Quieter, calmer Kyrgios in Wimbledon quarters years later
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Nick Kyrgios has reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 7 1/2 years with a five-set victory at Wimbledon over Brandon Nakashima of the United States. Kyrgios repeatedly was visited by a trainer to massage his right shoulder. The unseeded 27-year-old Australian hit 35 aces and pulled out the 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 win at Centre Court after more than three hours. He was much calmer and quieter than during and after his previous match against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios repeatedly argued with the chair umpire in that win and was later fined $4,000 for cursing aloud. He also was docked $10,000 after his first-round match.
Griner sends letter to President Biden pleading for his help
Brittney Griner made an appeal to President Joe Biden in a letter passed on to the White House through her representatives saying she feared she may never return home and asking that he not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.” Griner's agent says the letter was delivered on Monday. The Phoenix Mercury All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is in the midst of a trial in Russia that began last week after she was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for her Russian team. The trial will resume Thursday.
Wimbledon appealing fine from women's tour over Russia ban
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — The All England Club is appealing a fine levied by the WTA women’s professional tennis tour for banning Russian and Belarusian players from tournaments in Britain because of the war in Ukraine. The Lawn Tennis Association also is expected to appeal a financial penalty imposed by the WTA after no players from Russia or Belarus were allowed to take part in grass-court tuneup events last month at Eastbourne, Nottingham and Birmingham. All England Club CEO Sally Bolton says the club appealed its WTA fine and is “is still waiting to hear from” the ATP men's tour.
Nats' Soto says MRI showed no damage to injured left calf
WASHINGTON (AP) — Juan Soto says an MRI on his left calf showed no damage after he left the Washington Nationals game Sunday against the Miami Marlins because of tightness. Soto felt something behind his left knee and in his calf after making a throw in right field in the top of the third inning and exited after running the bases in the fourth. Soto was not in the Nats lineup Monday but pinch-hit in the eighth and drew a walk. The 23-year-old star says he's taking it day by day. Soto had an eight-game hitting streak going into Sunday. The team is in talks to try to sign the face of the franchise to a long-term contract.
De La Cruz homers in 10th, Marlins beat Nationals again
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer off the foul pole in the 10th inning to keep the Miami Marlins’ domination of the Washington Nationals going with a 3-2 victory. The Marlins beat the Nationals for the 12th time in 13 games this year. They extended their winning streak to five and moved two games back of .500 at nearly the halfway point of the season. It’s the first time De La Cruz had homered in the ninth inning or later in his major league career. Juan Soto pinch-hit and drew a walk a day after leaving the game with left calf tightness.
Arraez gets 3 hits as Twins beat White Sox 6-3 in 10 innings
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Arraez had three hits, including a tiebreaking RBI single in Minnesota’s four-run 10th inning, and the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3. Arraez’s leadoff grounder against Joe Kelly drove in pinch-runner Gilberto Celestino. Jorge Polanco added a sacrifice fly, and Alex Kirilloff made it 6-2 with a two-run single. The AL Central contenders faced off hours after a gunman opened fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, killing at least six people. The White Sox talked to Major League Baseball about postponing the game, but it went on as scheduled.
A win on the 4th: USA Basketball pulls away, tops Cuba 87-64
HAVANA (AP) — There were some cheers for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before USA Basketball’s game in Cuba on Independence Day. And then the Americans celebrated the holiday with a big win. Xavier Munford scored 24 points and the U.S. defeated Cuba 87-64 on Monday night to close the first round of qualifying for next year’s Basketball World Cup. The U.S. is now 31-1 all-time against the island nation. Munford was 10 for 12 from the floor for the Americans. Justin Jackson scored 13 points for the Americans. They'll start the second round of World Cup qualifying in late August.
Morgan scores twice and US women down Haiti 3-0
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Alex Morgan scored a pair of first-half goals and the U.S. women’s national team defeated Haiti 3-0 on Monday in the opening match of the CONCACAF W Championship. The tournament determines the region’s four direct berths in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Midge Purce also scored for the United States, which has won the past two World Cups.
NHL Draft: The risk of attending and not getting selected
The NHL draft in Montreal this week is being conducted in person for the first time since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic forced the past two events to be held remotely. With prospects again in attendance, it opens the age-old question of whether it's worth going for some at risk of not hearing their name called through the seven-round draft. Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane recalls almost giving up. He sat in the stands through 12-plus rounds over two consecutive summers before finally getting selected 166th overall by Calgary in the 2015 draft in Florida.
LEADING OFF: Scherzer returns for Mets, Taillon on a roll
New York Mets ace Max Scherzer returns to a major league mound for the first time since May 18 when the NL East leaders play at Cincinnati on Tuesday night. The right-hander, who turns 38 in three weeks, hasn’t pitched for the Mets since he strained the oblique muscle in his left side while throwing a pitch. Scherzer is 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA in his first season with the Mets, who signed the three-time Cy Young Award winner to a $130 million, three-year contract during the offseason. He made a pair of starts for Double-A Binghamton on June 21 and 29, allowing four earned runs and seven hits in eight innings with 14 strikeouts and two walks.
MLB:
In baseball news, the Mets topped the Reds, 7-4, and the Red Sox shut out the Rays, 4-0.
NFL:
And Hank Goldberg, who worked at ESPN as an NFL reporter and handicapping expert for two decades, died Monday on his 82nd birthday, his family confirmed.