Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - New Zealand squash player Paul Coll's pursuit of a second major title inside a month has come up short.

The world No 4 has been beaten in four games by reigning world champion Ali Farag in the semifinals of the Egyptian Open.

The clash was a rematch of last month's British Open final, which Coll won to become the first New Zealand male to win that prestigious title.

But on home soil, world No 2 Farag proved too good, prevailing 11-9 10-12 11-4 11-9 in a high-quality contest which lasted 69 minutes.

Rookie named in Davis Cup team

Veteran Rubin Statham and rookie Finn Reynolds have been chosen for the singles rubbers in the Davis Cup tie against the Republic of Korea in Newport, Rhode Island this weekend.

On choosing Reynolds to make his Davis Cup debut, captain Christophe Lambert says being a lefty helped.

"Finn is our secret weapon; the Koreans didn't have a lefty to practice against this week and Finn has the game to cause a good upset." Lambert said.

34-year-old Statham will open the tie at 4 am Saturday morning NZT against Korean number two Jinsung Nam who has an ATP ranking of 341.

Statham is New Zealand's most experienced player in a Davis Cup career spanning 17 years since 2004 is playing his 32nd tie for his country.

21-year-old Reynolds up against world number 83, Korean number one Soonwoo Kwon in the second singles rubber.

Olympic Bronze medallists Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell will play the doubles rubber.

Blundell out of ODI series

Wicket-keeper batsman Tom Blundell has been ruled out of the Black Caps ODI series against Pakistan with a left-quad strain.

All-rounder, Daryl Mitchell, who was initially joining the side for the T20I series, will now assemble with the ODI squad - becoming available for selection for the second match, once he's completed mandatory isolation.

Blundell sustained the injury in the fourth T20I against Bangladesh and medical staff say he needs a concentrated period of rehabilitation.

He'll remain with the squad in the hope he could be ready for the T20's.

The first ODI is tonight.

All Whites could play WC qualifiers in Qatar

The All Whites could be set for an early trip to Qatar as they push for a spot in next year's football World Cup.

The Oceania Football Confederation has confirmed they are exploring the possibility of hosting the region's qualifying matches in March in the Middle Eastern country, which is hosting the World Cup.

The plans are subject to approval from Fifa.

This week the OFC Executive Committee approved the plans after agreeing it wasn't possible to organise a qualifying competition within the Oceania region because of border restrictions relating Covid-19.

Carreras to start at 10 for Pumas

Santiago Carreras will play his first test at first five against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship on Saturday as Argentina coach Mario Ledesma wrestles with a lengthy injury list.

Nicolas Sanchez started at first five in the 39-0 loss to New Zealand on the Gold Coast last week but limped off with an ankle injury with winger Emiliano Boffelli taking over as makeshift playmaker.

Carreras, who has played mainly in the back three for his country, missed the first All Blacks test with a lower leg injury but returns in the number 10 shirt with Domingo Miotti backing up from the bench.

Sanchez was one of five players injured in last week's match and only Facundo Gigena, who had a calf problem, will back up this week at Brisbane's Lang Park.

Youngster Juan Martin Gonzalez is elevated from the bench to make his first start as a stand-in for Pablo Matera at blindside flanker, while Tomas Lavanini comes back into the second row to partner Matias Alemanno.

The Pumas, who beat the All Blacks for the first time last year, have lost all three of their Rugby Championship matches so far this year.

-Reuters

Kohli to give up captaincy

Virat Kohli will step down as captain of the Indian Twenty20 side after the upcoming World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Kohli, also the team's batting mainstay, cited the need to balance his workload as he vacated the role which is likely to go to his deputy Rohit Sharma.

"...considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in test and ODI cricket," Kohli said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman going forward."

The 32-year-old said he consulted, among others, Rohit before taking the decision.

India are yet to win an ICC trophy under Kohli, while his Royal Challengers Bangalore team continue to chase their maiden Indian Premier League title.

Rohit is IPL's most successful captain, having led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles.

-Reuters

Jack can swim again

Australian swimmer Shayna Jack can return to the sport with immediate effect after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday dismissed the appeal against her reduced ban lodged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Sport Integrity Australia (SIA).

