FRENCH OPEN-DAY 3
Another upset in Paris
PARIS (AP) β For the second straight day the reigning champion of the Australian Open has been bounced from the French Open. Monday it was Stan Wawrinka (vah-VINK’-ah) and Tuesday it was women’s champ Li Na (lee nah). She was eliminated by France’s Kristina Mladenovic (mih-LAD’-ehn-oh-vich) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. Li, who won the French Open title in 2011 and was seeded second this year, ended up with 37 unforced errors on a cool and overcast day at Roland Garros.
In another result, women’s fourth seed Simona Halep (HAL’-ehp) defeated a Russian in straight sets to advance to the second round along with sixth seed Jelena Jankovic (yeh-LAY’-nuh YANK’-oh-vihch) and Americans Sloane Stephens, the 15th seed, and unseeded Alison Riske.
Kimiko Date-Krumm (kih-MEE’-koh DAH’-tay kruhm), the oldest woman in the field at the French Open, is out. The 43-year-old Japanese veteran lost to the 24th seed in the event out of Russia. Date-Krumm is the third-oldest player in French Open singles history.
For the men, fifth seed David Ferrer (feh-REHR’) won his opening match as did unseeded American Jack Sock, who beat 21st seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain. Andy Murray won his first match at the French Open in two years, beating Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The Wimbledon champion missed last year’s tournament with a back injury, but he reached the semifinals in 2011 and the quarterfinals a year later.
Things didn’t go well for Tommy Haas in his bid to become the oldest man in the French Open’s second round since Jimmy Connors in 1991. The 16th-seeded Haas had to withdraw from his opening match in Paris because of pain in his right shoulder.
NBA PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Thunder attempt to even up series
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) β The San Antonio Spurs are looking to get back in the win column tonight as they face the Thunder in Oklahoma City. After winning the first two games of the series on their own court, the Spurs were beaten by the Thunder two days ago in Oklahoma City 106-97. That game marked the return of Oklahoma’s Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH’-kah), who had been out with a calf injury. Following Sunday’s win, Ibaka said the calf felt good and that he expected to be playing in Game 4. Ibaka was a force in Game 3 with 30 minutes of playing time and 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
After tonight’s game, the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 Thursday night.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Rangers can close out Canadiens tonight
MONTREAL (AP) β Hockey fans in Montreal might be attending their last game of the season tonight. Their Canadiens trail the visiting New York Rangers three-games-to-one in the NHL’s Eastern Conference final, and if the visitors win tonight’s game they will advance to the Stanley Cup final. After dropping the first two games on their own ice, the Canadiens won the third game in New York. The Rangers came back for a 3-2 overtime win two days ago to take their 3-1 series lead.
If New York skates off the ice with a win tonight the Rangers will have clinched their first ticket to the championship round since 1994 when they won the title.
The Canadiens have come back from a 3-1 playoff deficit twice, most recently in 2010 when they rallied to beat the Capitals.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Going for win No. 9
UNDATED (AP) β Mark Buehrle (BUR’-lee) of the Jays enters tonight’s game against the Rays with a record of 8-1. Only Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals has eight wins and he has the night off so that means with a win Buehrle would become baseball’s first 10-game winner. Buehrle and the Jays won’t have an easy time of it as Tampa Bay is sending Alex Cobb to the mound. He starts the night with a 21 2/3-inning scoreless streak. Cobb is 1-1 on the year with an impressive 1.40 earned run average. In comparison, eight-game winner Buehrle has a 2.16 ERA. The Jays by the way are riding the longest winning streak in baseball now, seven straight.
Zack Greinke (GREHN’-kee) of the Dodgers is looking to join the eight-win club tonight as L.A. is home to the Reds. He follows teammates Josh Beckett and Hyun-Jin Ryu (hee-YUHN’-jihn YOO), who have pitched outstanding games back to back. Beckett tossed a no-hitter against the Reds on Sunday while Ryu lost a bid for a perfect game against the Reds last night in the eighth inning.
Cleveland welcomes All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis back to the team tonight as the Indians play the White Sox in Chicago. Chris Sale is back on the mound for the Sox, sporting a 4-0 record and a 1.89 earned run average. Kipnis has been out with an injury.
The rest of the schedule tonight has the Phillies home to the Rockies, Miami remaining in Washington, Boston facing the Braves again in Atlanta, the Mets hosting the Pirates, Baltimore in Milwaukee, the Astros in KC for a date with the Royals, Minnesota hosting Texas, the Yankees and Cards squaring off again in St. Louis, San Diego at Arizona, the A’s entertaining the Tigers, Seattle home to the Angels and the Cubs at San Francisco.
