SPORTS DIGEST || MLB owners debate revenue sharing

MLB owners debate revenue sharing

CORAL GABLES, Fla.

Major League Baseball owners held a lengthy executive session to discuss bargaining strategy over contentious issues such as revenue sharing ahead of the start of negotiations for a new labor contract with players.

Revenue sharing was a divisive issue before and during the 1994-95 negotiations that led to a 7 1/2-month strike. Some teams that pay revenue sharing money have expressed anger at receiving clubs they think are not maximizing their local revenue.

“You try to be creative about how you address their concerns, and you re-emphasize to people that we have a democratic process and we have to move forward as a whole at the end of the day,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said after Thursday’s session that was limited to one representative from each of the 30 clubs.

Manfred’s first anniversary as Bud Selig’s successor is Monday, and bargaining with the players’ association is expected to start during spring training. The current five-year deal expires Dec. 1.

Nishikori recovers for win Down Under

MELBOURNE, Australia

Kei Nishikori had some trouble with his wrist, taking a medical timeout and losing the next set before recovering to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win today over No. 26-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Nishikori reached the 2014 U.S. Open final and the quarterfinals at the Australian and French Opens in 2015 before withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon with an injured left leg.

Returning to the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the fourth straight year was a confidence booster, and he said the right wrist “actually, it was OK.”

“In the first set I was sore but after treatment I felt better,” he said. “I tried to stay tough, concentrated again — I played better in last set.”

No. 15 David Goffin beat No. 19 Dominic Thiem 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5 — his first win against a top-20 player at a Grand Slam — to reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time.

Dufner, 2 others share PGA lead

LA QUINTA, Calif.

Phil Mickelson returned from a long layoff with a big mid-round run. PGA West’s TPC Stadium Course came back strong, too, Thursday in the CareerBuilder Challenge.

Jason Dufner, Jerry Kelly, Jeff Overton and India’s Anirban Lahiri shared the lead at 64.

Mickelson played a seven-hole stretch in 6 under at La Quinta Country Club, holing out for eagle on the par-4 eighth with a shot that spun back 15 feet. He chipped in on the next hole and added another birdie on 11, but made two late bogeys and finished with a 4-under 68 in his first start since the Presidents Cup in October.

The Stadium Course had a stroke average of 71.825 in its first round in the event since it was dropped from the rotation after its 1987 debut. Adam Hadwin had the best round there with a 66.

Durant has lead in Champions opener

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii

Joe Durant shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

The 51-year-old Durant had nine birdies and two bogeys at Hualalai Golf Course. He teamed with Billy Andrade last year to win the Legends of Golf for his first title on the 50-and-over tour.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, Davis Love III and Tom Pernice Jr. were a stroke back in the event for major champions from the last five years, tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees.

Love played in the PGA Tour’s Hawaii events the last two weeks.

Duffy Waldorf and 2006 winner Loren Roberts shot 67. Colin Montgomerie and Fred Funk were in the group at 68.

Wire report