Top-seeded Novak Djokovic breezed past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 at the U.S. Open. Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite to win his fourth men's championship and he cruised in his first-round matchup at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic pounded his chest and raised his racket in the air, keeping his celebratory routine intact even without fans in the stadium. Djokovic is 24-0 in 2020 and has won 18 of his last 19 matches overall in Grand Slam tournaments.
In other first-day Open action:
Coco Gauff is out of the U.S. Open on Day 1. Anastasija Sevastova knocked off the 16-year-old Gauff in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. It was Gauff's earliest exit from a Grand Slam tournament in four appearances.
Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova has advanced in straight sets. liskova surged ahead of Anhelina Kalinina 4-1 in the opening set, lost three games in a row, then took the last eight for a 6-4, 6-0 victory.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber is sticking around longer at Flushing Meadows than she did a year ago. Kerber eliminated Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-4 in a nearly empty Louis Armstrong Stadium.
No. 9 seed Diego Schwartzman blew a two-set lead and was knocked out in the first round. He led 2-0 but appeared to have problems with cramps as he lost to Cameron Norrie 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-5 in a match that took nearly 4 hours.
Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up and who is seeded 12th in New York, beat Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-4.
A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that seven players have been put in what one described as a "bubble in the bubble" because they were in contact with Benoit Paire. He is the French player who was dropped from the field after testing positive for the coronavirus.
NHL
Victor Hedman scored with 5:50 left in the second overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins and their fourth berth in the NHL's Eastern Conference finals in six seasons on Monday night. Hedman beat goaltender Jaroslav Halak from the left circle, finishing a barrage that saw the Lightning outshoot Bruins 7-1 in the second OT. Tampa Bay improved to 5-0 in overtime games in this year's playoffs.
In NHL news, an Illinois accountant who pleaded guilty to embezzling millions of dollars from a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago and others to finance a luxurious lifestyle was sentenced Monday to 16½ years in prison. Three former Chicago Blackhawks players were among those scammed. Sultan Issa admitted earlier this year that Art Institute trustee Roger L. Weston wasn't his only victim. Issa, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in January, said he also stole millions from individual investors, including $500,000 from a widow who trusted him to invest funds from her late husband's estate. Most of the individual investors who lost money in Issa's scams were not identified in court records.
NBA
Jimmy Butler scored a playoff career-high 40 points, Goran Dragic added 27 and the Miami Heat clamped down defensively in the final three quarters to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-104 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Monday night. Bam Adebayo had 12 points, 17 rebounds and six assists for the fifth-seeded Heat, who are 3-1 overall against the top-seeded Bucks this season. Khris Middleton scored 28 points for Milwaukee, which also dropped Game 1 of its first-round series against Orlando. Brook Lopez had 24 points on 8 for 10 shooting, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks.
In NBA news, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has been named the NBA's most improved player in a season that saw him bounce back from a life-altering blood clot and a trade from the team that drafted him second-overall in 2016. Ingram, who came to New Orleans as part of a block-buster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, averaged a team-leading and career-best 23.8 points per game while hitting 46.3% of his shots. He also became an NBA All-Star for the first time. Ingram received 42 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 326 total points. Ingram credits former Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry for his success.
MLB
Miguel Rojas hit a tiebreaking RBI single during Miami's four-run sixth inning against Jacob deGrom, and the Marlins beat the New York Mets 5-3. Garrett Cooper and Brian Anderson homered for Miami, which had dropped four in a row. Trevor Rogers pitched five effective innings for his first major league win, and Brandon Kintzler worked the ninth for his seventh save. Marlins second baseman Jonathan Villar made a diving catch in shallow center to rob the Mets of a run in the fifth, and then was replaced by a pinch hitter in the sixth.
In other Monday action:
Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory. The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.
Max Fried improved to 6-0, Austin Riley had a bases-loaded triple and the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3. Adam Duvall belted a homer over the Green Monster and Nick Markakis had three hits and drove in two runs for Atlanta. Alex Verdugo had three doubles for the Red Sox.
Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 8-6 Monday night. Juan Soto hit a pair of two-run homers and Michael Taylor and Trea Turner also went deep for the defending World Series champions, who fell to 12-20.
