The festival of tennis and cricket, otherwise known as January, continues tonight with the women’s semi-finals at the Australian Open and the second T20 of the women’s cricket Ashes.

I love seeing an underdog win, but I don’t think tonight is the night. It’s hard to envision anything but a Sabalenka and Świątek final at the Australian Open and an Aussie whitewash in the women’s Ashes.

Who knows though? Stranger things have happened.

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The number of years since the Australian Open has seen an All-Australian mixed doubles final. The Aussie pairings of Kim Birrell and John-Patrick Smith, and Olivia Gadecki and John Peers, both won their respective semi-finals yesterday and will face off in the final tomorrow (time TBD).

“I didn’t even notice them, and then guys were yelling, ‘There’s nachos on the ice!’. I was like, ‘I don’t know, can we challenge that?’”
Washington Capitals ice hockey coach Spencer Carbery following his side’s 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The Capitals’ goalie, Logan Thompson, said nachos thrown onto the ice by a fan had distracted him enough that he conceded a goal from Oilers winger Corey Perry.

Volleyball was invented by American William G. Morgan in 1895 and was originally called mintonette. Morgan came up with the game as an alternative for people who found basketball to be too physically strenuous. It combines elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball. 

⚽ Women’s Super League club Chelsea will reportedly pay a $US1.1 million ($AU1.75 million) transfer fee to acquire U.S. soccer star Naomi Girma from the San Diego Wave. The fee, paid because the 24-year-old defender is under contract until 2026, is the largest of its kind in the history of women’s soccer. 

🏉 Luke Sayers has stepped down from his role as president of Carlton Football Club following an investigation into a lewd photo posted to his X account. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by the AFL Integrity Unit, who determined his account had been compromised, Sayers will leave the role after 12 years. He said in a statement: "Leading the Carlton Football Club has been one of the great honours and privileges of my life … I will now deal with this away from the glare of the public and media spotlight." 

🏏 Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has become the 64th inductee into the Cricket Australia Hall of Fame. Clarke, at one time the world’s top-ranked batsman, appeared for the national team in 115 Test matches. He said of his induction: "To be able to sit along so many wonderful players, idols, role models growing up as a kid and looking up to is something I'm honoured by."

Defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner knocked Alex de Minaur out of the tournament in straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-1). The 23-year-old world number one put on a clinical display to advance to the semi-final, where he will play American Ben Shelton.

The eighth seed expressed some disappointment following his comprehensive defeat but has vowed to bounce back: “The negatives is after playing some great tennis on home soil and gaining so much, you feel like you just have been slapped across the face, to be honest, to finish off like that. I’ll survive. I’ll keep improving. And if anything, I just need to sit with my team and figure out a way to hurt Jannik on the court.”

Tonight’s headliners are the women’s singles semi-finals. At 7:30pm, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will play Spanish 11th seed Paula Badosa. Following that match, American 19th seed Madison Keys will look to upset an in-form Iga Świątek (2).

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The Sydney Thunder beat the Melbourne Stars in the BBL Knockout Final by 21 runs last night. The Thunder now advance to the Challenger Final, where they will take on the Sydney Sixers for a place in the Grand Final. After winning the Qualifier Final earlier in the week, the Hobart Hurricanes have already secured their place in the Grand Final.

The Sydney Thunder took to the crease for the first innings and set a total of 135. The innings were condensed to 19 overs a side due to a lightning delay before the match at Engie Stadium in Sydney. The Stars, unable to overcome the Thunder’s talented bowling attack, fell 21 runs short of their target. The Thunder’s Nathan McAndrew was especially damaging, taking five wickets and conceding just 16 runs. McAndrew’s figures, the best of any player in BBL Finals history, earned him the Player of the Match award.

Friday night’s Challenger Final at the SCG will be the first time the two Sydney-based teams in the competition have met in the Finals. The Sixers finished second in the competition during the regular season but are now missing a number of their stars including Steve Smith, Sean Abbott, and Todd Murphy. The trio have all left the side to join the Australian Test team ahead of matches in Sri Lanka.

Historically, the Sixers have had the better of their local rival. The Thunder have only won seven of the 18 matches between the two sides.

Australia’s victory over England on Monday night in the first of three T20s ensured the hosts will retain the Ashes. England still has the opportunity to draw the multi-format series; a victory for Australia tonight would seal an outright series win. The match will be played at Manuka Oval in Canberra at 7:15pm.

You can watch the cricket on Channel 7, Foxtel, or Kayo.

Ever wondered what it takes to excel at a Grand Slam?

With the Australian Open in full swing, we’re seeing athletes showcase incredible skill, strategy, and athleticism. But behind the scenes, it’s the science of performance that truly makes the difference.

At Deakin University, Sport Science students gain insights into the many varying factors that influence performance. Explore how athletes manage energy, prevent injuries, and perform under extreme conditions - like playing tennis for 2+ hours under the sweltering Australian sun.

Whether you're interested in injury prevention, performance enhancement, or rehabilitation, Deakin offers the knowledge and flexibility to tailor your studies to your passions.