Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Tennis-Gauff to boost Auckland Classic after COVID hiatus
Rising American tennis star Coco Gauff will kick off her 2023 season at the Auckland Classic in a boost for the returning New Zealand tournament. The 18-year-old reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the French Open in June and took the number one ranking in doubles following her recent win in Toronto.
Tennis-Assertive Garcia extends strong run to re-enter top-20 ranking
With clarity of thought and renewed trust in an attacking style of play, France’s Caroline Garcia clinched her third title of the season on Sunday at the Cincinnati Open and climbed back to the top 20 of the women’s world rankings. Garcia, 28, was ranked at a career-high fourth in 2018 but slipped down the ladder due to confusion over her approach of play and injury problems.
WTA roundup: No. 1 seed Daria Kasatkina survives scare in Quebec
No. 1 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia dropped a first-set tiebreak before coming back to win a marathon over Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2 on Monday in first-round action at the Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby in Granby, Quebec. Kasatkina won despite committing 12 double faults and Minnen serving five aces. Kasatkina saved six of 10 break points during the two-hour, 57-minute match.
NFL – Cowboys retain title of NFL’s most valuable team
The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable National Football League (NFL) team for the 16th consecutive year, according to the annual list published by business magazine Forbes on Monday. The Cowboys, who have only made the playoffs four times in the last 12 seasons, are worth $8 billion, up 23% from last year, Forbes said.
Ukraine set to restart soccer league as war rages on
As soon as the air raid sirens had stopped, Shakhtar Donetsk’s players ran out onto the pitch for their final training session on Monday before Ukraine begins an extraordinary new season of its national soccer league. As Ukrainian soldiers battle Russian forces in the east and south, Shakhtar are due to play Metalist 1925 from the embattled eastern city of Kharkiv in the opening game of Ukraine’s Premier League at 1000 GMT on Tuesday.
Soccer-United protests turn to the celebration after victory over Liverpool
Manchester United produced an utterly unexpected 2-1 victory over old rivals Liverpool in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Monday to turn fan protests against the club’s owners into a rare night of celebration. United’s vastly improved performance for their first points of the campaign, thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, left Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool without a victory from their opening three games and with just two points.
Tennis-India’s Mirza pulls out of U.S. Open with tendon injury
India’s Sania Mirza on Tuesday announced her withdrawal from the U.S. Open because of a torn tendon, adding that the injury would lead to a change in her retirement plans. The 35-year-old, who in January announced that she would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season, said she had picked up the injury while competing at the Canadian Open this month.
Golf-Scheffler headlines U.S. Presidents Cup team, Smith’s participation in doubt
World number one Scottie Scheffler will make his Presidents Cup debut for team U.S. this year against an International team that could be without British Open champion Cameron Smith who has been linked with a move to the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Scheffler, who won the Masters in April, booked his spot in the Davis Love III-captained American team on Sunday, with the automatic qualifiers for both teams being finalized after the BMW Championship.
Tennis – Zverev pulls out of U.S. Open with ankle surgery
World number two Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from the U.S. Open as he continues his recovery following ankle surgery, tournament organizers said on Monday. The 25-year-old underwent surgery in June after damaging ligaments in his right ankle during this year’s Roland Garros semi-final against Rafa Nadal.
U.S. disapproves of Dennis Rodman’s planned rescue mission for Griner
The White House has a dim view of former American pro basketball player Dennis Rodman’s reported plan to travel to Russia and gain the release of American basketball star Brittney Griner, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Griner, 31, is a two-time Olympic champion and star player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WBNA). Earlier this month she convicted by a Russian court and given a nine-year sentence on drug charges.
(With inputs from agencies.)
