U.S./World Sports category, Page 165
Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic in French Open quarters
PARIS — Rafael Nadal insists he can’t know for sure whether any match at Roland Garros might be his very last at a place he loves, a place he is loved. For now, if he keeps winning and keeps performing the way he did during his monumental quarterfinal victory over...
Nicklaus says he had zero interest in running Saudi leagugeVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jack Nicklaus says he met with a Saudi Arabian group as a courtesy and had “zero interest” in running a rival golf circuit now being led by Greg Norman. “I don’t care what kind of money they would have thrown at me. My allegiance has been to...
No. 1 Iga Swiatek loses set, still advances to French Open quarterfinalsVideo
PARIS — The loss of one set by a player is normally not the stuff of headlines at a Grand Slam tournament. That did constitute news at the French Open on Monday, because the player was No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek and it had been more than a month since that...
Coca-Cola 600 long, unpredictable and immensely entertaining
CONCORD, N.C. — The Coca-Cola 600 was many things — excruciatingly long, wildly unpredictable and perhaps above all else, immensely entertaining. It was, as William Byron described after getting caught up in a 12-car crash, “chaos out there.” In race that took five hours, 13 minutes to complete and included...
Column: Marcus Ericsson hopes Indy 500 win legitimizes his career
INDIANAPOLIS — “Winning the Indy 500, it’s not bad for a pay driver.” That was the message from Marcus Ericsson after the biggest victory of his life, an Indianapolis 500 win that just maybe would earn him some respect as a race car driver. It’s not that Ericsson was some...
The Finals matchup: Celtics vs. Warriors for NBA title
MIAMI — Somewhere, Gregg Popovich must be pleased. Ime Udoka and Steve Kerr played for Popovich with of the San Antonio Spurs, both served as assistant coaches under him, and neither makes any effort to hide the affinity they have for the NBA’s career victory leader. And now, Udoka and...
Denny Hamlin holds off Kyle Busch in OT in wild Coca-Cola 600
CONCORD, N.C. — This was the one race Denny Hamlin has been dreaming about. Hamlin finally got the win he has coveted for the last 17 years, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in overtime Sunday night to win the longest — and perhaps wildest — Coca-Cola 600...
Celtics reach NBA Finals, hold off Heat in Game 7Video
MIAMI — Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24 and the Boston Celtics held off a frantic rally in the final seconds to beat the Miami Heat 100-96 on Sunday night and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. Al Horford...
Steve Alker shoots 63, rallies to win Senior PGA for 1st major
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Ten months ago, Steve Alker was about to turn 50 without any guarantees of getting on the PGA Tour Champions because his professional career left plenty to be desired. Over three decades, he played more than 550 tournaments on six tours. Only three of those seasons...
Sam Burns gets playoff birdie to beat No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at Colonial
FORT WORTH, Texas — Sam Burns has a winning moment of his own at Colonial. Just more than two hours after finishing his round of 5-under 65 to get to 9 under, Burns came back out for a playoff and made a 38-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole...
Nadal to face Djokovic at French Open after 5-set victoryVideo
PARIS — By the end of only the third five-setter Rafael Nadal has played in 112 career matches at Roland Garros, as the sun and temperature descended and the chants of “Ra-fa! Ra-fa!” filled the evening air, the man known as the King of Clay showed precisely what this meant...
Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson gives Chip Ganassi another Indy 500 winVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Ericsson had to leave Formula One to become a global superstar, a goal achieved Sunday when the Swedish driver won the Indianapolis 500. Ericsson took control of the race late — largely because of teammate Scott Dixon’s speeding penalty — and had the win in reach for...
Gervonta Davis stops Rolando Romero in 6th, retains lightweight beltVideo
NEW YORK — Gervonta Davis seemed annoyed enough by all Rolando Romero’s talking to lightly shove him off the stage at their weigh-in. He hit Romero a lot harder Saturday night. Davis regained his knockout power and retained his lightweight title, stopping Romero in the sixth round. Davis landed a...
No. 1 Iga Swiatek finds focus at French Open amid 31-match winning streakVideo
PARIS — It’s been so long since No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek lost — 31 matches now — and even since she ceded so much as a set — that last happened more than a month ago — that she could be forgiven if she couldn’t recall how to react when...
No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has lead at Colonial; Brendon Todd tied for 2nd
FORT WORTH, Texas — Scottie Scheffler almost made it through another round at Colonial without a bogey, this time with wind gusting through the trees at Hogan’s Alley. The world’s top-ranked player has the lead alone after the third round. Scheffler, whose only bogey at Colonial so far this week...
Real Madrid beats Liverpool for unprecedented 14th European Cup titleVideo
PARIS — Real Madrid became European champion for a record-extending 14th time after beating Liverpool, 1-0, in a Champions League final that started 37 minutes late because of disturbing crowd issues outside the Stade de France on Saturday. Brazil winger Vinicius Junior applied a close-range finish in the 59th minute...
Pittsburgh native Chip Ganassi goes to Indy with 5 strong shots in 500Video
INDIANAPOLIS — Chip Ganassi skipped his 1982 graduation ceremony at Duquesne to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. The Pittsburgh native made the field but turned out to be just an OK race car driver. His strengths were outside the car and inside the boardroom. In the 40 years since, Ganassi...
NASCAR hub Charlotte gets sellout for Memorial Day weekendVideo
CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR still is a hot ticket in its Charlotte hub. Charlotte Motor Speedway announced a sellout for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, meaning approximately 100,000 fans are expected to attend NASCAR’s longest race of the season. Grandstand seats sold out earlier this week, and officials announced Saturday...
AP source: Lakers choose Darvin Ham as next head coachVideo
LOS ANGELES — A person with knowledge of the decision says Darvin Ham has accepted an offer to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The person spoke with the Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been publicly announced. The...
Scott Stallings among trio tied for lead after 2nd round at ColonialVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — This has been a good week in North Texas for Scott Stallings, first qualifying for the U.S. Open that will be played less than an hour from where he was born and now sharing the lead at Colonial with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Beau Hossler. Stallings...
Rafael Nadal to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime at French OpenVideo
PARIS — Rafael Nadal knew this was bound to happen. So, too, did his uncle, Toni Nadal, who coached Rafael to most of the nephew’s men’s-record 21 Grand Slam titles. Also well aware this moment would come, of course, was Felix Auger-Aliassime, the promising player who brought aboard the man...
Don’t count Juan Pablo Montoya out, he’s only at Indianapolis to winVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Oh, that’s just Juan. That’s what they say about Juan Pablo Montoya when he doesn’t want to do something, pushes back on a request or simply pretends he can’t hear what he’s been asked. He is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what might be the last time...
Indy 500 driver helmets provide high-speed artVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Stefan Wilson’s first racing helmet was a hand-me-down from his older brother, Justin. So was his second one. And his third. The Wilson brothers designed the pattern together as youngsters growing up racing go-karts in England. When Stefan finally got a chance to style his own protective headgear,...
Scottie Scheffler part of crowded Colonial leaderboardVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — Scottie Scheffler did something last weekend that he rarely does, watching a golf tournament at home after missing a cut. The world’s No. 1 player is back on the course and tied atop a crowded leaderboard at Colonial. Scheffler was among eight players who shot 4-under-par...
Helio Castroneves seeks historic 5th Indianapolis 500 victory
INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves lost his first battle for position in the parking lot of Global Preparatory Academy, a dual-language school located less than 10 minutes from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He’d been to the school before, knew he was supposed to park in an alley around back and knew he’d...
