German Kerber, the top seed, cruised by Japanese qualifier Risa Ozaki 6-2 6-2 while Czech second seed Pliskova beat 15th-seeded compatriot Barbora Strycova 6-1 6-4. Kerber was barely tested in her 62-minute match during which she displayed a great arsenal of shots and was all over her opponents’ serve. She moves on to face the winner of Monday’s round of 16 clash between Venus Williams and Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova....
The Trojans went three-and-out on the first drive of the game, but with 12:56 left in the first, starting quarterback Kedon Slovis got sacked on third-and-12 and laid on the turf before getting tended to by trainers and walking off the field under his own power. BENDER: 10 candidates to replace Clay Helton Though that was potentially encouraging for the USC signal caller, he was replaced with freshman Jaxson Dart on the following drive....
No one captured the mood more succinctly than @samparks7676 on Twitter: In discussing Lewis’ tenure as Bengals head coach, his critics deal in absolutes because absolutes are available to them. He never has won a playoff game. He has been in the playoffs seven times, which equals the franchise total for the 35 years before he arrived, but no coach ever has been in the playoffs as many times as Lewis without advancing at least once....
The World Number five, who came into the tournament as the top seed, made short work of the local hero, Pablo Andujar, as he sauntered to a 6-4, 6-4 win to complete his second title defence this year. Nishikori had retained the Memphis Open crown earlier this year. The final commenced on a rather anti-climactic note as both players squandered their serves in the first two games. However, both Nishikori and Andujar recovered from their early jitters, as each tested the other most severely....
The midfielder returned from a hip problem in last week’s EFL Cup win at MK Dons, completing just over an hour of the 2-0 victory. It was his first involvement in a matchday squad since the Premier League opener against Norwich City on August 9 but the Guinea international did not travel to Bramall Lane for Saturday’s win over Sheffield United. Reds boss Klopp confirmed Keita’s absence was designed to prepare him for this week’s two games, beginning with the Champions League clash against his former side Salzburg on Wednesday....
“When (Colin) Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem, I had strong feelings about it,” Kelly Stafford wrote in an Instagram on Saturday. “Even when he kept saying it had nothing to do with the flag or military, I didn’t listen. I kept not listening to him or anyone else and let the political rhetoric persuade me that him kneeling was disrespectful to our military. “Over the past several months, I have opened my ears, mind, and heart and it has opened my eyes to see how wrong I was and for that I am sorry....
Kenedy damaged his standing at Chelsea after being sent home from the club’s tour of Asia where he posted an offensive message on Instagram about China. Newcastle 11/5 on dabblebet to beat Huddersfield The 21-year-old apologised but Chelsea’s standing in China was damaged as state media websites and newspapers criticised the club. However, Conte was forced to include Kenedy on the bench in his side’s opening day 3-2 defeat to Burnley at Stamford Bridge and he has remained in training with the first team since their return from pre-season....
He also wasn’t surprised that the season-opening Sprint Unlimited turned into a wreckfest. “It’s what happens every year,” said Kenseth, a two-time Daytona 500 winner who held off Martin Truex Jr. to win the 75-lap exhibition. “I’ve seen a lot of plate races and more end up like that than don’t.” Nine different drivers led the wild race, but Kenseth and Truex had the strongest cars at the end, combining to lead 49 of 75 laps....
According to the latest reports (i.e., people tweeting about it on-site), it’s raining at Churchill Downs just a few hours ahead of the big race. MORE: Fast facts before you pick a horse Most weather forecasts expected the rain to be finished in the early afternoon hours, so this certainly makes things a little more interesting. However, most meteorologists still have the rain subsiding by the time the race kicks off later in the evening....
After a back-and-forth second half, it was No. 1 seed UNC that came out on top, as Maye hit a jumper with three-tenths of a seconds remaining to beat the No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats 75-73 in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels will take on Oregon in the Final Four on Saturday in Glendale, Ariz. MORE: Who is Luke Maye? | Kris Jenkins celebrates with Heels A Twitter List by sn_ncaab...
