Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Patience required as Raducanu looks to build on U.S. Open win

Emma Raducanu said people will have to be patient as the 18-year-old looks to establish herself on the WTA Tour after her fairytale U.S. Open triumph last month. Raducanu stunned the sporting world when she won the Flushing Meadows title as a qualifier.

Tennis-Australian Open tiptoes around vaccination minefield

Torn between a love of sport, public health fears and Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record bid, Australia is suffering a bout of hesitancy as it considers whether unvaccinated players should be allowed to compete at the Australian Open. For officials tasked with making such decisions, the ball seems to be in everyone’s court but their own.

Tennis-Berrettini seals ATP Finals spot, two places still up for grabs

Matteo Berrettini has become the sixth player to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin next month after the Italian reached the second round of the Vienna Open on Monday, the ATP said. The 25-year-old, who will make his second appearance at the ATP Finals, defeated Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 7-6(3) 6-3 in the opening round.

Soccer-Bayern support vaccination but not mandatory, amid Kimmich furore

German champions Bayern Munich support the vaccination of its players to protect against COVID-19 but it is not mandatory, the club said amid a furore caused by player Joshua Kimmich’s announcement he was not vaccinated. The Germany international had said on Saturday he was not vaccinated because of concerns he had over long-term effects of the vaccine. He said he might do it in the future.

Athletics-Beijing Marathon postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19

The Beijing Marathon has been postponed indefinitely after Sunday’s race was called off amid rising COVID-19 cases in China, the BBC quoted organisers as saying. Organisers said they were cancelling next weekend’s race “in order to prevent the risk of the epidemic spreading (and) effectively protect the health and safety of the majority of runners, staff and residents,” the BBC reported.

NBA roundup: Jayson Tatum (41) powers Celts to OT win over Hornets

Jayson Tatum poured in 41 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and the Boston Celtics rallied to end the host Charlotte Hornets’ perfect start with a 140-129 overtime win on Monday night. After Dennis Schroder tied it at 129 on a 3-pointer with 2:41 left in overtime, Brown added a trey of his own and followed it with an emphatic dunk at the 1:21 mark. Schroder added four consecutive free throws and Tatum made two to put the game away.

NHL roundup: Panthers top Coyotes, improve to 6-0-0

The Florida Panthers, who lead the NHL with 12 points, ran their season-opening winning streak to six games by defeating the Arizona Coyotes 5-3 on Monday night in Sunrise, Fla. Florida got goals from Joe Thornton, Frank Vatrano, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair. Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour added two assists each, and Huberdeau also had a two-point night.

Sailing-Para sailors set sights on Los Angeles Games return

Sailing is charting a course to be reinstated at the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, with a focus on improving diversity, inclusion, affordability and development. World Sailing, the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Tuesday it would also include a #BacktheBid social media drive.

Tennis-Signed Serena rookie card sold for record price at auction

An autographed Serena Williams rookie card printed in 2003 has become the most expensive women’s sports card after fetching $44,280 at auction last weekend, New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions said. The previous record was $34,440 for a rookie card of former U.S. soccer player Mia Hamm sold in June.

Texas governor signs bill banning transgender girls from female sports in schools

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law a bill banning transgender girls from participating in female sports at public schools, joining a wave of similar measures emerging from Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Supporters of the bill, due to take effect on Jan. 18, say it is aimed at protecting fairness in school sports by eliminating what they see as an inherent physical competitive advantage of transgender athletes playing on female teams.

(With inputs from agencies.)