectful" they agreed to retire their mascot Big Chief.

"Glasgow Warriors are asking visiting fans from Exeter Chiefs not to attend the game on Saturday with faux Native American headdresses or chant the 'Tomahawk Chop' during the match," Warriors Managing Director Al Kellock said in a statement.

"The club has informed Exeter Chiefs and European Professional Club Rugby of our request and has the full support of Scottish Rugby on taking this position."

The Warriors said that they had made the request out of respect for the Native American community around the world.

The petition against the Chiefs came in the wake of the NFL's Washington team retiring its "Redskins" name and logo after 87 years, which had long been criticised as racist by Native American rights groups.

- Reuters