Update on the latest sports
TENNIS-US OPEN
Fans are back, as US Open begins
NEW YORK (AP) — Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza (GAHR’-been-yuh MOO’-guh-roo-sah) have pulled out tough two-set victories in the opening round of the U.S. Open. Those were two of the earliest victories as the tournament welcomed back spectators after being playing last year without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In other opening-day action:
—Kevin Anderson took a long route to the second round. The 2017 U.S. Open runner-up outlasted Jiri Vesely 7-6 (1), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) in a match that lasted 4 hours, 22 minutes.
— Sloane Stephens needed 2 hours, 10 minutes to edge Madison Keys in a rematch of her victory in the 2017 final.
— On the men’s side, No. 5 Andrey Rublev swept past Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3, and No. 11 seed Diego Schwartzman beat Ricardas Berankis in straight sets.
— Carla Suárez Navarro was eliminated, a year after revealing she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Suárez Navarro was beaten by No. 26 seed Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-4. The Spaniard, who once was ranked as high as No. 6, announced last September that she would undergo six months of chemotherapy.
— Defending women’s champion Naomi Osaka is scheduled to lead off the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
TENNIS-US OPEN-INJURIES
Jennifer Brady withdraws with injury
NEW YORK (AP) — Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady has withdrawn from the U.S. Open because of an injury.
Brady, a semifinalist last year in Flushing Meadows, has not played competitively since being forced to retire from her second-round match against Jelena Ostapenko in Cincinnati. Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, also pulled out Monday for medical reasons.
On the men’s side, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also withdrew. The 2008 Australian Open finalist has a right leg injury.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Donaldson, Ober lead Twins past slumping Tigers, 3-2
UNDATED (AP) — Bailey Ober pitched six solid innings and Josh Donaldson’s two-run homer helped the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2.
The game was a makeup from a July 16 rainout and was played in front of a minuscule crowd. The Twins have won three of four. Detroit has lost four of five, scoring only nine runs. Ober held the slumping Tigers’ offense to two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter. Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 10th save. Detroit starter Casey Mize gave up three runs on five hits — including Donaldson’s homer, his 21st of the season.
MLB-NEWS
Indians catcher Ramos will have season-ending surgery
UNDATED (AP) — Indians catcher Wilson Ramos will require season-ending surgery for torn ligaments in his left knee. Ramos tore his ACL and MCL in the seventh inning of Cleveland’s win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. He fielded a weak hit in front of the plate and was throwing to second base when his left knee buckled and he crumpled to the infield grass.
The 34-year-old Ramos played in 44 games this season — nine with Cleveland, 35 with Detroit. He batted .226 with two homers and seven RBIs for the Indians, who have been without Gold Glove catcher Roberto Pérez for much of the year.
Elsewhere in the majors:
—Boston left-hander Martín Pérez has become the latest Red Sox player to test positive for COVID-19. Red Sox manager Alex Cora made the announcement before Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay. The team is going through the MLB coronavirus protocols that include contact tracing and testing. Infielder-outfielder Kiké Hernández and infielder Christian Arroyo both tested positive last week and were placed on the COVID-19 injured list on Friday. Cora said Hernández and Arroyo are both feeling OK.
— The last-place Pittsburgh Pirates have fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein. The Pirates have struggled to produce offense all season. Pittsburgh is dead last in the majors in runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging. The Pirates are also 27th in the majors in batting average and are on their way to a third straight fifth-place finish in the NL Central.
— Miami Marlins pitching prospect Jake Eder is scheduled to undergo reconstructive elbow surgery and might be sidelined until 2023. Eder was a fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Vanderbilt and is ranked as one of baseball’s top 100 prospects. A 22-year-old left-hander, Eder went 3-5 with a 1.77 ERA over 15 starts this year for Double-A Pensacola. He was chosen for MLB’s Futures Game.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SEC
SEC won’t allow makeup games for short-handed teams
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference teams that don’t have enough available players will have to forfeit games this year.
The league released its policy on dealing with COVID-19 issues during the 2021-22 season in all sports on Monday. Unlike last season, the short-handed team will have to forfeit and will take a loss in the SEC standings for regular season games. The scheduled opponent will be credited with a win.
Commissioner Greg Sankey had indicated in July that teams would have to forfeit instead of getting windows to make up games like last season, emphasizing the need for teams to get vaccinated.
NFL-NEWS
Saints working 500 miles from home after displaced by Ida
UNDATED (AP) — The New Orleans Saints are at the home of another NFL team after being displaced by Hurricane Ida.
Saints players and staff, along with about 120 family members, relocated to North Texas in advance of the storm that made landfall south of New Orleans on Sunday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph and left that entire area without power.
Coach Sean Payton says the Saints will practice through Wednesday at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. That is before a previously planned break before the start of the regular season.
In other NFL news:
— The Indianapolis Colts have put starting quarterback Carson Wentz, starting center Ryan Kelly and starting receiver Zach Pascal on the reserve/COVID-19 list. They join two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Eric Fisher on the list after Fisher tested positive last week. Three-time All-Pro Quenton Nelson came off the list Monday, four days after he was deemed a close contact to Fisher. The Colts host Seattle in their Sept. 12 season opener.
—Detroit Lions backup quarterback Tim Boyle broke his right thumb in the team’s preseason finale and needs surgery. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement today, adding the team is hopeful it was not a season-ending injury.
—The Minnesota Vikings have been dealt their first injury setback of the season with knee surgery scheduled for tight end Irv Smith Jr. The procedure on Smith’s meniscus will likely sideline him for at least a few games. The timetable for his return won’t be known until after the surgery this week by team physician Dr. Christopher Larson.
— The New York Giants have acquired center Billy Price from the Cincinnati Bengals in a trade for defensive lineman B.J. Hill. The deal for players entering their fourth seasons, comes just a day before NFL teams have to cut their rosters to the 53-man limit for the regular season. Neither player was projected to be a starter this season.
— The Buffalo Bills relieved a logjam at defensive end by trading Darryl Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. Buffalo acquired a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft. Johnson proved to be the odd-man out at a pass-rushing position the Bills spent the offseason restocking with talent by drafting Greg Rousseau and Carlos Basham.
NHL-PREDATORS-TOLVANEN
Predators sign Eeli Tolvanen to 3-year, $4.35 million deal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators have signed forward Eeli Tolvanen to a three-year, $4.35 million deal. General manager David Poile announced the deal Monday.
The 22-year-old Tolvanen just finished his first full NHL season. He scored 22 points in 40 games. His 11 goals ranked fourth on the Predators and were the most by a Nashville rookie since Filip Forsberg had 26 in 2014-15. The native of Vihti, Finland, tied for first among NHL rookies with four game-winning goals and tied for second in power-play goals. He had three multi-point games. Tolvanen was the 30th overall draft pick in 2017.
