The week in sport

New Zealand sevens players celebrate after winning the Wellington final against South Africa....
New Zealand sevens players celebrate after winning the Wellington final against South Africa. Photo: Getty Images
Lydia Ko plays a shot during the second round of her first tournament of the year.
Lydia Ko plays a shot during the second round of her first tournament of the year.
Houston Rockets forward Marcus Thornton has the ball bounce off his head as Miami Heat forward...
Houston Rockets forward Marcus Thornton has the ball bounce off his head as Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh competes with him for it. Photo: Reuters
Jamie Vardy in action during Leicester's win over Liverpool. Vardy was outstanding and scored two...
Jamie Vardy in action during Leicester's win over Liverpool. Vardy was outstanding and scored two goals in the win. Photo: Reuters
The American sporting scene has been dominated by talk of Super Bowl 50 this week, to be played...
The American sporting scene has been dominated by talk of Super Bowl 50 this week, to be played between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on Monday (NZT). Photo: Reuters
Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning the Australian Open. Photo: Reuters
Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning the Australian Open. Photo: Reuters
Martin Guptill plays on the front-foot during New Zealand's second ODI against Australia. Photo:...
Martin Guptill plays on the front-foot during New Zealand's second ODI against Australia. Photo: Getty Images

The Otago Daily Times Online looks at some of the big stories in sports this week.

Chappell-Hadlee underway

The one-day series between New Zealand and Australia is going to a decider after two one-sided affairs saw each team take a game each. New Zealand were dominant in the first game, with Trent Boult and Matt Henry having Australia at 41 for six, as Australia went on to be bowled out in 24.2 overs. There was an inevitable backlash though and Usman Khawaja was recalled and played sublimely along with David Warner to set the platform for Australia to chase down New Zealand's 281. New Zealand fought back bravely, but an outstanding partnership between Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings got Australia over the line. Match three will be played on Monday.

Djokovic wins Australian Open

Novak Djokovic added another Grand Slam to his list of achievements with a straight-sets win over Andy Murray. After a blistering opening set, in which Djokovic won 6-1, he was made to work for the remaining two, winning 7-5 and 7-6. The result never seemed in doubt though, as the Serb looks set for another year of dominance.

Plenty of talking points from Sevens

New Zealand left it late to claim its third-consecutive Wellington Sevens title in a thrilling final against South Africa. But that was far from the only talking point. The referee of that match, Matt O'Brien, was reported to have apologised to the South Africans for his performance, although that was later denied by World Rugby. Even more topical has been the poor crowd numbers and, in the south at least, whether Dunedin could host the tournament.

Amazing snooker shot

In most circumstances, trick shots are reserved for show. Snooker champion Mark Davis decided to spice things up though, pulling off this shot at the World Senior Snooker Championships. He won the game and went on to claim the world championship.

Parker ranked No 1 contender

Promising Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker was elevated to the WBO's No 1 contender, behind Tyson Fury, this week. The ranking puts him above world champions Charles Martin and Deontay Wilder, along with other big names Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko. Also ranked seventh by the WBC and IBF and 11th by the WBA, there are hopes a world title fight is not far off for Parker.

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