Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Rising talent Reuben Thompson is the latest New Zealand cyclist to earn a place on the UCI World Tour.

The 20-year-old from Queenstown was nearing the end of his first year with the continental development team of prestigious French outfit Groupama-FDJ.

Thompson would return for his second year with the continental team in 2022 but had impressed the organisation sufficiently to earn the call-up to be a fulltime World Tour rider in 2023.

The news came off the back of an outstanding debut season, which included a sweep of general classification, points and mountains jerseys in the three-stage Giro Della Valle d'Aosta-Mont Blanc and other podiums in stages and general classification.

This year he had come under the tutelage of French superstar Thibaut Pinot - a multi-stage winner in the Grand Tours, who had won major World Tour races like Giro di Lombardia.

Thompson hoped to be selected for the upcoming world championships, where he would likely form a strong under-23 team with several European-based professionals, including Finn Fisher-Black, who had joined the high profile WorldTour team UAE-Team Emirates.

Alcaraz out of US Open

Felix Auger-Aliassime has moved into the US Open semifinals after Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz retired while trailing 6-3 3-1.

The 18-year-old Spaniard showed no signs of distress as Auger-Aliassime took the opening set but after the Canadian broke to open the second Alcaraz slumped.

With Auger-Aliassime building a 3-1 advantage and Alcaraz preparing to serve, the Spaniard turned and indicated he could not go on.

Coming off gruelling back-to-back five-set matches, including a third-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alcaraz stepped onto the court with both legs heavily strapped and seemed to lack the power and energy that had carried him to the quarter-finals.

The retirement sends Auger-Aliassime into the semi-finals, the same stage as compatriot Leylah Fernandez, who booked her spot in the women's last four earlier in the day by beating Elina Svitolina.

- Reuters

Denmark still perfect in World Cup qualifying

Denmark remain perfect in World Cup qualifying after Mikkel Damsgaard's superb playmaking laid the foundations for their 5-0 thrashing of Israel in Group F.

The Danes have now won all six of their games, scoring 22 goals conceding none, and top the standings with 18 points. They have a seven-point lead over second-placed Scotland, who beat Austria 1-0.

Antoine Griezmann played chief tormentor as France sprung back into life to end a five-game winless streak by beating visitors Finland 2-0 in a World Cup Group D qualifier.

Griezmann struck in each half after his partnership with Karim Benzema bore fruit in satisfying fashion to put the world champions on 12 points from six matches at the top of the group.

Memphis Depay scored a hat-trick as the Netherlands ran out 6-1 winners over 10-man Turkey in Amsterdam to go top of Group G, ahead of Norway on goal difference.

Croatia went top of Group H after attacking midfielder Mario Pasalic scored one goal and set up another in a 3-0 home win over neighbours Slovenia.

Portugal, who were without Cristiano Ronaldo, cruised to a 3-0 victory away to Azerbaijan to move top of Group A ahead of Serbia who drew 1-1 with Republic of Ireland.

- Reuters

Devine tops rankings

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is the new joint top-ranked all-rounder in women's T20 cricket and has also gained a place in the batting charts.

In the latest world rankings, Devine joins England's Nat Sciver at the top of the all-rounder standings.

Devine is also up to number five in the T20 batting rankings.

Devine's all-round dominance in the second T20I against England last weekend included 50 with the bat and 2 for 28 with the ball.

India's Shafali Verma is the op ranked T20 batter and Sophie Ecclestone of England is the top ranking T20 bowler.

Suzie Bates is number seven and Amy Satterthwaite 26 in the batting rankings and Amelia Kerr is 13 and Leigh Kasperek 22 in the bowling rankings.

Game three of the New Zealand-England T20 series is Friday morning in Taunton.

Medvedev into last four

World number two Daniil Medvedev dropped his first set at this year's U.S. Open but eventually overcame Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3 6-0 4-6 7-5 to reach his third straight semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

Van de Zandschulp outlasted the Russian in a 20-shot rally and then converted on break point in the fifth game before taking the third set on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the first sign of weakness Medvedev has shown since arriving in New York.

