Update on the latest sports
APTOKYO OLYMPICS-NO FANS
Fans banned at Olympics with Tokyo under state of emergency
TOKYO (AP) — There won’t be any fans at the Tokyo Olympics. The International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers have decided to ban spectators from the games that begin in two weeks.
The announcement came hours after Japan’s prime minister declared a state of emergency for Tokyo in a bid to contain rising COVID-19 infections.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the state of emergency would go into effect on Monday and last through Aug. 22. That means the Olympics, which open on July 23 and run through Aug. 8, will be held entirely under emergency measures.
Just two weeks ago, organizers and the IOC allowed venues to be filled to 50% of capacity but crowds not to exceed 10,000. The state of emergency forced a late turnaround, which was always an option if infections got worse.
Fans from outside Japan were banned several months ago.
Thursday’s emergency declaration made for a rude arrival in Japan for IOC President Thomas Bach, who landed in Tokyo shortly before the new measures were announced. He plans to spend three days in self-isolation at the hotel that lodges IOC members.
Nationwide, Japan has had about 810,000 cases and nearly 14,900 deaths. Only 15% of Japanese are fully vaccinated.
NBA FINALS
Chris Paul aims for a repeat performance in Game 2
PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns got off to a good start in their first NBA Finals in 28 years, beating Milwaukee in the Bucks’ first finals in 47 years.
Paul had 32 points and nine assists in Tuesday’s 118-105 win, and the 36-year-old point guard is looking for a repeat performance Thursday night in Game 2.
Bucks fans will be watching to see how Giannis Antetokounmpo’s (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-pohz) injured knee is feeling. The two-time MVP was a surprise starter in Game 1 after missing the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks. He had with 20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.
TENNIS-WIIMBLEDON
No. 1 Barty beats 2018 champ Kerber to reach Wimbledon final
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Top-ranked Ash Barty has beaten 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber in straight sets to reach the final at the All England Club for the first time.
Barty overcame a big deficit in the second set Thursday to pull out the 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in just under 1 1/2 hours.
Barty won the 2019 French Open for her first Grand Slam title. The 25-year-old is the first woman from Australia to reach the title match at Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.
The other semifinal pits No. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka against No. 8 Karolina Pliskova (PLIHSH’-koh-vah). Sabalenka is playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, while Pliskova was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2016.
TENNIS-NEWS
Nadal to make return to competition with debut in DC
UNDATED (AP) — Rafael Nadal will return to competition by making his debut at a hard-court tournament in Washington.
The Citi Open announced Thursday that the 20-time Grand Slam champion is in the field for the event starting July 31 that serves as a U.S. Open tuneup.
Nadal hasn’t played since his loss to Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) in the semifinals of the French Open last month. The 35-year-old Spaniard decided to sit out Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. He said his body needed to rest and recover after the clay-court season.
Other players entered in the Citi Open include Wimbledon semifinalists Denis Shapovalov and Hubert Hurkacz (HUR’-kahts), who beat Roger Federer on Wednesday. Wimbledon quarterfinalists Felix Auger-Aliassime and Karen Khachanov also are entered.
The tournament says Rock Creek Park Tennis Center will be allowed to have spectators at 50% of capacity. Last year’s Citi Open was canceled because of the pandemic.
In other tennis news:
— Naomi Osaka says former first lady Michelle Obama and sports stars Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry were among those who reached out to offer support after she withdrew from the French Open to take a mental health break. In an essay in Time magazine’s Olympic preview issue, Osaka writes that she hopes measures can be enacted to “protect athletes, especially the fragile ones.” Osaka suggests athletes should be allowed to sometimes skip media obligations without punishment. She is expected to return to competition at the Tokyo Olympics later this month.
