Football Briefs: Sanchez in Chile squad for World Cup qualifiers

IMAGE: Alvaro Morata has joined Chelsea. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images No one doubted that English clubs would break their own 1.2 billion-pound ($1.56 billion) transfer-spending record this summer; all that was disputed was by how much and which players would go where. As fees became ever more inflated, the what-ifs provided an intriguing backdrop to the unfolding drama. Romelu Lukaku might have joined Chelsea but ended up at Manchester United for 75 million pounds ($99.18 million), ...

IMAGE: Rafael Nadal of Spain. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Rafael Nadal, who will return to the top of the world rankings for the first time in three years on Monday, announced on Sunday that he would be opening his 18th season as a professional at the Brisbane International in January. The 31-year-old was beaten in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open warm-up by Milos Raonic on debut this year before going on to lose the final to Roger Federer at Melbourne Park.   ...

IMAGE: Lionel Messi, left, with Cristiano Ronaldo. Photograph: Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world's best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday for The Best FIFA Men's Player.The pair, who have dominated the global award in its varied forms for a decade, will be favourites to collect yet another accolade amid the 24-strong list of the world's best.Ronaldo enjoyed another remarkable ...

IMAGE: Alastair Cook celebrates reaching his double century. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images Rain held up England's progress after Alastair Cook scored a superb 243 on the second day of the first Test against West Indies at Edgbaston on Friday.Cook's 10-hour knock led the hosts to a first-innings total of 514 for eight declared and James Anderson dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite for nought before the tourists battled to 44 for one in reply.Heavy rain curtailed the final session and West ...

IMAGE: Sania Mirza in action. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza bowed out of the Cincinnati Masters after losing their quarter-final and semi-final matches respectively in the men's and women's doubles.Bopanna and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost 1-6, 7-6, 7-10 to second seeds Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo in an enthralling three-setter last eight match that lasted one hour and 36 minutes.In the WTA event, being run simultaneously, Sania Mirza ...

IMAGE: Venus Williams is busy online shopping for her soon-to-arrive niece or nephew. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Seven-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams has revealed that she has been preparing well for the fourth major of the season -- US Open -- as well to become a new aunt with her younger sister Serena due to give birth to her first child next month. The American tennis star stormed into the second round of the 2017 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati after ...

Sharapova awarded main draw wildcard at US Open IMAGE: Maria Sharapova celebrates. Photograph: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images Former world number one Maria Sharapova will make her first Grand Slam appearance in over 18 months after she was awarded a main-draw wildcard for the upcoming US Open, the tennis tournament's organisers confirmed on Tuesday.   The 30-year-old Russian, who returned from a 15-month doping ban earlier this year, was denied a wildcard at the French Open, then missed ...

IMAGE: Justin Gatlin of the United States celebrates. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images Justin Gatlin said it was sad that fans booed his victory in the world 100 metres final on Saturday, saying he had "done my time" for his doping offences - and Usain Bolt, the man he beat into third place, agreed with him. Gatlin took the title in 9.92 but instead of acclaiming the remarkable success of a 35-year-old triumphing 13 years after he won the Olympic title, vast swathes of the crowd booed him ...

IMAGE: Dushmantha Chameera of Sri Lanka bowls. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images. Pacers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Gamage have been added to the Sri Lankan squad ahead of the third Test against India starting in Pallekele on Saturday. They replace injured spinner Rangana Herath and pacer Nuwan Pradeep, while batsman Danushka Gunathilaka has been dropped. Chameera had been troubled by injuries off late and last played Test cricket against New Zealand in 2016. Gamage featured in ...