José Iglesias and Bryan Holaday had RBI doubles in the 11th inning for Baltimore, and Iglesias threw out the potential tying run at home plate as the Orioles salvaged a 4-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays. Iglesias' leadoff hit, to deep left-center field, scored Anthony Santander, who started the inning at second base. Holaday then doubled to right field to drive in Iglesias. Both hits came off Toronto reliever Anthony Bass. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had an RBI single in the 11th to draw Toronto closer, but was thrown out at the plate.
Wil Myers homered and Garrett Richards led a committee of pitchers that scattered seven hits as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 6-0 Monday night. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-run triple, Eric Hosmer had an RBI double and Jurickson Profar delivered an RBI single among his three hits, helping the Padres take three of four in the series. It was San Diego's fifth shutout in Denver and first since April 12, 2017.
Luis Robert hit a tying homer in the seventh inning and the go-ahead double in the ninth, and the Chicago White Sox rallied to beat the skidding Minnesota Twins 8-5. The White Sox are in sole possession of first place in the AL Central for the first time this season, ahead of Cleveland and Minnesota.
Orlando Arcia's pinch-hit single with two outs in the eighth inning drove in the tiebreaking run as the Milwaukee Brewers slipped past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on Monday night. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in his first appearance since walking five of the six batters he faced while trying to close out Saturday night's game. Hader has yet to give up a hit this season.
Maikel Franco and Bubba Starling had RBI singles in the eighth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians 2-1 in the first game of a three-game series. It was the Royals' first win this season when trailing after seven innings. Scott Barlow picked up the win in relief for Kansas City.
Paul DeJong hit his first career grand slam, helping Dakota Hudson to his first win of the season as the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Cincinnati Reds 7-5. Hudson finished with a season-high seven strikeouts and no walks. The Cardinals won their second straight after dropping four in a row. The Reds have lost three of four after winning three straight.
In MLB trade moves:
The San Diego Padres have acquired Mike Clevinger in a multiplayer trade with the Cleveland Indians, bolstering their rotation with another bold move ahead of baseball's trade deadline. San Diego got Clevinger, outfielder Greg Allen and a player to be named for Cleveland for a package of young players that included outfielder Josh Naylor, right-hander Cal Quantrill and catcher Austin Hedges.
The Oakland Athletics have acquired Mike Minor in a trade with the Texas Rangers, adding another piece to their rotation. Minor has struggled this year, going 0-5 with a 5.60 ERA with Texas, but he went 14-10 with a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts last season.
Toronto has acquired left-hander Robbie Ray in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving the Blue Jays a former All-Star who has struggled so far in 2020. The Diamondbacks got lefty Travis Bergen in the deal. Toronto also received cash considerations as part of the trade.
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-hander David Phelps from the Milwaukee Brewers before Monday's trade deadline.Phelps is the fourth reliever to join the Phillies in a trade in 10 days. They got Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree from the Red Sox and David Hale from the Yankees on Aug. 21.
The San Francisco Giants acquired left-hander Anthony Banda from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash, adding depth to their bullpen. Banda went 1-0 with a 10.29 ERA in four outings with one save over seven innings for the Rays before being designated for assignment.
The Chicago Cubs acquired veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin and two left-handed relievers in three trades. The NL Central leaders sent minor league infielder Zack Short to Detroit for Maybin, who is batting .244 with a homer and two RBIs in 14 games this year. The Cubs got Chafin and a cash consideration from Arizona for a player to be named or cash. Osich was acquired in a deal with Boston for a player to be named or cash.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded right-hander Ross Stripling to the Toronto Blue Jays for two players to be named. The Blue Jays have dramatically bolstered their pitching staff at the deadline with the additions of Stripling, Robbie Ray and Taijuan Walker. Stripling is 3-1 with a 5.61 ERA in seven starts this season for Los Angeles.
