FRENCH OPEN-FOURTH ROUND
Sharapova out at Roland Garros…Federer advances
PARIS (AP) β Top seed Serena Williams got off to a sluggish start before winning her fourth-round match at the French Open. Second seed and defending champ Maria Sharapova wasn’t as fortunate.
Williams dropped her opening set for the third straight match before ousting fellow American Sloane Stephens, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. The 19-time major champion had to shake off 43 unforced errors in winning the two-hour match.
Williams is 29-1 overall in 2015 and owns an 18-match Grand Slam winning streak, including championships at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
Sharapova was seeking her third French Open championship in four years until she was dispatched in the fourth round by 13th seed Lucie Safarova, 7-6, 6-3. It is Sharapova’s earliest defeat at Roland Garros since 2010, when she was beaten in the third round.
Monday’s other upset victim was fourth seed Petra Kvitova (kuh-VIT’-oh-vuh), who was a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 loser against Timea Bacsinszky (bah-CHIHN’-skee).
Next up for Safarova will be No. 21 Garbine Muguruza (GAHR’-been-yuh MOO’-guh-roo-sah), who beat No. 28 Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 6-4. Also reaching the quarterfinals are Sara Errani and Alison Van Uytvanck (OYT’-vank), each in straight sets.
The men’s quarters will feature a match pitting top seed Novak Djokovic (JOH’-koh-vihch) and nine-time champion Rafael Nadal (nah-DAHL’), last year’s finalists. Nadal was a 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 winner over Jack Sock, the last American male still competing at Roland Garros. Sock was the first player to win a set against the sixth-seeded Nadal in the tournament. Djokovic had no trouble in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet.
Roger Federer has reached the quarterfinals for the 11th time by downing Gael Monfils (GAH’-ehl mohn-FEES’), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The 17-time Grand Slam champion next plays his Davis Cup Swiss teammate, Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRIN’-kuh), who won in straight sets yesterday.
Third seed Andy Murray and No. 7 David Ferrer also moved into the quarters at Roland Garros. Murray was a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 winner against Jeremy Chardy, and Ferrer downed Marin Cilic (CHEE’-leehch), 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
NBA FINALS-CAVALIERS-IRVING
Cavs cautious with Irving
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) β Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving has been kept out of portions of practice as the team tries to get him ready for the NBA Finals.
Irving has been slowed by left knee tendinitis and a sprained right foot throughout the playoffs and says he won’t be 100 percent against the Golden State Warriors. He sat out two games in the Eastern Conference finals against the Hawks because of his knee and played just 22 minutes in Cleveland’s series-clinching win over Atlanta.
The finals don’t get underway until Thursday in Oakland, more than a week after the Cavaliers played their last game.
In Warriors injury news, guard Klay Thompson has returned to practice after suffering a concussion last week. He was a full participant in today’s practice, a major step in the All-Star shooting guard’s recovery. Thompson suffered a concussion after getting kneed in the head by Houston’s Trevor Ariza (ah-REE’-zuh) Wednesday night.
NFL-PANTHERS-NEWTON
Panthers, Newton close to agreement
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β The Carolina Panthers are close to locking up their starting quarterback past this season.
A person close to the negotiations tells The Associated Press that the Panthers and Cam Newton are close to finalizing a contract extension that could be completed within the next two days. Newton is expected to command a contract in excess of $20 million per season, which would be in line with what several other starting quarterbacks have accepted.
The 26-year-old Newton is entering his fifth season with the Panthers and has led them to back-to-back NFC South championships.
NFL-COLTS-MATHIS
Mathis says he’ll play in opener
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis plans to be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 in Buffalo.
Mathis says his rehabilitation from a torn Achilles tendon is ahead of schedule. Mathis injured his left leg while training in Atlanta last fall, an injury that occurred while he was serving a four-game suspension for using a fertility drug.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS-UAB
Football to return to UAB next year
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) β Alabama-Birmingham President Ray Watts tells The Associated Press that he is bringing back the football program in 2016, along with bowling and rifle.
Watts decided to reverse his earlier decision after meetings with UAB supporters continued through the weekend. He cut the programs last December after UAB commissioned a report saying it would cost $49 million over five years to field a competitive program, but he says donors have pledged to make up the estimated $17.2 million deficit.
NHL-RANGERS-ZUCCARELLO
Rangers forward couldn’t talk after taking puck to head
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) β New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello says he couldn’t speak for several days after being hit in the head by a shot during Game 5 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Pittsburgh.
Zuccarello was hit on the side of the head by teammate Ryan McDonagh’s shot in the series-clinching victory. He sustained a small skull fracture and some bleeding, keeping him in a hospital for three days. He also said he lost some feeling in his arm after the injury and is undergoing speech therapy.
MLB-SCHEDULE
King Felix on the bump
UNDATED (AP) β Felix Hernandez will try to become the majors’ first nine-game winner of the season when he takes the mound for the Seattle Mariners against the visiting New York Yankees tonight. King Felix is 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA and two shutouts in 10 starts this season. He owns the majors’ best WHIP at 0.892 and comes off a four-hit shutout against Tampa Bay last Wednesday.
The Yankees have sputtered since opening the season 21-12, losing 13 of their last 18. They just dropped three of four to the Athletics in Oakland over the weekend.
There’s a good pitching matchup in San Francisco tonight as Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole puts his 7-2 record on the line against Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants. Cole hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his 10 starts this season, striking out 70 in 64 innings. Vogelsong has posted a 1.53 ERA while winning each of his last three starts.
Both the Giants and Pirates have played well of late following rough starts. The Giants are within a half-game of the NL West lead despite losing 10 of their first 14. San Francisco is 13-4 in its last 17 games to shave five games off its deficit with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Pirates have won eight of 10 since falling a season-worst four games under .500 at 18-22.
Today’s major league slate includes Toronto visiting Washington in the lone interleague game. Jordan Zimmermann takes the mound for the Nationals, who lead the NL East by just a half-game over the New York Mets after getting swept in Cincinnati over the weekend.
The Mets begin a West Coast trip in San Diego, where reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom (deh-GRAHM’) takes the mound for New York against 2-7 Andrew Cashner. The Mets are just 7-15 on the road.
The NL schedule includes the Chicago Cubs at Miami, St. Louis hosting Milwaukee, the Dodgers visiting Colorado and Arizona entertaining Atlanta.
Over in the American League, Houston hosts Baltimore and Tampa Bay takes on the Angels at Anaheim.
The Twins and Red Sox were scheduled to play at Fenway Park, but that game has been rained out and will be made up as part of a Wednesday doubleheader.
HORSE RACING-BELMONT STAKES-WITHDRAWALS
Two horses pull out of Belmont
NEW YORK (AP) β The Belmont Stakes field is down to eight after two horses dropped out.
Trainer Todd Pletcher says Carpe Diem won’t run Saturday and will point toward the Haskell Invitational or Jim Dandy Stakes this summer. Trainer Ken McPeek withdrew The Truth or Else, who has an ankle issue and did not run in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness.
That leaves seven rivals to face Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah in his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
