Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NHL roundup: Hurricanes rally to remain perfect

Derek Stepan tallied a goal and an assist and Andrei Svechnikov contributed two assists as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes rallied for a 4-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, stretching their season-opening winning streak to nine games. After falling behind 3-1 with 11:36 remaining in the second period, the Hurricanes responded with three unanswered goals. Martin Necas netted the game-winner for Carolina at 3:26 of the third period, sneaking one past Chicago goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who allowed the puck to trickle out of his control.

Tennis-Injured Monfils pulls out of Djokovic clash in Paris

Frenchman Gael Monfils withdrew hours before his match against Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters on Thursday due to an adductor strain, sending the Serbian world number one into the quarter-finals. After his second round win over compatriot Adrian Mannarino, Monfils said he got injured during the match and an ultrasound on Thursday revealed a muscular lesion.

Golf-Nothing Goofy about possible PGA return to Disney

Ever since they opened the gates to Walt Disney World a half-century ago they have played golf at the Magic Kingdom. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Karrie Webb headline a list of champions who have won PGA and LPGA Tour events staged at the Orlando area resort, accepting congratulations and winner’s cheques from Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Tennis-Sanders, Tomljanovic guide Australia into Billie Jean King Cup semis

Storm Sanders and Ajla Tomljanovic won their respective singles rubbers on Thursday to help Australia beat Belarus and book the team’s spot in the semi-finals of the new-look Billie Jean King Cup finals. Australia, chasing an eighth title in the women’s team competition which was previously called the Fed Cup, had defeated Belgium in their opening tie and their unassailable 2-0 lead against Belarus ensured they will top Group B.

FIFA, IOC join pledge for NetZero goal by 2040

Some of the world’s biggest sports organisations including soccer’s governing body FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions and reach NetZero by 2040, it was announced on Wednesday. The pledge was one of several agreed at the COP26 U.N. climate conference in Glasgow by the Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA), an organisation set up in 2018 to bring sports bodies together to achieve global climate change goals.

New York City Marathon returns for golden anniversary run

The TCS New York City Marathon is back live for its 50th anniversary on Sunday after 2020’s virtual run, with participants raring to cross the blue finish line painted inside Central Park. “Coming out of such a pause in life, very similar to what we experienced in ’01 after 9/11 … was the shot in the arm that the city needed, that sense of life and energy the city needed, a connection and togetherness that the city needed,” said Ted Metellus, race director at New York Road Runners, which operates the event.

Soccer-Female refereeing team takes charge of Jordan men’s game for first time

An all-female refereeing crew took charge of a men’s soccer match in Jordan’s Pro League for the first time on Tuesday as part of the country’s efforts to promote the game among women. Referee Esra’a Al-Mobideen and assistant referees Islam Al-Abadi, Sabreen Al-Abadi and Haneen Murad handled Sahab’s 4-1 win over Al-Baqa’a in the final round of the competition.

NBA roundup: Nets pull away from Hawks

Kevin Durant scored 15 of his 32 points in the third quarter when the Brooklyn Nets surged ahead and pulled away for a 117-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night in New York. Durant also collected seven rebounds and five assists. Teammate James Harden followed up his first triple-double of the season with 16 points and 11 of Brooklyn’s 34 assists.

Cricket-Rafiq reiterates ‘institutional racism’ charge after Ballance admission

Former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq said on Thursday that the issue of institutional racism lay at the heart of his problems with the English county club, not “the words of certain individuals.” Rafiq’s statement on Twitter comes a day after Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance said he regretted using racist language towards his former team mate.

NFL-Packers place QB Rodgers on COVID-19 list

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list and will miss Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the team said on Wednesday.

Multiple media outlets reported that the league’s reigning MVP had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

(With inputs from agencies.)