U.S./World Sports category, Page 34
Chase Briscoe holds off Kyle Busch in Southern 500 to advance to NASCAR Cup playoffs
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Chase Briscoe went three-wide to pass Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain for the lead, then outran two-time series champion Kyle Busch to win the Southern 500 on Sunday night and make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Briscoe pulled away on a final restart with 17 laps left...
Defending champion Coco Gauff loses in the U.S. Open’s 4th round to Emma Navarro
NEW YORK — This is pretty much all anyone needs to know about defending champion Coco Gauff’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the U.S. Open’s fourth round on Sunday: Gauff wound up with more double-faults, 19, than winners, 14. “I don’t want to lose matches like this...
Gregg Berhalter assistant Mikey Varas will coach U.S. in exhibitions against Canada and New Zealand
CHICAGO — Assistant Mikey Varas will be interim U.S. coach for exhibitions against Canada and New Zealand while a deal hasn’t been announced for Mauricio Pochettino to succeed Gregg Berhalter. Varas on Sunday picked a 24-man roster that includes Barcelona youth system goalkeeper Diego Kochen and Standard Liege defender Marlon...
Jannik Sinner leaves no doubt at U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner never gave his third-round opponent at the U.S. Open on Saturday, Chris O’Connell, even a moment to contemplate pulling off the sort of monumental upset that eliminated Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. “It shows that this sport is unpredictable. Whenever you drop a little bit...
Defending champion Novak Djokovic is shocked at the US Open, one night after Carlos Alcaraz lostVideo
NEW YORK — Defending champion Novak Djokovic was shocked at the U.S. Open one night after Carlos Alcaraz was, bowing out in the third round with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Friday night. The No. 2-seeded Djokovic was trying to become the...
Bubba Wallace confident he can make NASCAR playoffs
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Bubba Wallace, as he usually does after races, received a text from owner Michael Jordan after Daytona last week about his final attempt this week at Darlington Raceway to make the Cup Series playoffs. “Things you want more cost more,” Wallace said Jordan told him. Wallace is...
Chartiers Valley’s T.J. McConnell signs 4-year, $45 million extension with Pacers
The Indiana Pacers agreed to terms with guard T.J. McConnell on a four-year extension worth $45 million. Agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman confirmed the deal in an email to the Associated Press on Friday. McConnell, a Chartiers Valley product who is signed for $9.3 million for the upcoming NBA...
Coco Gauff keeps her US Open title defense alive by coming back to beat Elina SvitolinaVideo
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff turned things around after being a set down and beat Elina Svitolina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the U.S. Open’s third round Friday, extending the 20-year-old American’s defense of her first Grand Slam title. The third-seeded Gauff made mistake after mistake in the first set at...
No. 1 seeds Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek move into 3rd round at U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner flashed their No. 1 form Thursday with powerful performances that moved them into the third round of the U.S. Open. Meanwhile, suddenly a point from getting to a third set, Naomi Osaka lost her way, missing forehand after forehand until she ceded...
Stephen Curry agrees to $63 million extension with Warriors for 2026-27 seasonVideo
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors agreed to extend his contract for the 2026-27 season, one in which the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader and Olympic gold medalist will earn nearly $63 million. Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin, confirmed the agreement Thursday to the Associated Press. ESPN first reported the agreement...
Wimbledon champion Krejcikova out of U.S. Open; Shelton and Tiafoe set to meet in 3rd roundVideo
NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe is getting the rematch he wants, a second shot at Ben Shelton at the U.S. Open. But there won’t be a second straight Grand Slam title for Barbora Krejcikova. The Wimbledon champion was knocked out of the U.S. Open in the second round Wednesday, defeated...
U.S. Open: Naomi Osaka gets her 1st top-10 win in more than 4 years by defeating Jelena OstapenkoVideo
NEW YORK — A year ago, still on maternity leave and still unsure when she would play elite tennis again, Naomi Osaka visited the U.S. Open to appear with Michael Phelps for a discussion about mental health. While at the site, she sat in the stands to watch one of...
