GAIBA, Italy (AP) — Yanina Wickmayer will face top-seeded Tatjana Maria in the quarterfinals of the Veneto Open after rallying to beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in three sets. Maria beat Italian wild card Lisa Pigato 6-3, 6-3 to spoil her opponent’s 20th birthday celebrations. Sixth-seeded Yuan Yue also eased into the quarterfinals
Continue ReadingBy JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Missing out on Lionel Messi hasn’t slowed Saudi Arabia’s ambitious recruitment drive as the oil-rich kingdom tries to establish itself as a viable destination for the world’s top players. Having already lured two of the sport’s biggest stars in Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the
Continue ReadingBIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Zhang Shuai of China was a finalist at the Birmingham Classic in 2022 but was eliminated in the first round of the grass-court tournament this year as one of four seeded players to go out. The seventh-seeded Zhang was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by 150th-ranked Emina Bektas of the United States in
Continue ReadingBy MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — This season’s NBA All-Star skills competition will be held Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Organizers say the venue allows the popular slam dunk and 3-point contests along with the skills challenge to take place in front of 35,000 fans in the stadium’s south
Continue ReadingHALLE, Germany (AP) — Daniil Medvedev has continued building momentum after recent setbacks as he moved into the quarterfinals of the Halle Open by beating Laslo Djere in 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 at the grass-court tournament. Medvedev next faces Roberto Bautista Agut after the eighth-seeded Spanish player defeated American Brandon Nakashima in straight sets in
Continue ReadingBy JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Josh Berry will take the final step in his long journey to the top of racing with Stewart-Haas Racing next season as the replacement for future NASCAR Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick. Harvick is retiring at the end of this season. Berry’s route out
Continue ReadingBy PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Bruce Brown is set to become a free agent after declining his $6.8 million player option with the NBA-champion Denver Nuggets. The decision is according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because
Continue ReadingBy AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer An NCAA infractions panel has imposed a three-game suspension for Memphis coach Penny Hardaway for recruiting violations tied to two in-home visits with a prospect two years ago. The panel issued its ruling Wednesday. It follows a negotiated resolution in December that allowed the school to resolve the case
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — Tennis players Nastja Kolar and Alexandra Riley have been banned from the sport for life and fined as part of a match-fixing case. The International Tennis Integrity Agency says the 28-year-old Kolar committed 25 offenses from 2015-20 and was fined $175,000. Riley committed 15 offenses in the same period and was fined
Continue ReadingBy DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles had to wait 75 years for the U.S. Open to return and now it feels like a regular stop. Riviera Country Club off Sunset Boulevard will hold the 2031 U.S. Open. Riviera hosted the first U.S. Open in California when Ben Hogan won
Continue ReadingBy ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Thompson was selected Wednesday alongside veteran Megan Rapinoe and 21 others for the U.S. roster that will vie next month to do what no country has done before — raise a third straight trophy at the Women’s World Cup. Thompson, who has been impressive this season
Continue ReadingBERLIN (AP) — Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina’s preparations for the grass-court Grand Slam hit a snag when she lost to Donna Vekic 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Berlin Open. Vekic faced only two break points and saved them both. Caroline Garcia will play former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the
Continue ReadingBy NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network has agreed to pay the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles around $100 million each following a protracted dispute over the value of the Nationals’ television rights from 2012 to 2016, a person familiar with the matter said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because
Continue ReadingNYON, Switzerland (AP) — José Mourinho has been banned from four European games by UEFA for verbally using the Europa League final referee in a stadium garage after Roma lost to Sevilla. Footage circulated after the May 31 final of Mourinho approaching English referee Anthony Taylor in the garage in Budapest. He called Taylor a
Continue ReadingMIAMI (AP) — Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette was a late scratch for Toronto’s series finale against the Miami Marlins because of left thumb discomfort. Cavan Biggio took Bichette’s spot in the lineup batting sixth and went 2 for 4. Biggio had an RBI double during a five-run second inning against Miami starter Sandy Alcantara
Continue ReadingBy PAT EATON-ROBB AP Sports Writer CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Many of the top golfers on the PGA Tour have made their way across the country from the U.S. Open in Los Angeles to Connecticut and the Travelers Championship. The Travelers was named this year as one of 17 “designated” events on Tour. As such,
Continue ReadingBy KEN MAGUIRE AP Sports Writer LONDON (AP) — Major League Baseball has big plans for Europe with a reintroduction coming this weekend when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs square off for a two-game series in London. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox featured in London four years ago before the
Continue ReadingMADRID (AP) — Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos says he is “not done yet” after agreeing to a one-year contract extension with the Spanish club. The 33-year-old Kroos will begin his 10th season with the team after both sides agreed to extend his deal through the 2023-24 campaign. The German player retired from international duty
Continue ReadingBy CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Perhaps the only positive Germany can draw from its national soccer team’s deepening crisis is that the 2024 European Championship is still a year away. Germany coach Hansi Flick insists that is enough time to turn things around before hosting the tournament. Few believe him. Flick
Continue ReadingBy BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama’s towering shadow has hung over this NBA draft for months, blocking much of what is usually part of the process. There has been no debate about who the San Antonio Spurs should take with the No. 1 pick on Thursday night. When a
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