The New York Mets acquired infielder Todd Frazier and catcher Robinson Chirinos from the Texas Rangers. Texas receives two players to be named. New York also receives cash in the deal involving Chirinos. The Mets also acquired Baltimore right-hander Miguel Castro for minor league left-hander Kevin Smith and a player to be named or cash. New York is bringing Frazier back after he hit 39 home runs for the Mets over two seasons in 2018 and 2019. He hit .241 with two homers in 31 games for Texas this year.
The Colorado Rockies added outfield depth by acquiring Kevin Pillar from Boston in a trade-deadline deal. The Red Sox received a player to be named or cash and international amateur signing bonus pool space as part of the deal.
In other MLB news, the league has announced that the first two games of Oakland's series at Seattle have been postponed to allow for additional testing and contact tracing. This, after a member of the Athletics' organization tested positive for the coronavirus. The positive test already caused the postponement of Oakland's game Sunday against the Houston Astros. Now games against the Mariners on Tuesday and Wednesday are being put off. The A's are also scheduled to play at Seattle on Thursday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The sports world is reacting to the death of former Georgetown coach John Thompson. He was a Hall of Famer and the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men's basketball championship. Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing played center for Thompson on the Hoyas' national championship team in 1984. He called Thompson a "father figure, confidant and role model' and said his legacy will be "everlasting." Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim lauded Thompson as a role model for a lot of coaches, Black and white. Thompson's family announced his death Monday but disclosed no details. He was 78.
NFL
NFL Players Association President J.C. Tretter is pushing for daily COVID-19 testing during the regular season. The NFL has been conducting daily testing for players throughout training camp and plans to do so through Saturday. Tretter, the starting center for the Cleveland Browns, posted on the union website. "We will continue to rely on scientific data to inform our approach for combating this virus. As the science evolves, we will evolve with it." The league has reported few positive cases in the past month, though it did have 77 false positives a week ago that resulted from contamination at the testing lab.
In other NFL news:
End zones will be inscribed this season with two slogans: "It Takes All Of Us" on one end line, "End Racism" on the other. As part of its social justice awareness initiatives, the NFL also will allow similar visuals on helmets and caps. Previously announced were decals on the back of helmets, or patches on team caps, displaying names or phrases to honor victims of racism and/or police brutality. Now, a T-shirt designed by NFL Players Association executive committee member Michael Thomas, a safety with the Houston Texans, can be worn in warmups.
The NFL has taken over the independent investigation into workplace conduct within the Washington Football Team. Owner Dan Snyder said he and his wife, Tanya, suggested to Commissioner Roger Goodell the NFL assume full oversight of the review. The Washington Post reported last month about 15 female former employees saying they were sexually harassed during their time with the team.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived running back Leonard Fournette. It's a stunning decision that gets the team closer to purging Tom Coughlin's tenure. The team spent months trying to trade the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. If Fournette clears waivers, he would become a free agent. He is due $4.17 million in salary in 2020 if someone claims him.
The Houston Texans have signed inside linebacker Zach Cunningham to a four-year, $58 million contract extension. The Texans announced the signing on Monday. The 25-year-old Cunningham was a second-round pick in 2017 and ranked second in the NFL last season with a career-high 137 tackles.
The San Francisco 49ers have placed starting middle linebacker Fred Warner on the reserve/COVID-19 list less than two weeks before the start of the season. The list is used for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or have been in close contact with an infected person.
Pittsburgh outside linebacker Bud Dupree and the Steelers failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension during the offseason, meaning Dupree will likely become a free agent next spring. The Steelers placed the franchise tag on Dupree in March after he had a career-high 11 1/2 sacks in 2019.
The Las Vegas Raiders have released veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara. Amukamara was signed as a free agent to provide a veteran presence in the secondary. He started 99 games over nine seasons with the Giants, Jacksonville and Chicago but had been surpassed in practice by rookie Damon Arnette.
Three people have filed a lawsuit against New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker, claiming that he robbed them at gunpoint during a May cookout in Florida. The civil lawsuit filed in Broward County, Florida, seeks $100,000 in damages. Baker was charged Aug. 7 with four counts of robbery with a firearm. Prosecutors previously said Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, who also was arrested in May, won't be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence.
© The Associated Press 2020. All Rights Reserved.