The big story: Kvitova to be released today

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be released from hospital on Friday after the knife attack at her home three days ago left her needing surgery on her left hand, reported BBC. Kvitova will miss at least six months of tennis after Tuesday’s attack by an intruder at her home in Prostejov.

Kvitova has been advised 14 days of bed rest and a slow rehabilitation process after she had an operation to repair tendons and nerves in her playing hand. Kvitova said on Tuesday she was “shaken” and “fortunate to be alive”. She addressed the situation for the first time on Friday following her release from hospital.

Other top stories of the day

Cricket

  1. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels that Alastair Cook will quit as England captain. “His body language over the last three matches was one where he looks like he might be thinking of calling it a day,” Vaughan said. 
  2. Surrey have re-signed Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch for next year’s T20 Blast. Finch scored 259 runs in six matches for Surrey in 2016, including three half-centuries.      
  3. South African coach Russell Domingo said he wanted his newer Test players to cement their places in the team during the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. However, AB de Villiers’s absence did hinder the squad. However, Domingo was confident he would slot straight back in when fully fit.

Football

  1. Former England manager Sam Allardyce is set to return to football as he is set to sign the dotted lines with Crystal Palace within the next 24 hours. Palace sacked Alan Pardew owing to the team’s dismay show.
  2. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has a major role to play in the club’s future as they try to sign him up on a new contract, manager Ronald Koeman said. The club hope the striker will sign a long-term deal making him the highest-paid player in their history. 
  3. French side PSG have reached an agreement with Wolfsburg for the transfer of Julian Draxler, reported goal.com. PSG have agreed a deal worth a potential €45 million for the Germany international to move to Parc des Princes.
  4. West Ham and Senegal striker Diafra Sakho will miss the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations owing to injury. Sakho has been ruled out for up to eight more weeks and will return to action in mid-February. 

Formula One

  1. Brazil’s Felipe Massa has reportedly agreed to come out of retirement to rejoin Williams next season, if Valtteri Bottas departs to replace the retired Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. Massa has agreed with Williams to postpone his retirement for at least a year after Mercedes made a pitch for Bottas to replace Rosberg.
  2. Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has ruled out joining Mercedes next season, saying he is committed to Red Bull for the next two years. Mercedes are on the lookout for a new driver to team with Lewis Hamilton following the retirement of world champion Nico Rosberg.
  3. Italian Antonio Giovinazzi will be Ferrari’s third driver in 2017. The 22-year-old will be back-up to race drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. However, he will not necessarily drive if one of them is injured. 

Hockey

From January 1, international hockey matches across all age groups and all levels will be of four quarters of 15 minutes duration each. The International Hockey Federation, which had introduced the 60-minute (four-quarter) format on experimental basis in 2015, decided to regularise it.

Squash

The junior squash championship will begin the Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida from December 24 to 28. The tournament, under the aegis of the Squash Rackets Federation of India, will feature boys and girls in the under-19, 17, 15, 13 and 11 age groups and carry national ranking points.

Shooting

Tamil Nadu’s N Gaayathri won the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Position competition in the 60th National shooting championship at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune, on Thursday.