On this day in 1998, American sisters Venus and Serena Williams played each other in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. The two faced off in the second round of the Australian Open. 17-year-old Venus defeated her 16-year-old sister in straight sets. 

Over the course of their careers, they would go on to win a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles, with Serena winning 23 and Venus claiming seven. That’s not to mention the fact that they won 14 women’s doubles titles together and each won two mixed doubles titles, too. 

4
The consecutive number of matches the Townsville Fire have won in the WNBL, Australia’s professional women’s basketball league. The Fire defeated the Perth Lynx 82-76 yesterday in Perth to strengthen their position at the top of the league ladder. Courtney Woods starred for the Fire with 17 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds. Earlier in the evening, the UC Capitals beat the Adelaide Lightning 67-61. 

"We're not here to mess around, it's an ambitious project. We're humble. We know where we're starting from and we know where we want to go. We want to make Audi the most successful F1 team in history. There are milestones on that journey and we are starting it today."
The principal of Audi’s Formula One team, Jonathan Wheatley, at a launch event ahead of the German automobile manufacturer’s debut F1 season. Audi is replacing the Swiss-based Sauber team. An initial pre-season test will be held next week in Spain.

In 2017, French sailor François Gabart set the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the world. It took Gabart 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes, and 35 seconds. He averaged 27.2 knots (50.4km/h) across the entire trip. 

🏀 Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler has torn his right ACL, ending his season and dealing a major blow to the franchise’s playoff hopes. The 36-year-old was injured in the third quarter of Monday night’s win over the Miami Heat and will require surgery. Butler had been in strong form, averaging more than 21 points in January, and his absence now forces the Warriors to reassess their direction heading toward the trade deadline.

🏏 The Perth Scorchers have booked their place in the Big Bash League Final with a dominant 48-run win over the Sydney Sixers at Optus Stadium. 20-year-old fast bowler Mahli Beardman starred for the Scorchers with three wickets in his first finals appearance, helping to swing the momentum of the match. Perth will now host Sunday’s final, and the Sixers will get another chance on Friday to advance to the season decider. The Sixers will play against the winner of tonight’s elimination final between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Stars. The Hurricanes will be without captain Nathan Ellis (injury) and batter Jake Weatherald, who is prioritising long-form cricket. 

🚴‍♂️ Stage one of the Tour Down Under (TDU) came down to a fast finish in Tanunda, South Australia, today, with Danish cyclist Tobias Lund Andresen producing a surprise win. The 22-year-old edged out British sprinter Matthew Brennan and Australian favourite Sam Welsford to take the overall race lead by one second. The result follows Tuesday night’s opening time trial, won by British rider Sam Watson. Australian climber and 2023 TDU champion Jay Vine is one of the overall race favourites and has stayed within touching distance of the lead as the race moves toward tougher stages.

If your “get fitter this year” resolution is still going strong this one’s for you

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Kangaroos and Sydney Roosters forward Angus Crichton is set to switch from rugby league to rugby union.

According to Code Sports and The Sydney Morning Herald, Crichton has agreed to a deal with Rugby Australia as part of a push to play at the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Crichton has agreed to a one-year contract with Rugby Australia and will leave the Sydney Roosters and the NRL at the end of the 2026 season. 

The 29-year-old is expected to link up with the NSW Waratahs, with coaches viewing him as a potential inside centre or loose forward.

While Crichton has built his professional career in rugby league, he has a strong rugby union background. He played elite junior rugby, including for the Australian Schoolboys, featuring as both a centre and No.8. 

His size, athleticism and experience at representative level have positioned him as a genuine Wallabies candidate ahead of the World Cup.

The move continues Rugby Australia’s strategy of targeting established league talent in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup on home soil, following Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i’s high-profile switch in 2024.

It also comes amid broader player movement across the codes. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase will join a Japanese rugby union club in 2027 after completing the 2026 NRL season.

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Day three of the Australian Open on Tuesday marked the end of the opening round.

Here’s what you need to know as the second round gets underway.

After three days of first-round action, 11 Australians advanced to the second round, with mixed results across the men’s and women’s draws.

On the women’s side, it was a difficult opening round for Australia’s highest-ranked players. 30th seed Maya Joint and former world No.8 Daria Kasatkina were both eliminated. The highlight came late on Tuesday night when qualifier Maddison Inglis defeated fellow Australian Kimberly Birrell in a three-hour match to reach the second round.

One of the standout Australian results came from Dane Sweeny, who claimed his first career Grand Slam match win with a four-set victory over French veteran Gaël Monfils. The win ended Monfils’ 20-year Australian Open career and continued a strong run for Sweeny, who came through qualifying.

James Duckworth also progressed, fighting back in a five-set match to defeat Dino Prizmic and set up a second-round meeting with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and world No.2.

Several Australians were back on court today. Perth’s Talia Gibson pushed 23rd seed Diana Shnaider but was unable to convert match points and lost in three sets. Storm Hunter was also eliminated, falling to American Hailey Baptiste.

Right now, Jordan Thompson is facing Portugal’s Nuno Borges, while Ajla Tomljanović will soon take on Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Tonight, Australia’s top-ranked player, Alex de Minaur, plays Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, followed by wildcard Priscilla Hon against American teenager Iva Jović.

In the men’s draw, three top-20 seeds were eliminated, including seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who retired injured. In the women’s draw, four players seeded inside the top 20 exited in the opening round, led by 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Crowds have been a major talking point, with more than 200,000 fans attending across the first two days. Congestion at entrances and limited general admission seating have caused delays as the tournament approaches its busiest weekend. 

Off court, Naomi Osaka drew attention with a custom, self-designed outfit on Rod Laver Arena, which she said was inspired by a jellyfish.

You can watch the Australian Open live on Channel 9, 9Now, and Stan Sport.