Update on the latest sports

TENNIS-US OPEN

Djokovic continues pursuit of Grand Slam; Osaka considers another break

NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) is continuing his pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam in a third-round match against Kei Nishikori (kay nih-shih-KOHR’-ee) at the U.S. Open.

Djokovic has won all 23 matches he’s played at the four most important tournaments in tennis in 2021. That means he is five victories away from a 28-0 mark that would make him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four major tennis singles championships in one season. Djokovic would become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam. He would also pass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men. He tied them with 20 after winning this year’s Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

Djokovic is trying to avoid a recent run of upsets at the U.S. Open. On Friday, defending champion Naomi Osaka and two leading men’s seeds — No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas (SEET’-see-pahs) and No. 5 Andrey Rublev — all lost.

Among other matches on Saturday:

— Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic (BEN’-chich) is back in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. The 11th-seeded Bencic eliminated No. 23 Jessica Pegula (peh-GOO’-luh) 6-2, 6-4 in a rematch from the Summer Games. Bencic was a semifinalist at the 2019 U.S. Open, her best Grand Slams showing.

— French Open semifinalist Maria Sakkari collected her eighth victory this season against an opponent ranked in the top 20 by defeating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova (kuh-VIHT’-oh-vuh) 6-4, 6-3. The 17th-seeded Sakkari hit nine aces, was never broken and has made it to Week 2 at the U.S. Open for the second year in a row.

— Bianca Andreescu is now 10-0 for her U.S. Open career and back in the fourth round of the tournament she won in 2019. The sixth-seeded Canadian had little trouble advancing with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over 104th-ranked Greet Minnen of Belgium, who has never beaten a top-10 player.

— Women’s No. 1 Ash Barty tries to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in her U.S. Open career when she plays Shelby Rogers in an evening match. Barty has a 5-0 career mark against Rogers, with four wins against her over a three-month span this year. Barty skipped the tournament last year, when it was played without fans.

— Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev plays American Jack Sock in Arthur Ashe Stadium at night.

NBA-NETS-PISTONS TRADE

Pistons get DeAndre Jordan in multiplayer deal with Nets

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have acquired veteran center DeAndre Jordan in a multiplayer trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Pistons also received four second-round picks and cash considerations from the Nets in exchange for forward Sekou Doumbouya and center Jahlil Okafor.

The 33-year-old Jordan signed a free-agent deal with Brooklyn on July 6, 2019, part of a big summer for the Nets that also included Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joining the team. Jordan averaged 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 57 games last season. He made 43 starts but had dropped out of the rotation by the end of the year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MISSISSIPPI-VIRUS

Kiffin to miss Ole Miss opener after positive COVID-19 test

UNDATED (AP) — Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin will miss the opener against Louisville with a breakthrough case of COVID-19.

Kiffin announced the positive test on Saturday, two days ahead of the Rebels’ opener in Atlanta.

Kiffin says he, his staff and his players are all fully vaccinated. He said no other members of the team are expected to miss the game because of COVID-19.

LPGA-SOLHEIM CUP

Steady Europe takes early lead over US at Solheim Cup

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Defending champion Europe has surged in front at the 2021 Solheim Cup in women’s golf.

The Europeans won three of the opening four alternate-shot matches to take a 3 1/2- 1/2 lead over the U.S. The matches were tight, with no group ever leading by more than two holes at any point.

There will be four four-ball matches in the afternoon.

The Europeans thrive in the foursomes format at the biennial event. The U.S.’s last victory in opening foursomes came in 2007. Europe is seeking its second victory on U.S. soil in the Solheim Cup’s 31-year history.

F1-NETHERLANDS GP

Verstappen takes pole ahead of Hamilton

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch driver Max Verstappen has won the pole position for Sunday’s Netherlands Grand Prix, to the delight of his Orange Army of fans.

The Red Bull driver’s final lap Saturday was just good enough to beat Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton by .04 seconds and his teammate Valtteri Bottas by .034.

Verstappen’s orange-clad fans stood and roared when he went past the main grandstand area and sealed his season-leading seventh pole of the season. That is four more than F1 record holder Hamilton.

Hamilton missed out on record-extending 102nd career pole but leads Verstappen by three points in the standings.