Only one week into 2014 and English cricket is already in despair after the national team was humiliated by archrival Australia in the traditional Ashes series.

Australia sealed only the third 5-0 whitewash in the Ashes' 130-year history on Sunday, winning the fifth test in Sydney by 281 runs with more than two days to spare.

Alexis Sanchez netted his first hat trick for Barcelona to spark its 4-0 win over Elche at Camp Nou on Sunday, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with Atletico Madrid next week between the top two teams in the Spanish league.

With Lionel Messi watching from the stands and Neymar waiting in the dugout, Barcelona turned to Alexis and its core of Spain internationals for a second straight victory without its star forwards on either side of the two-week winter break.

Serie A leader Juventus remained on course for a third straight title with a 3-0 victory over second-placed Roma, which was forced to play with nine men for the final 13 minutes on Sunday.

It was a 10th successive win for Antonio Conte's team and saw it extend its lead at the top of the table to eight points at the halfway stage of the season. It was Roma's first loss of the season.

While Kobe Bryant heals from his latest injury, he has an unusual campaign message for the fans who select the NBA All-Star game's starters: Don't vote for me.

The Los Angeles Lakers' superstar guard is hoping fans elect younger, more deserving players to start next month's showcase in New Orleans.

Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 7-6 (5), 7-5 on Monday to move into the second round of the Sydney International, one of the last warm-up tournaments for the Australian Open starting next week.

Kerber will next play Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, who beat American qualifier Victoria Duval 6-1, 6-3.

Poland striker Robert Lewandowski said he will give his all for Borussia Dortmund before switching to Bundesliga rival Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Lewandowski, who signed a five-year deal with Bayern on Saturday, told Dortmund fans on the club website: "We still have half a year ahead of us in which we have certain targets that we want to achieve together. Even if there are a few fans among you that don't agree with my decision, I hope for your support!"

Michael Schumacher remains in a "critical but stable" condition, his spokeswoman said Saturday, as French investigators hoped a helmet-mounted camera he was wearing at the moment of his ski accident could answer a raft of questions.

A spokeswoman for the retired Formula One champion denied some reports that his family had been reluctant to hand over the camera -- taken by authorities on Friday -- because of privacy reasons.

Increasingly under the international spotlight after earning the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Qatar is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to become a sporting super-power.

The oil and gas-rich Arab emirate has set itself lofty goals for such a tiny country.

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer survived a massive scare from Frenchman Jeremy Chardy Saturday to reach the final of the Brisbane International.

Federer was outplayed for large parts of the match but lifted when it mattered to beat the eighth seeded Chardy in three sets 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a decree lifting a blanket ban on political protests at the Sochi Winter Olympics, bowing to pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The decree allows demonstrations and marches at locations or along routes that must be agreed with officials in the Black Sea resort city along with the regional police and security forces.