Update on the latest sports
APFRENCH OPEN
Djokovic downs Nadal to reach French Open final
PARIS (AP) — Thirteen-time champion Rafael Nadal has lost to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals.
Nadal lost their 58th showdown 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
It’s only the third time Nadal has lost at his favorite tournament. Djokovic is responsible for two of those defeats. Djokovic won the French Open in 2016 and could join Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men to win each of the four Grand Slam tournaments twice. He will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final.
On the women’s side, Barbora Krejcikova will try this weekend to become the first woman to sweep Roland Garros titles since Mary Pierce in 2000. Krejcikova and fellow Czech Katerina Siniakova advanced to the doubles final with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Magda Linette of Poland and Bernarda Pera of the United States.
Krejcikova also made it to the singles final by beating Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 9-7 after saving a match point on Thursday. She will be up against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Saturday’s title match.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Pederson, Rizzo, Contreras homer as Cubs beat Cardinals 8-5
UNDATED (AP) — Joc Pederson homered and drove in three runs, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras went deep and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Friday afternoon.
The Cubs billed it as “Opening Day 2.0” because Wrigley Field was operating at 100% capacity for the first time since 2019. They fell behind 5-1, only to treat the crowd of 35,112 to a comeback win over their NL Central rivals. Pederson gave the Cubs a 7-5 lead in the seventh with a two-run double off the wall in right-center against Génesis Cabrera. Rizzo tied it at 5-all in the sixth with his drive to right against Daniel Ponce de Leon.
MLB NEWS
22 of 30 MLB teams relax COVID protocols, vaccine pace slows
UNDATED (AP) — Two additional Major League Baseball teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after reaching the 85% vaccination threshold for players and other on-field personnel, raising the total to 22 of the 30 clubs.
However, the pace of vaccinations has slowed and no additional teams were announced as being on track to reach the threshold. The commissioner’s office and the players’ association say 85.1% of Tier 1 individuals such as players, managers, coaches, trainers and support personnel had been partially or fully vaccinated. That’s down 0.1% from the previous week, and 83.7% had been fully vaccinated, up 0.8% from the previous week.
In other MLB news:
—Seattle Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman is back with the team after being on the injured list following a COVID-19 scare. The 30-year-old right-hander, who had been out since May 23, was activated Friday before the Mariners opened a three-game series against the Indians. Graveman spent two weeks quarantined in San Diego. Before he was sidelined, Graveman had been one of the league’s top relievers. He recorded five saves and did not allow a run in 16 2/3 innings over 14 appearances.
NBA NEWS
Raptors’ Siakam has shoulder surgery, will miss 5 months
TORONTO (AP) — The shoulder injury that ended Toronto forward Pascal Siakam’s season early will likely force him to miss the start of next season as well.
The Raptors say Siakam had surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, with an anticipated recovery and rehabilitation time of five months. That timetable, if precise, would mean Siakam can play again in early November. That’s about two weeks after the NBA plans to open the 2021-22 season.
NFL NEWS
Bears sign Fields
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have signed first-round draft pick Justin Fields to a four-year contract.
The Bears landed their quarterback of the future when they traded up nine spots with the New York Giants to take the Ohio State star with the No. 11 overall pick. They have him working with the second team for now behind veteran newcomer Andy Dalton, who signed a one-year contract in March.
But the question is for how long. Fields was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2019 and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year each of his two seasons at Ohio State after transferring from Georgia. He threw for 5,373 yards, 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Buckeyes.
In other NFL moves:
—The San Francisco 49ers have signed offensive lineman Senio Kelemete to a one-year deal. The 49ers waived offensive lineman Justin Skule with an injury designation to make room on the roster. Kelemete was originally drafted by Arizona in the fifth round in 2012 and has played 88 games in nine seasons with the Cardinals, New Orleans and Houston.
—The Tampa Bay Buccaneers public relations staff has won the Pete Rozelle Award from the Professional Football Writers of America for its work in a Super Bowl-winning season that included the free agent addition of quarterback Tom Brady. The staff of Nelson Luis, Michael Pehanich, Chris King, Andrew Holman, Danielle Burns and intern Jake Spitz is the 32nd Rozelle Award winner. It’s the third time Tampa Bay’s PR staff has been honored.
NHL NEWS
Larsen gets first NHL head-coaching job with Blue Jackets
UNDATED (AP) — Longtime assistant Brad Larsen is getting his first NHL head coaching job after being promoted by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Larsen was an assistant for Columbus the past seven years following some time in the minors. The 43-year-old says he was never in a rush to become a head coach in the NHL and wasn’t chasing this job. But Blue Jackets President John Davidson and GM Jarmo Kekalainen felt it was a clear consensus that Larsen was the right fit.
Despite connections to previous coaching staffs, Larsen believes he’s the new voice the team needs to become a contender again.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Pederson, Rizzo, Contreras homer as Cubs beat Cardinals 8-5
UNDATED (AP) — Joc Pederson homered and drove in three runs, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras went deep and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Friday afternoon.
The Cubs billed it as “Opening Day 2.0” because Wrigley Field was operating at 100% capacity for the first time since 2019. They fell behind 5-1, only to treat the crowd of 35,112 to a comeback win over their NL Central rivals. Pederson gave the Cubs a 7-5 lead in the seventh with a two-run double off the wall in right-center against Génesis Cabrera. Rizzo tied it at 5-all in the sixth with his drive to right against Daniel Ponce de Leon.
MLB NEWS
22 of 30 MLB teams relax COVID protocols, vaccine pace slows
UNDATED (AP) — Two additional Major League Baseball teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after reaching the 85% vaccination threshold for players and other on-field personnel, raising the total to 22 of the 30 clubs.
However, the pace of vaccinations has slowed and no additional teams were announced as being on track to reach the threshold. The commissioner’s office and the players’ association say 85.1% of Tier 1 individuals such as players, managers, coaches, trainers and support personnel had been partially or fully vaccinated. That’s down 0.1% from the previous week, and 83.7% had been fully vaccinated, up 0.8% from the previous week.
In other MLB news:
—Seattle Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman is back with the team after being on the injured list following a COVID-19 scare. The 30-year-old right-hander, who had been out since May 23, was activated Friday before the Mariners opened a three-game series against the Indians. Graveman spent two weeks quarantined in San Diego. Before he was sidelined, Graveman had been one of the league’s top relievers. He recorded five saves and did not allow a run in 16 2/3 innings over 14 appearances.
