Manchester United's relative failure on the pitch has not been reflected off it as for the first time in over a decade they top Deloitte's Football Money League for revenue in the 2015/16 season.

Rafael Nadal powered into the second round of the Australian Open with a commanding straight-sets win over Germany's Florian Mayer on Tuesday.

Serena Williams exploded any doubts about her form on Tuesday as she swept into the Australian Open second round on her return to Grand Slam action.

Rock star Elton John led the tributes to former England manager Graham Taylor on Thursday, saying the man he saw as a brother had turned his beloved team Watford into a European contender.

Shakib responded brilliantly with the bat to notch the highest score in Test cricket for Bangladesh with 217 runs on 13 January, 2017 at Wellington. The lefthander faced only 276 balls in his blistering innings, and smacked 31 fours, especially square on both sides of the field.

World number ones Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber were named the top seeds on Thursday for next week's Australian Open with organisers aligning with the current rankings.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia and former Australian cricketer Shane Warne took part in a game during a charity event in Melbourne.

West Indies turned to former batsman Jimmy Adams to help rebuild the side as he was named their new director of cricket on Tuesday after signing a three-year deal.

Bowling spearhead Trent Boult could return as the sole change for New Zealand in the first Test against Bangladesh in Wellington on Thursday.

Antoine Griezmann struck for the third time in as many games in 2017 as Atletico Madrid secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey 4-3 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 at home to Las Palmas on Tuesday.

Rafael Nadal says the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay.

FIFA has voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from its current 32, brushing aside concerns that the expansion would lower the overall standard of the tournament, and make it too long and unwieldy.

Ross Taylor goes into the first Test against Bangladesh on Thursday on the brink of equalling his late mentor Martin Crowe's record for New Zealand centuries.

Newly knighted Andy Murray will bid to end a run of heartbreaking defeats at the Australian Open and see off his chief rival Novak Djokovic as he enters his first Grand Slam tournament as world number one.

FIFA's governing council is set to decide on Tuesday whether to expand the World Cup, a controversial idea that has created deep divisions among global football's most powerful camps.

Slovakia's world number six Dominika Cibulkova dropped just two games in blistering heat to win her opening match at the Sydney International on Monday.

Gonzalo Higuain hit a brace either side of Paulo Dybala's first-half spot-kick as Juventus moved four points clear of Roma on Sunday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bologna in Turin.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has pledged to bring out the heavy artillery for Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at home to Premier League basement club Hull City.

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez insists the Catalans are "obliged" to chase down Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, despite losing more ground on the European champions in a 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Sunday.

Former world number one Tiger Woods will launch his 2017 campaign at Torrey Pines, where his eight triumphs include the 2008 US Open.