U.S./World Sports category, Page 378
53rd matchup for Djokovic, Nadal in Australian Open final
MELBOURNE, Australia — It was fascinating to hear Novak Djokovic explain what it will be like to face Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. “The intensity that he brings on the court is immense,” Djokovic said. “Without a doubt, probably the most intense tennis player that I have witnessed...
Swedish teammates help save man’s life before World Cup training
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Three Swedish skiers competing in this weekend’s women’s World Cup races helped save a course volunteer’s life before their first downhill training session. Lisa Hoernblad, who gave the stricken man first-aid after he suffered what she thought was a heart attack, followed up by finishing second in...
Courtney Force ends successful Funny Car career
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — Courtney Force, the winningest female Funny Car driver in NHRA history, is stepping away from driving. Force is a 12-time Funny Car winner, was the No. 1 qualifer 28 times and ranked in the top 10 of the NHRA standings in six of her seven seasons....
Fifty years after last Grand Slam, Laver says it’ll happen again
MELBOURNE, Australia — Fifty years after Rod Laver won the last true Grand Slam in men’s tennis, he is fairly confident the feat will be replicated one day, unlikely as it may seem. “It’s got to happen again,” the Australian left-hander said Wednesday at the Australian Open. While Steffi Graf...
1 point away, Serena stunned by Pliskova at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Four times, Serena Williams was only one point — a single point — from closing out a victory in the Australian Open quarterfinals. On the first such chance, at 5-1, 40-30 in the third set, she turned her left ankle awkwardly. The owner of the best serve...
Hobbled Serena Williams knocked out of Australian Open in quarters
MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams was one point from quite a comeback victory in the Australian Open quarterfinals when she turned her left ankle. Everything unraveled from there. In a startling reversal and result, Williams wasted four match points along the way to dropping the last six games of a...
Well-traveled QB Gardner Minshew hoping to find NFL home
MOBILE, Ala. — Gardner Minshew carved his own meandering path from walk-on to NFL prospect. He began as a walk-on at Troy, took a sharp left to junior college, bounced over to East Carolina, made a beeline toward Alabama and finally ended with one terrific season at Washington State. “I...
Doping agency forgives Russia, but says more work needed
The World Anti-Doping Agency straddled the wide gulf between vindication and capitulation Tuesday, agreeing to keep Russia’s anti-doping operation in business after receiving much-sought-after lab data that could be used to prosecute hundreds of cheaters. But the decision came with a warning: Fool us again, and we can bar you...
Tennis players can cause quite a racket by smashing rackets
MELBOURNE, Australia — Way behind in a match he soon would lose, Alexander Zverev leaned forward in his Australian Open sideline seat to repeatedly, and violently, crack his racket against the court with a reverberating thwack. — Eight times in all, before throwing down the offending, and now-mangled, piece of...
Tennessee moves to No. 1 in AP Top 25, Duke drops to No. 2
Top-ranked Duke went down early in the week. No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Virginia, the last of Division I’s unbeaten teams, both fell over the weekend. In all, six top-10 teams lost. Tennessee kept rolling amid chaos across the AP Top 25. The Vols are the new No. 1...
‘Time to say goodbye’: Vonn in too much pain to continue
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — What was evident all weekend for Lindsey Vonn became clear to everyone else on Sunday. The American skier’s surgically repaired knees simply don’t let her apply the power she requires to win races anymore. The pain is too severe; the psychological impact too much to bear;...
Phil Mickelson drains long birdies for Desert Classic lead
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Phil Mickelson made three long birdie putts on the back nine Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Desert Classic. Making his first start of the year, the 48-year-old Mickelson shot a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 on the Stadium Course at PGA...
Serena Williams untested heading into Week 2 of Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Maybe Serena Williams will be tested in the Australian Open’s fourth round, because no one has come close to making her work too hard so far. Playing clean and powerful tennis, Williams overwhelmed 18-year-old Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, 6-2, 6-1, on Saturday. Williams grabbed a pair of...
Glen Wood, auto racing pioneer and patriarch, dies at 93
Glen Wood, the courtly and innovative patriarch of the famed Wood Brothers Racing team who had been the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, died Friday. He was 93. He died on Friday in Stuart, Virginia, after a long illness. Wood Brothers announced the death of its...
Focused Roger Federer advances at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Roger Federer has played on Rod Laver Arena a hundred times and has six Australian Open crowns in his collection of 20 Grand Slam titles. The 37-year-old tennis statesman has developed a loyal following over 20 consecutive visits for the season-opening major. After beating 21-year-old American Taylor...
Professional bull rider Mason Lowe dies after being stomped during competition
A professional bull rider died as a result of being bucked off his bull at the National Western Stock Show on Tuesday night in Denver. Mason Lowe, 25, was on the ground when the bull, weighing between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds, landed on his chest with its hind legs, according...
Sharapova, Wozniacki brace for early showdown at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — A side effect of not playing much for Maria Sharapova is the likelihood of having to face highly ranked rivals in the first week of a major. It doesn’t come much tougher in the third round than a match against the defending champion. That’s the equation at...
Bob Costas leaving NBC after 40 years
Bob Costas is officially leaving NBC. The legendary sportscaster and 28-time Emmy Award-winning journalist is wrapping up a 40-year career at the network, according to the New York Post. “It’s all settled quietly and happily for all concerned,” Costas, 66, told the publication. An NBC representative confirmed with the Post...
Boomer Sooner: Tide QB Jalen Hurts transferring to Oklahoma
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley could not help but admire Jalen Hurts from a distance. He respected how the Alabama quarterback who lost his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa put the team above his pride. Hurts could have transferred right after Alabama went another direction, as so many quarterbacks do these...
Europeans unravel massive tennis match-fixing ring
PARIS — The crooked tennis players knew him as “Maestro.” To European investigators, the Armenian based in Belgium is emerging as something else: The suspected ringleader of an organized gambling syndicate suspected of fixing hundreds of matches and corrupting more than 100 players from around Europe. As Roger Federer and...
Super Bowl planners: Shutdown brings ‘uncharted territory’
ATLANTA — A day after travelers waited nearly 90 minutes in snail-speed security lines at the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s mayor is concerned about the waits that could result when the city hosts the 2019 Super Bowl. The ongoing partial government shutdown is “uncharted territory” amid planning for one of...
American Sloane Stephens advances at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Sloane Stephens advanced at the Australian Open at the expense of her former doubles partner, Timea Babos, in a second-round match the women’s tour billed as a battle of the so-called “frenemies.” Fifth-seeded Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, dominated the Rod Laver Arena opener 6-3, 6-1...
Serena Williams makes return to Australian Open a triumphant one
MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams jumped straight back in where she left off at the Australian Open, returning for the first time since winning the title in 2017 when she was pregnant with her first child. Williams conceded only five points in the first set and was completely clinical in...
Syracuse upsets No. 1 Duke in OT
DURHAM, N.C. — Tyus Battle scored a season-high 32 points, and Syracuse used its 2-3 zone defense to rattle No. 1 Duke in overtime as the Orange pulled off a 95-91 upset Monday night. With swingman Cameron Reddish out with an illness and point guard Tre Jones suffering a shoulder...
Heisman winner, Athletics prospect Kyler Murray declares for NFL Draft
Kyler Murray, the first-round MLB draft pick and Heisman Trophy-winning Oklahoma quarterback, declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft on Monday. Murray announced his decision in a tweet, ending his brief and storied college career. What’s next for the Murray is not known. The Oakland Athletics made the speedy outfielder...
