Update on the latest sports

TENNIS-US OPEN

Djokovic advances

NEW YORK (AP) —Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of the calendar-year Grand Slam is still alive at the U.S. Open. Djokovic dropped the first set to Kei Nishikori before he rallied to a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Djokovic avoided a recent run of upsets at Flushing Meadows and improved to 25-0 in Grand Slam matches this season.

He’s trying to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969. No man has won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open in the same season since Rod Laver.

The No. 1-seed Djokovic is the first man since Laver to claim a season’s first three major trophies. Djokovic shares the men’s mark of 20 career major titles with Federer and Nadal.

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.

— Oscar Otte (OH’-teh) has given the U.S. Open men’s bracket a trio of qualifiers in the fourth round for the first time since the tournament began keeping qualifying records in 1982. It’s also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament that three male qualifiers reached Week 2 since the 1995 French Open. Otte, a German who is ranked 144th, beat Andeas Seppi of Italy 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5. He is the lowest-ranked man to get to the fourth round in New York since No. 179 Jiri Novak in 2006. Qualifiers Peter Gojowczyk and Botic van de Zandschulp won third-round matches Friday. Otte’s next opponent will be Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini.

— Iga Swiatek reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Anett Kontaveit.

– Emma Raducanu continues to roll at the U.S. Open, using a straight-sets victory to advance to the fourth round. Raducanu beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1 to set up a potential date with top-seeded Ash Barty. Barty was scheduled to play Saturday night against Shelby Rogers.

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

MLB-SCHEDULE

O’s rally against Chapman, win after nearly no-hitting Yanks

UNDATED (AP) — Aroldis Chapman gave up Pedro Severino’s tiebreaking sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees lost to Baltimore 4-3 after the last-place Orioles took a no-hitter into the seventh.

Joey Gallo’s two-run homer in the eighth tied it at 3, and manager Aaron Boone went to his All-Star closer with the save taken out of play.

Ryan Mountcastle struck out against Chapman leading off but reached via wild pitch. Austin Hays singled and Trey Mancini walked to load the bases, and Chapman struck out Ramón Urías before Severino’s fly to deep left field easily scored Mountcastle from third.

In other MLB action:

— After blowing a nine-run lead, Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the New York Mets extended their winning streak to six by beating the Washington Nationals 11-9 to open a split doubleheader on Saturday. Ahead 9-0 in the fourth, the Mets saw the Nationals force extra innings on Andrew Stevenson’s two-out, two-run homer in the seventh that made it 9-all. Mets reliever Trevor May escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth. Lindor then led off the ninth with his 12th homer. Washington lost its seventh in a row. The Mets have never blown a lead of more than eight runs in a loss, and barely avoided doing it this time.

MLB-NEWS

Rays rookie Wander Franco back in lineup

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays rookie shortstop Wander Franco was back in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins after clearing MLB concussion protocols. Franco extended his on-base streak to 33 games with a seventh-inning walk Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox. He left after the at-bat with a headache. He was checked by a trainer after pointing toward his head several times earlier in the plate appearance. The 20-year sat out last night’s game with the Twins.

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.

T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SCHEDULE

No. 2 Oklahoma holds on for 40-35 win over Tulane

UNDATED (AP) — Spencer Rattler passed for 304 yards and a touchdown and No. 2 Oklahoma, playing a road game on its home field, narrowly avoided a shocking upset by holding on for a 40-35 victory over Tulane on Saturday. The game was relocated from New Orleans because of Hurricane Ida.

Oklahoma led by five in the fourth quarter and Tulane had possession, but quarterback Michael Pratt ran for 12 yards on a fourth-and-13 play.

Tulane turned the ball over on downs, and Oklahoma ran out the clock. Oklahoma’s Gabe Brkic tied an FBS record with three field goals of 50 or more yards.

Pratt passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score.

In other T25 action:

— Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Graham Mertz deep in Penn State territory in the final 2½ minutes to preserve the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions’ 16-10 victory over No. 12 Wisconsin. Wisconsin had its string of 25 consecutive victories in home openers snapped because of its red-zone failures. The Badgers dominated time of possession but had four scoreless trips inside Penn State’s 25, including three inside the 10.

— Anthony Brown scored on a 30-yard quarterback keeper with 2:57 left and the No. 11 Oregon Ducks overcame a wobbly season opener with a 31-24 victory over Fresno State. Oregon jumped to a 21-6 lead, but Fresno State scored two unanswered touchdowns to tie the game midway through the third quarter, then took the lead early in the fourth on Abraham Montano’s field goal. A fumble recovery gave Oregon the ball at the Fresno State 32, but the Ducks settled for Camden Lewis’ 25-yard field goal to tie it before Brown’s go-ahead touchdown.

T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

Oregon DE Thibodeaux injured in opener against Fresno St.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux injured his left ankle in Saturday’s game against Fresno State. Thibodeaux, mentioned as a possible Heisman candidate this season, was injured in the first half of No. 11 Oregon season opener, but returned after having the ankle taped. The 6-foot-5, 258-pound third-year sophomore emerged from halftime wearing street clothes and a walking boot on his left leg.

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.

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.

PGA-TOUR CHAMPIONS

Koepka withdraws from Tour Championship with wrist injury

ATLANTA (AP) — Brooks Koepka has pulled out of the Tour Championship with a left wrist injury after hitting a tree root. The four-time major champion says he withdrew as a precaution. He had no chance of winning at East Lake, and the Ryder Cup starts in 20 days. Koepka was among the six Americans who earned automatic spots on the team. Koepka says it’s the same he had issues with nearly four years ago. He missed three months, including the Masters, with a partially torn tendon in his left wrist.

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.

NFL-OBIT-ILLKIN

Former Pro Bowl lineman, broadcaster Tunch Ilkin dies at 63

UNDATED (AP) — Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman and broadcaster Tunch Ilkin has died. He was 63.

The popular Ilkin was a fixture on the Steelers’ offensive line after being taken in the sixth round of the 1980 draft. He played 13 of his 14 seasons in the NFL in Pittsburgh, making the Pro Bowl in 1988 and 1989 as an athletic right tackle under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. He appeared in 176 games for the Steelers, making 143 starts.

Ilkin spent 23 years as part of the organization’s radio broadcast team. He revealed last fall that he was battling Lou Gehrig’s disease and had been hospitalized recently with pneumonia. He is survived by his wife and three children.