Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova are 0-3 in Grand Slam finals. One will win Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Ons Jabeur will face Marketa Vondrousova in the women's final at Wimbledon on Saturday. The winner will be a first-time major champion. They are a combined 0-3 in title matches at Grand Slam tournaments. Jabeur left Wimbledon a year ago without the trophy but more confident than ever that she would win a big title one day. Vondrousova was at the All England Club in 2022, too. But she wasn't playing. She was cheering for her best friend while wearing a cast on her surgically repaired left wrist. They play similarly varied games, with drop shots and changes of pace.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet in the Wimbledon final
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet in the Wimbledon final. Both won their semifinals in straight sets. Djokovic closed in on his eighth title at the All England Club and fifth in a row by repeatedly serving his way out of potential trouble to beat Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Djokovic is pursuing a 24th Grand Slam title overall. Alcaraz advanced to his second major final and first at Wimbledon by eliminating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Alcaraz is a 20-year-old from Spain who is ranked No. 1. Djokovic is a 36-year-old from Serbia who is ranked No. 2.
Tennessee fined more than $8 million for over 200 infractions in football program
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA has fined Tennessee more than $8 million and issued a scathing report outlining more than 200 infractions during the three-year tenure of former football coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Volunteers escaped a postseason ban. The sprawling report said Tennessee committed 18 Level I violations, the most severe, and said most involved recruiting infractions and direct payments to athletes and their families. Those benefits totaled approximately $60,000. The NCAA found most of the violations were related to a paid unofficial visit scheme that was used consistently by the football program over two years.
Brittney Griner surprised herself with making the WNBA All-Star Game
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brittney Griner didn’t know what to expect when the WNBA season began and how she would respond after the trauma she experienced of being incarcerated in Russia that also forced her off the court for many months. Griner surprised herself. She played well enough to become a starter in Saturday’s All-Star Game. Griner spent nearly 300 days in Russian custody after being arrested Feb. 17, 2022, on drug charges at an airport near Moscow. She was released Dec. 8 after the U.S. government agreed to a prisoner swap.
Brewers’ Burnes nearly faints in sweltering heat, fans 13 in 1-0 win over Reds
CINCINNATI (AP) — Corbin Burnes struck out the side in the sixth inning after nearly collapsing in the fifth in oppressive humidity, Victor Caratini singled in a run in the seventh and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 on Friday night. After his 10th strikeout, Burnes squatted behind the mound with his head lowered as teammates and trainers rushed over. He took a couple of warmup pitches, then retired Matt McLain on an infield pop to end the inning. The game-time temperature was 91 degrees. Burnes (8-5) struck out 13 in six innings. He allowed only two hits to help the Brewers tie the Reds atop the NL Central standings. Devin Williams closed for his 21st save.
Bo Naylor, Josh Naylor become first brothers to hit multi-run homers in same inning for same team
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bo and Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians became the first brothers major league history to hit multi-run homers in the same inning for the same team when each hit a two-run shot during the third inning at Texas. Bo Naylor hit a 1-0 changeup from Rangers starter Jon Gray an estimated 435 feet to right field at Globe Life Field with no outs in the third inning. Four batters later, Josh hit a 3-1 slider from Gray down the right-field line and it just barely stayed fair. The Guardians lost 12-4. The last brothers to go deep in the same inning were B.J. and Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves on April 23, 2013.
McIlroy can't buy a putt and still posts 66 to lead Scottish Open
GULLANE, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy is coming off a two-week break and sure doesn't look to have much rust. At least with his irons. McIlroy was practically flawless from tee to green in the Scottish Open. He had a 66 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend. He only wishes it could have been better. McIlroy missed nine putts from 10 feet or closer, all but one of those chances for birdie. He's still happy to be leading. One shot behind are Tom Kim, Byeong Hun An and Tyrrell Hatton. Among those missing the cut are Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay.
Ionescu hits 20 straight shots for a record 37 points to win the 3-point contest; Aces win skills
LAS VEGAS (AP) — New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu electrified the crowd by scoring a record 37 of a possible 40 points to easily win the 3-point shooting contest at the WNBA All-Star Game. She beat the Seattle Storm’s Sami Whitcomb and the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale in the final. Whitcomb had 24 points and Ogunbowale 11. The Las Vegas Aces’ team of Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum won the skills competition with a time of 44.3 seconds in the final round, easily beating the 58.0 put up by the Liberty’s Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot.
Alex Galchenyuk of Coyotes repeatedly used racial slur, intimidated officers after stop, report says
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — A police report says Alex Galchenyuk repeatedly used racial slurs toward a police officer in training and threatened to have two officers killed during a traffic stop last weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. Those actions led the Arizona Coyotes to terminate the player's contract. A Scottsdale Police Department report said Galchenyuk was erratic and aggressive toward officers after apparently crashing a car into a sign. Police said in the report that Galchenyuk cited connections in Moscow while threatening the officers' lives and uttered a racial slur several times while referring to the officer in training. Galchenyuk was born in the U.S. to Belarusian parents and spent much of his childhood in Russia.
World cycling’s governing body bans female transgender athletes from women’s events
AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) — Female transgender athletes who transitioned after male puberty will no longer be able to compete in women’s races. The world cycling governing body the UCI announced the ban on Friday. The International Cycling Union joined the governing bodies in track and field and swimming as top-tier Olympic sports addressing the issue of transgender athletes and fairness in women’s events in this way. Its decision came after American rider Austin Killips became the first openly transgender woman to win an official cycling event earlier this year. The UCI says the ban starts Monday and was necessary to “ensure equal opportunities.”