The Dutch qualifier had enjoyed a remarkable run, taking down 11th seed Diego Schwartzman to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, where he fired off 20 forehand winners and was the first player here to take Medvedev past the two-hour mark.

But the 2019 runner-up, who had 13 aces in the match, came roaring back in the fourth set, winning all but two of his first-serve points and never facing a break point.

Medvedev, who lost in the semi-finals a year ago to eventual winner Dominic Thiem, is one of the main candidates aiming to thwart world number one Novak Djokovic's bid for a calendar Grand Slam.

- Reuters

George Russell joins Mercedes

George Russell will race for Mercedes next season in an all-British line-up with seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Russell, who is in his third season at Williams, will replace Finland's Valtteri Bottas whose move to Alfa Romeo was made official on Monday.

The 23-year-old will be Hamilton's first new team mate since Bottas, now 32, also joined from Williams to take the place of retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg in 2017.

Mercedes have won the last seven drivers' and constructors' championships and are leading the current team standings after 13 races, although Hamilton is three points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Hamilton, 36, has a contract for 2022 and 2023.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely buzzing. It's a huge opportunity and one I want to grab with both hands," said Russell.

"I've looked up to Lewis since I was in go-karts and the opportunity to learn from someone who has become a role model both on and off track can only benefit me as a driver, a professional, and a human being."

- Reuters

Sri Lanka win ODI series

Rookie off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana ripped through South Africa as Sri Lanka won the third one-day international by 78 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-1 in Colombo.

The Proteas lost four wickets within the first 10 overs while chasing a modest 204 victory target, eventually getting bowled out for 125 in 30 overs.

The early damage was done by Lankan seamer Dushmantha Chameera, who accounted for Reeza Hendricks (1) and Rassie van der Dussen (5) before spinners Theekshana (4-37) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-32) brought a swift end to the South African reply.

Earlier, Sri Lanka chose to bat and were reduced to 93-4 at one stage before being rescued by gritty knocks from Dhananjaya de Silva (31 off 44) and Charith Asalanka (47 off 71). Chameera's late flourish of 29 helped them get pass 200.

Proteas skipper Keshav Maharaj picked up 3-38, while fellow left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (2-31) was also among the wickets. The two sides now face off in a three-match Twenty20 series that starts in Colombo on Friday.

- Reuters

Golfer of the year finalists announced

Fedex Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and World No. 1 Jon Rahm lead a group of five players nominated for 2020-21 PGA Tour Player of the Year honors.

Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Collin Morikawa are also nominated for the Jack Nicklaus Award.

Garrick Higgo and Will Zalatoris are the two nominees for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors, also known as the Arnold Palmer Award.

Winners are determined by a member vote. Players who competed in at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2020-21 season are eligible to vote.

The winners will be announced at a later date.

Jones wants Erasmus hearing sorted

England head coach Eddie Jones has urged World Rugby to conclude their disciplinary process against South Africa director Rassie Erasmus quicker to set an example to the game.

The Springboks coach made an hour-long video critique of the match officials following their loss against the British & Irish Lions in the series opener in July.

World Rugby said last month that Erasmus and SA Rugby would face a misconduct hearing for the remarks but the governing body is yet to set a date for the proceedings.

"We need to make sure that we have respect in the game because we are asking kids to be respectful to the referee, and if they see examples of players or coaches being disrespectful to the referee it gives them an excuse to do it at their level"

Jones added that he believes there is room for improvement in the standard of officiating, particularly in terms of communication between referees and their assistants, and their rulings around the breakdown.

"Rassie made his famous video and I don't think that is correct, but we need to make sure the referees work as a three a lot harder than they do at the moment to ensure that... we get what we need to get, which is a fair contest between contest and continuity.

"But there is an appropriate way to do it and that is being respectful to the referee."

- Reuters