Michael Olunga has lit up the J-League In a short press briefing after the striker arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, the striker said, And, for those who think the former Gor Mahia striker wants to move because the Japanese League is seen as a lowly league, this is what the striker had to say: Now, the 25-year-old prolific Kenyan striker is said to be attracting interest from a number of European clubs and it looks like he’ll be set for a move soon....
Chopra, the only Indian-origin player to have played in the English Premier League for Newcastle United and Sunderland, has expressed his desire to represent the national team. But Constantine dashed any such ambition, stating that Chopra is past his best and has no chance of making the cut. Replying to that, Chopra said: “He (Constantine) can say whatever he wants. He was nothing as a player and I am entitled to my opinion....
Both the teams missed a flurry of opportunities and the winning goal came only in the 90th minute when Rahul received a cross from Jithin M S from the right flank before pushing the ball into the net. Kerala finished with four wins from as many matches to top the group with 12 points, while Bengal finish second with nine points from four matches. Bengal will face the Group B toppers while Kerala will take on the runner-up in the two semifinals on March 30....
“The conditions with the shadow on court were not so easy to play in the first set,” the third-ranked Kerber said. Defending champion Caroline Garcia survived another tough match to book her place in the third round when she defeated Polona Hercog 7-6 (2), 6-3. Garcia was stretched to three sets in her first-round win over Yafan Wang. Garcia will next face new Wuhan Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who saw off Garbine Muguruz 7-5, 6-4 on her third match point....
Irish striker Robbie Keane, who joined Los Angeles Galaxy from Tottenham last summer, is to spend two months on loan at Aston Villa, the club announced on Thursday. The midlands side completed the final paperwork early Thursday and he could be in the lineup for the Premier league match with Everton on Saturday. That would mean the 31-year-old would play alongside Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan who has linked up with the Toffees for a second loan spell....
The president met with a group of 10 Republican senators on Monday in a bid to find a bipartisan way forward on further stimulus action amid the ongoing health and economic crisis. They proposed a framework to muster support from both sides, which would include reducing the scope of a further round of Economic Impact Payments in comparison to Biden’s own proposals. It would lower the amount those eligible might receive, while also tightening the eligibility criteria for recipients....
During the press conference, one reporter asked Conway if President Donald Trump considered election security to be a serious problem. Conway responded that the administration wants to protect elections from any threat, including American journalists. “Well, we want secure elections,” she said. “We don’t want anyone to interfere with them, whether they are a foreign government or the domestic press corps.” Another reporter immediately asked Conway what that is supposed to mean and the White House official said: “You know what it means....
Kenseth lost the points lead to Johnson last week and Martinsville is a track where Johnson could pull away and take complete control of the Chase. While Kenseth has just three top-five finishes and an average finish of 15.8 at Martinsville, Johnson is spectacular at the half-mile, paper-clipped shaped track. He has eight career victories there, including two in a row, and dominated the last two events there. Kenseth, meanwhile, has finished 14th in the past two Martinsville races and has just two top-10 finishes in his last nine races there....
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Don Treadwell will replace Haynes on an interim basis. MORE: Ranking the 20 best MAC quarterbacks Haynes, 48, is entering his fifth season as the Golden Flashes’ head coach. He took over the program in December 2012 after one season at Arkansas. He has a 12-35 overall record. Haynes played for the Golden Flashes in the 1980s and was an assistant coach there in 1999 and 2000....
That’s the launching point for the “Best Two Minutes in Sports,” but that might not be the appropriate label for the 142nd Kentucky Derby. PHOTOS: Of horses and hats: Must-see photos from the Derby It’s the best — and arguably the longest — party in sports. It doesn’t come with the win-now divisiveness of big-time pro sports, and like any good party it offers something for everybody. It’s that polite, unique charm that remains as timeless as ever....
