TENNIS

Former No. 1 Ivanovic announces retirement

Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic retired from tennis at age 29 Wednesday, ending a promising career that was impeded by injuries.

In a live broadcast on Facebook, Ivanovic said “it was a difficult decision, but there is so much to celebrate.” The Serb won 15 tour titles, including the 2008 French Open. She is now ranked No. 63.

“It’s been well-known that I’ve been hampered by injuries. … I can only play if I can perform up to my own high standards and I can no longer do that,” she said. “So it’s time to move on.”

A finalist at Roland Garros in 2007 and the Australian Open in 2008, Ivanovic lost in the first round of this year’s U.S. Open to 89th-ranked Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic, her second consecutive first-round exit in the first round at Flushing Meadows.

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Ivanovic announced a week later she would take the rest of the season off because of wrist and toe injuries.

SKIING

WORLD CUP: Mikaela Shiffrin earned her second women’s giant slalom win in two days for her 25th career victory.

In tough conditions from dense snowfall at Semmering, Austria, the American built on her narrow first-run lead to beat Tessa Worley of France by 0.15 seconds, while Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany was 0.18 back in third.

Shiffrin and Worley also finished 1-2 in Tuesday’s GS on the same course.

Shiffrin extended her lead in the overall World Cup standings to 115 points over defending champion Lara Gut of Switzerland, who finished sixth in Wednesday’s race.

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BASKETBALL

NBA D-LEAGUE: The Boston Celtics assigned forward Jordan Mickey to the Maine Red Claws on Wednesday.

Mickey, who is expected to join the team for Thursday’s game at Raptors 905, has played in two games with the Red Claws this season, averaging 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

CYCLING

RETIREMENT: Bradley Wiggins announced his retirement from cycling, ending a career in which he won a British-record eight Olympic medals and the Tour de France.

Wiggins, 36, became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012.

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SOCCER

DOPING: Russia will face any “necessary actions and sanctions” after investigators alleged that soccer players had suspicious drug-test samples covered up as part of a wider doping scandal in the 2018 World Cup host nation, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday.

Five suspicious samples in the Russian men’s under-17 and under-21 national teams in 2013 and 2014 were exposed in emails released earlier this month by the World Anti-Doping Agency, accompanying investigator Richard McLaren’s report into Russian doping.

Then-sports minister Vitaly Mutko, who is also in charge of Russia’s World Cup preparations, has been accused of covering up a doping case in the Russian league. FIFA’s ethics committee has said it will examine McLaren’s report and the role of Mutko, who sits on FIFA’s ruling council.

LUGE

HALL OF FAME: USA Luge is creating its own hall of fame, and the late Frank Masley is its first inductee.

Masley, who died in September at age 56, was the first of three U.S. flagbearers in luge team history. He was a member of three Olympic teams and won 10 national championships.


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