By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka has kicked off her clay season with a comfortable straight-sets win over qualifier Anastasia Potapova in the first round of the Madrid Open. Osaka has pledged to be more positive with herself this season. The four-time Grand Slam champion defeated Potapova
Continue Reading LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Keeneland says an exercise rider has died after being thrown from a horse at its training track. A Keeneland spokeswoman confirmed 20-year-old Callie Witt died Friday morning after being thrown from a 2-year-old horse. On-site medical personnel immediately tended to Witt for life-threatening injuries, according to a statement by Keeneland. The
Continue Reading By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has launched a late bid to buy Chelsea for 4.25 billion pounds. Rival offers featuring American investors were already being assessed as the sale process is nearing a conclusion. The English Premier League club was put up for sale in March after Russia owner
Continue Reading STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn women’s basketball player Caroline Ducharme has undergone surgery on her left hip. The school says Thursday’s procedure repaired damage from an injury the rising sophomore suffered before arriving at UConn. Ducharme, who made the All-Big East second team as a freshman, was to begin a rehabilitation program Friday. She is
Continue Reading MUNICH (AP) — Botic van de Zandschulp has upset the second-seeded Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open. The Dutch player saved the only break point he faced and won 50 per cent of his first-serve return points to win in one hour and 34 minutes. Van de Zandschulp next
Continue Reading By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Katie Taylor used to pretend she was a boy so she could box. Amanda Serrano fought for thousands of dollars with a resume that in men’s boxing would earn her many millions. Now they meet Saturday night in one of the most significant women’s boxing
Continue Reading By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins has advanced to the second round of the Madrid Open with a straight-set victory over Monica Puig. The sixth-seeded American won the last eight games on the Arantxa Sánchez court. Puig is returning to action following shoulder and bicep surgeries. The
Continue Reading By CNN Sport staff Six-time grand slam champion Boris Becker was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail on Friday for flouting the terms of his bankruptcy in 2017, according to the UK’s Insolvency Service. Earlier this month, the 54-year-old Becker, a former world No. 1 and three-time Wimbledon champion, was found guilty of four offenses
Continue Reading By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Europe’s soccer leagues have title duels and top-of-the-table showdowns this weekend with runaway leaders also set to be crowned. The season is entering a final month that will peak with the Champions League final on May 28. Real Madrid is poised to seal the Spanish league
Continue Reading LONDON (AP) — Tennis great Boris Becker was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Friday for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt. The three-time Wimbledon champion was convicted earlier this month on four charges under the Insolvency Act and had faced a maximum sentence of
Continue Reading By Ben Church and Benjamin Brown, CNN West Ham United are investigating an incident in which two German commentators were allegedly attacked inside the London Stadium during the team’s Europa League semifinal first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. Tim Brockmeier and Philipp Hofmeister, working for German broadcaster Hessischer Runfunk, said their headsets were ripped
Continue Reading STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State has hired Boston College athletic director Patrick Kraft to be its next AD. The 43-year-old Kraft will take over for the retiring Sandy Barbour on July 1 after the Penn State Board of Trustees approved an agreement that had been in the works for several days. The former
Continue Reading By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has launched a late bid to buy Chelsea for 4.25 billion pounds ($5.3 billion). Rival offers featuring American investors were already being assessed as the sale process is nearing a conclusion. The Premier League club was put up for sale in March after Russia
Continue Reading BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona says midfielder Nico González and forward Martin Braithwaite have been sidelined because of health issues. Nico fractured a toe on his left foot in practice and Braithwaite tested positive for COVID-19. The club did not say how long they are expected to be out. Barcelona has only five games left
Continue Reading By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer Europe’s domestic leagues have told UEFA to scale back its plans to add more Champions League matches and help teams to qualify based on their historical performances in the competition. The Champions League is due to expand from 32 to 36 teams with two slots set aside for
Continue Reading By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has launched a late bid to buy Chelsea for 4.25 billion pounds ($5.3 billion). Three three offers featuring American investors were already being assessed as the sale process is nearing a conclusion. Chelsea was put up for sale in March after Russia owner Roman
Continue Reading By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Karim Benzema and VinÃcius Júnior will likely be rested on Saturday for the match that can give the team the Spanish league title. Madrid needs a draw against Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to clinch its record-extending 35th league
Continue Reading GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — American Hunter Armstrong has set a swimming world record in the men’s 50-meter backstroke. Armstrong posted a time of 23.71 seconds in the non-Olympic event at the International Team Trials at Greensboro, North Carolina. The meet is selecting the U.S. team that will compete at this summer’s world championships in Budapest,
Continue Reading By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — The president of the Spanish rugby federation will resign from his job after the national team lost its place at next year’s Rugby World Cup for fielding an ineligible player. Alfonso Feijoo says he swill step down when the appeal process is completed. He also says
Continue Reading VIENNA (AP) — Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been appointed as coach of the Austrian national team. The Austrian soccer federation says Rangnick will start working with the team in late May ahead of a Nations League game against Croatia on June 3. That is shortly after United’s last scheduled game of the
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