Football player dies of head injury received in practice at West Virginia middle school
MADISON, W.Va. — A 13-year-old football player in West Virginia died over the weekend after receiving a head injury in practice, his father said. Madison Middle School defensive lineman Cohen Craddock was hurt while making a tackle on Friday. The eighth grader suffered from brain bleeding and swelling and was...
Xander Schauffele has the points for PGA player of the year. But the award no longer exists
ATLANTA — Winning two majors in a year used to be a shoo-in for earning the points-based award for player of the year presented annually by the PGA of America since 1948. Xander Schauffele was in line to get at least one award this year. A major is worth 30...
Lexi Thompson is among 3 players added to the U.S. Solheim Cup team
GAINESVILLE, Va. — Lexi Thompson is playing in the Solheim Cup for the seventh straight year, one of three captain’s picks announced Tuesday as the Americans try to win back the cup from Europe. Thompson first played the Solheim Cup in 2013 at age 18, making her the youngest American...
Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Upstart’s boom looms out of view at the U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Even as the U.S. Open opened this week with more than a million fans expected for the sport’s biggest showcase, the game’s leaders are being forced to confront a devastating fact — the nation’s fastest-growing racket sport (or sport of...
Coco Gauff begins her US Open title defense with an easy win after 2-match losing streakVideo
NEW YORK — The chant rang out in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday at the U.S. Open before Coco Gauff’s first service game of her first match of her first Grand Slam tournament as a defending champion: “Here we go, Coco! Here we go!” Coming to Flushing Meadows off...
Analysis: It took 7 decades but the Wood Brothers finally have NASCAR win No. 100Video
Speedy Thompson was the first driver to wheel the famed No. 21 Ford to victory lane for Wood Brothers Racing way back in 1960 with a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ninety-eight wins followed over the next seven decades, all the way through Ryan Blaney’s victory at Pocono Raceway in...
Analysis: Big 12 must ask not only why UConn, but why now as commissioner remains open for business
As Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark steps up discussions in the conference about adding UConn, the question isn’t so much why invite the Huskies as why do it now. “There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12,” Yormark said in July...
Even players aren’t sure who will be at their best for U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Tennis fans unable to decide who has the best shot at doing well at the U.S. Open have company as the year’s last Grand Slam tournament is set to begin Monday. Even the players themselves aren’t sure what to expect. “We’ve seen people, all the time, surprise...
Other than Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR playoff field is shaky
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Martin Truex Jr. should feel safe heading to Darlington Raceway for the Cup Series’ regular-season finale. The 2017 series champion has a 58-point cushion in the playoff standings, likely enough considering the most any driver could make up is roughly 60. Thirteen of the 16 postseason...
Florida team rallies to beat Taiwan, win Little League World Series title
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Lathan Norton scored from second base on an overthrow at first as Lake Mary, Fla., rallied Sunday to beat Taiwan, 2-1, in eight innings and claim the Little League World Series championship. Taiwan clung to a 1-0 from the first inning until Florida’s last at-bat. The team...
Alabama high school football player dies after suffering injury during game
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama high school football player died Saturday, a day after he was critically injured during a game. Morgan Academy quarterback Caden Tellier was hurt following a tackle in the third quarter of the school’s game Friday night against Southern Academy in Selma, headmaster Bryan Oliver told...
Lando Norris beats Max Verstappen to win the Dutch Grand Prix, cut standings gapVideo
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Lando Norris just can’t seem to get his starts right. For once, it didn’t stop him beating Max Verstappen. Norris started on pole position but was slow off the line — a persistent problem for him — allowing Red Bull driver Verstappen to jump ahead. Norris closed...
Harrison Burton wins a wild NASCAR Cup race at Daytona for a playoff berth no one saw coming
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Out of his ride and far removed from the playoff picture, Harrison Burton changed his fortunes with a lap to remember Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. Burton passed two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the final lap in overtime to pick up his first...