Jack, 22, was initially handed a four-year ban in 2019 after testing positive for banned anabolic agent ligandrol, only for it to be later reduced to two years. In December 2020, WADA and SIA appealed the leniency of the suspension.

"The finding of an ADRV and the sanction of a two-year period of ineligibility, on the basis that Shayna Jack had, on the balance of probabilities, established that she did not intentionally or recklessly consume the prohibited substance and could therefore benefit from a reduction in the period of ineligibility from four years to two years."

Jack expressed relief at the decision, saying that her "nightmare" was over and that she would take some time off and reflect on what she had endured.

Jack was a rising talent before her suspension, having helped her team win gold and set a world record in the women's 4x100 metres freestyle relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

-Reuters

Vettel and Stroll confirmed at Aston Martin

Four-times F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and Canadian Lance Stroll, son of the owner, will race for Aston Martin next season in an unchanged driver line-up.

Vettel, who won his titles with Red Bull between 2010-13, joined at the end of last year from Ferrari. Executive chairman Lawrence Stroll had assured reporters this week that the German was set to stay after media speculation he might not.

Stroll senior said also that he saw Lance, 22, as a potential champion.

The Mercedes-powered team are building a new factory at Silverstone and hiring staff with the aim of positioning themselves as title contenders within three to five years.

Stroll will be starting his sixth season in Formula One next year after making his debut with former champions Williams in 2017.

Aston Martin, the renamed Racing Point team that was previously Force India and started out as Jordan in 1991, are currently seventh of 10 in the constructors' standings.

They finished fourth last year, despite being docked 15 points that would have put them ahead of McLaren, but have been less competitive this year due to regulation changes over the winter.

-Reuters

Koepka says he'll play Ryder Cup

Four-times major winner Brooks Koepka confirmed his participation in next week's Ryder Cup, after his commitment to the competition was called into question.

In an interview with Golf Digest this week, Koepka described the biennial team event between the United States and Europe as "a bit odd" and mentally challenging, saying that he might not be cut out for team sports.

The 31-year-old's comments were criticised by former United States captain Paul Azinger, who suggested Koepka withdraw from the event if he does not want to be there.

However, Koepka said he will be ready to tee it up at Whistling Straits next week and has been in touch with U.S. captain Steve Stricker as he resumed practising.

"I'll be there. I'm good to go," he told Golfweek. "I'm feeling good. Been doing my rehab, doing everything I need to do to be ready for the Cup. I'll be there ready to play."

Koepka is continuing recovery from a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship earlier this month.

The Ryder Cup, postponed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played from Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. Europe are defending champions after a seven-point rout at Le Golf National near Paris in 2018.

-Reuters

Dyche extends at Burnley

Burnley manager Sean Dyche has signed a four-year contract extension with the English Premier League club.

The 50-year-old, currently the longest serving manager in the top flight, has spent nine years at Burnley and kept the club in the Premier League for the last five seasons.

Dyche's assistant manager Ian Woan has also extended his contract until 2025.

Dyche has overseen two promotions from the second-tier Championship since taking over at Burnley in October 2012 and led them to a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League in the 2017-18 campaign.

New Zealander Chris Wood plays for Burnley.

-Reuters

Morbidelli joins Yamaha

Italian Franco Morbidelli has joined the factory Yamaha MotoGP team with immediate effect on a two-year deal while compatriot Andrea Dovizioso replaces him at Yamaha's Malaysian-run satellite outfit.

Morbidelli, returning from surgery to his left knee, has signed for Yamaha until the end of 2023 and rejoins his former team mate and championship leader Fabio Quartararo for this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.

The 26-year-old Italian took his first win at the circuit last year.

Yamaha said Dovizioso, 35, would race for the Petronas Yamaha team in the last five races of 2021 and all of next year when the outfit becomes a new and renamed entity.

The veteran, who left Ducati at the end of last season, is a three-times MotoGP championship runner-up but has spent all of this year on the sidelines.

The vacancy was created by the departure of Spaniard Maverick Vinales, who has since joined Aprilia.

-Reuters