U.S./World Sports category, Page 166
U.S. men’s team cruises past Morocco; Christian Pulisic critical of fan supportVideo
CINCINNATI — U.S. captain Christian Pulisic was critical of the level of American support from the crowd of 19,512 at TQL Stadium during a 3-0 victory over Morocco on Wednesday night in the first of four World Cup warmup matches in June. “For whatever reason, I’m not super happy with...
NBA finalists Warriors, Celtics built teams through draftVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — When Steve Kerr looks at the way the Boston Celtics built a championship-caliber team, he sees plenty of similarities to how his Golden State Warriors got to the NBA Finals in 2015. Boston built a core through the draft by taking Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson...
Jon Rahm ready to start over and get another chance at MemorialVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jon Rahm is ready to start over at the Memorial as tempting as it is to look back. That last shot he hit at Muirfield Village was tapping in for par on the 18th hole that gave him a six-shot lead and a place in the tournament...
Dog days: Coach K enjoying family, ‘at peace’ with coaching retirementVideo
DURHAM, N.C. — Mike Krzyzewski is savoring the first taste of life after a Hall of Fame coaching career at Duke. The 75-year-old has spent time with family, travel and a new puppy in the two months since his coaching retirement. The magnitude of that change hit home during his...
Names listed for Saudi golf league, battle lines drawn
DUBLIN, Ohio — The first Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational has Dustin Johnson and 12 other PGA Tour members as part of its 48-man field next week outside London. The next move falls to the PGA Tour, which must decide whether to allow them to come back. The first fallout after...
Amelie Mauresmo: Women’s tennis has less ‘appeal’ than men’sVideo
PARIS — Amelie Mauresmo, a former No. 1 player who is in her first year as the French Open’s first female tournament director, said Wednesday that nine of the 10 night sessions at Roland Garros involved men’s matches because women’s tennis currently has less “appeal.” Speaking at the traditional second-week...
U.S. Women’s Open’s $10M purse offers hope for gender pay equalityVideo
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Dottie Pepper recalls being paired with Meg Mallon for the final round of the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open with what she viewed as an impressive $110,000 first-place prize on the line. Things have changed, but Lydia Ko says not enough. Mallon would win that tournament and...
Swiatek benefits from double bounce no-call while advancing into French Open semifinals
PARIS — Iga Swiatek benefited from the chair umpire’s no-call on a double bounce that gave her a key first-set service break during a match-altering five-game run and the French Open’s No. 1 seed moved into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jessica Pegula on Wednesday. Swiatek extended...
Dustin Johnson defies PGA Tour and joins Saudi-funded seriesVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Three months after declaring he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour, Dustin Johnson is among 42 players in the field for next week’s LIV Golf Invitational, which offers a $25 million in prize money that’s backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Phil Mickelson was missing...
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...
