Reuters Sports Schedule at 0600 GMT on Wednesday

Reuters sports schedule at 0600 GMT on Wednesday:

TENNIS

Australian Open (to 28)

Federer meets Berdych, Halep plays Pliskova in last eight

MELBOURNE - Holder Roger Federer takes on Tomas Berdych in the Australian Open quarter-finals, while in the women's draw world number one Simona Halep faces Czech Karolina Pliskova. (TENNIS-AUSOPEN/ (PIX), expect throughout, by Martyn Herman, Ian Ransom and Nick Mulvenney)

Volatile times ahead as slams plan return to 16 seeds

MELBOURNE - More grand slam upsets in the earlier rounds can be expected from 2019 if plans to reduce the number of seeds from 32 back to 16 at the four major tournaments. (TENNIS-AUSOPEN/SEEDS (FEATURE), expect by 0800 GMT/3 AM ET, by Simon Cambers, 700 words)

SOCCER

UEFA stages draw for inaugural Nations Cup competition

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - European soccer body UEFA stages the draw for its new, and highly complex, competition, the League of Nations, which features all 55 of its national teams and offers a back door into the Euro 2020 tournament. (SOCCER-UEFA/DRAW, expect at 1200 GMT/8 AM ET, by Brian Homewood, 400 words)

League Cup semi-final, second leg

Arsenal v Chelsea (2000)

Arsenal and Chelsea hoping for final date with Man City

LONDON - Arsenal will be without their cup-tied new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan when they host Chelsea in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, with the tie level at 0-0 from the first game, with Manchester City awaiting the winners in the final after beating Bristol City. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-ARS-CHE/ (PIX), expect by 21:45 GMT/4:45 PM ET, by Toby Davis, 400 words)

Premier League

We'll bring you the latest team and transfer news ahead of the week's games. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-TEAM/ expect throughout)

Saha backs Lukaku to be more consistent next season

MUMBAI - Romelo Lukaku has the ability to rip apart defences but the Belgian marksman might need a year under his belt at Manchester United to be more consistent, the Premier League club's former striker Louis Saha has told Reuters. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-MUN/SAHA (INTERVIEW), expect by 1000 GMT/5 AM ET, by Sudipto Ganguly, 500 words)

King's Cup, quarter-finals, second leg

Alaves v Valencia (1800)

Real Madrid v Leganés (2030)

Real Madrid must stage fightback against Leganes

MADRID - Real Madrid host Leganes with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, while Valencia take a 2-1 advantage to last year's runners-up Alaves in their King's Cup quarter-final second legs after Sevilla reached the last eight on Tuesday. Holders Barcelona host Espnayol on Thursday. (SOCCER-SPAIN-CUP (PIX), expect by 2230 GMT/5:30 PM ET, by Joseph Casinelli, 200 words)

CRICKET

South Africa v India, third Test

South Africa bid for clean sweep against India

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa host India in the last of their three-test series at the Wanderers, seeking a first 3-0 clean-sweep against the world's top-ranked side. (CRICKET-TEST-ZAF-IND/, expect from 0800 GMT/3 AM ET, by Nick Said, 400 words)

RUGBY

Coaches and captains at Six Nations Championship launch

LONDON - Coaches and captains of the competing Six Nations teams face the media at the official launch of the championship. (RUGBY-UNION-NATIONS/ (PIX, TV), expect from 09:30 GMT/4:30 AM ET, by Mitch Phillips and Jack Tarrant)

Rape trial of Ireland's Jackson, Olding begins

DUBLIN - Ireland rugby internationals Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding stand trial on rape charges with both having pleaded not guilty. The pair have not played since being charged in July and will not do so at least until the court case ends. (RUGBY UNION-IRELAND/COURT, expect from 1030 GMT/5:30 AM ET, by Padraic Halpin, 400 words)

GOLF

Woods primed for PGA Tour comeback

LA JOLLA, California - Nine months after spinal fusion surgery, 14-times major champion Tiger Woods speaks to the media at Torrey Pines, where he has won eight times, on the eve of his first official PGA Tour event since he was here last year. (GOLF-FARMERS/TIGER WOODS, expect by 2100 GMT/4 PM ET, by Andrew Both, 450 words)

WINTER OLYMPICS

IOC president hosts teleconference ahead of Games

BERLIN - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach holds a teleconference ahead of next month's Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (OLYMPICS-2018/BACH, expect from 1400 GMT/9 AM ET, by Karolos Grohmann, 400 words)

Ohno looks for big showing from host Korea in short track

NEW YORK - Apolo Anton Ohno recalls the lift that racing for the home team gave him in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and he expects the South Korean speed skaters to capitalise fully on that advantage in Pyeongchang next month. (OLYMPICS-2018-SKAT/OHNO (PIX), expect by 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, by Dan Burns)

Canadian hockey brat drives the womens game in Korea

NEW YORK CITY, NY - As the daughter of a former NHL coach and a twice U.S. collegiate champion in her own right, Sarah Murray knows a thing or two about ice hockey culture. What is second nature to a Canadian like her, however, has sometimes been a foreign concept to those she now coaches on the South Korea team - 23 players preparing to face off on Olympic ice for the first time at next month´s Winter Games in PyeongChang. (OLYMPICS-2018-ICEH/MURRAY (PIX), expect by 1300 GMT/8 AM ET, )

Anderson aiming for back-to-back Olympic snowboarding golds

LONDON - American snowboarder Jamie Anderson won the inaugural slopestyle event at the winter Olympics in Sochi four years ago. Now she is focused on following that up with more glory at Pyeongchang. (OLYMPICS-2018-SNO/ANDERSON, expect by 1600 GMT/11 AM ET, by Jack Tarrant)

Ligety discusses Olympic hopes after back surgery

American Alpine skier and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety speaks to Reuters about his recovery from back surgery and his outlook for the Games in Pyeongchang. (OLYMPICS-2018-ALPS/LIGETY, expect by 2300 GMT/6 PM ET, by Rory Carroll, 300 words)

HANDBALL

Three semi-final berths at stake on day of frantic action

ZAGREB - All 12 teams left in the European handball championship play on Wednesday and three can join Denmark in the semi-finals after the Olympic champions on Tuesday became the first team to reach the medal rounds. (HANDBALL-EUROPE/ (PIX), expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Zoran Milosavljevic, 300 words)

NFL

NFL looks to Super end to punishing season

It has been a bruising season for the NFL as the league came under attack from President Donald Trump over protesting players kneeling during the national anthem, watched television ratings slump, fended of new concerns over concussions and player safety. (FOOTBALL-NFL-SUPERBOWL/, expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, 400 words)

NBA

Rockets try to extend win streak in Dallas

The Houston Rockets try to extend their win streak to four games when they visit the Dallas Mavericks while the Toronto Raptors look to close in on the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics when they visit the Atlanta Hawks in two of the nine games on the National Basketball Associations schedule. (BASKETBALL-NBA/HIGHLIGHTS, expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by Field Level Media, 800 words)

NHL

Blackhawks host Maple Leafs, Kings visit Flames

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a clash of Original Six franchises while the Los Angeles Kings visit the Pacific Division rival Calgary Flames in the two games on the National Hockey League schedule. (ICEHOCKEY-NHL/HIGHLIGHTS, expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by Field Level Media, 800 words)

NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS

Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0000 GMT/8 PM ET, by Field Level Media, 500 words)

(Asia Desk Editor: Greg Stutchbury)

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