Sports round-up

Basketball, NBA: The NBA and its locked-out players will take their contract dispute to a federal mediator as they try to resolve differences that have already cost the first two weeks of the season. George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), announced that he will oversee negotiations between the NBA and the NBA Players Association, beginning next Tuesday in New York.

Formula one: France’s Jean-Eric Vergne will make his Formula One debut today with Toro Rosso. Vergne, who like two-time champion Sebastian Vettel has come through the Red Bull junior driver development programme, will drive in first practice ahead of the Korean Grand Prix. Vergne will replace Jaime Alguersuari on the same basis that Sebastien Buemi gave up his seat to Daniel Ricciardo at the European GP in Valencia in June.

Golf : A man arrested for flinging a hot dog in Tiger Woods’ direction at the Frys.com Open on Sunday said his plan was to do something “courageous and epic”. Brandon Kelly, of California, said that he’s the man who threw the hot dog and he’s a fan of Woods – and hopes the 14-time major champion eventually breaks Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles. However, he said he formed the idea for the dubious gesture after watching the movie “Drive”, in which Ryan Gosling stars as a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver.