Update on the latest sports
APTENNIS-WIMBLEDON
Djokovic ties Federer and Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic tied Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by claiming his 20th Grand Slam title Sunday, coming back to beat Matteo Berrettini 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final.
The No. 1 -ranked Djokovic earned a third consecutive championship at the All England Club and sixth overall.
He adds that to nine titles at the Australian Open, three at the U.S. Open and two at the French Open to equal his two rivals for the most majors won by a man in tennis history.
The 34-year-old from Serbia is now the only man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the first three major tournaments in a season. He can aim for a calendar-year Grand Slam — something last accomplished by a man when Laver did it 52 years ago — at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 30.
This was Djokovic’s 30th major final — among men, only Federer has played more, 31 — and the first for Berrettini, a 25-year-old from Italy who was seeded No. 7.
NBA FINALS
Been there before: Bucks, down 2-0, look for life at home
MILWAUKEE (AP) — For the second time this postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have staggered home with a 2-0 deficit. Milwaukee fans waited 47 years to see the NBA Finals return to their city. They will end up watching Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns celebrate a championship at Fiserv Forum if the home team can’t turn things around quickly.
Game 3 is Sunday night, the first NBA Finals game in Milwaukee since 1974 figuring to be a raucous scene inside and outside the arena.
No team has overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA, so the Bucks’ situation is dire. But they battled back from a situation that appeared just as bleak last month. The Bucks dropped two games in Brooklyn to start the Eastern Conference semifinals, then took the next two at home to even things up. They won the series in a Game 7 thriller in Brooklyn.
The Bucks are 7-1 at home in the postseason, but now they welcome what was the NBA’s best traveling team. Phoenix was 24-12 on the road during the regular season and has gone 6-2 in the postseason, closing out all three of its series in its opponent’s building.
The Suns opened this series with a pair of double-digit victories in Phoenix, where they were largely in control throughout the second half in both games.
NBA-MAGIC-MOSLEY
Orlando Magic finalize hiring of new coach Jamahl Mosley
UNDATED (AP) — Jamahl Mosley has agreed to become the new coach of the Orlando Magic. The team announced the move Sunday, giving the longtime NBA assistant his first chance at running his own club.
Mosley becomes the 14th coach in Magic history. He replaces Steve Clifford, who left Orlando by mutual agreement after three seasons and two playoff appearances.
The 42-year-old Mosley has spent the last 15 years as an assistant in Denver, Cleveland and Dallas. The last seven seasons were with the Mavericks, and his name has been discussed as a candidate in coaching searches for some time.
MLB-BRAVES-ACUÑA INJURED
Braves try to adjust after Acuña’s season-ending injury
MIAMI (AP) — The Atlanta Braves will have to adjust to playing without All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. for the remainder of the season. The 23-year-old tore the ACL in his right knee in the fifth inning of Atlanta’s 5-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night.
An MRI showed the severity of the injury and the Braves made the announcement after the game, finishing the year for one of the most dynamic players in the majors.
Acuña had been set to start for the NL All-Star team in Tuesday’s game, his third appearance. He was hitting .283 with 24 home runs and 52 RBIs for the three-time defending NL East champions.
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said on Sunday morning before the series finale against the Marlins that he had a very good conversation with Acuña shortly after the MRI results were received. Snitker said Acuña “was in great spirits.”
No timetable has been set for the surgery.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Red Sox head into All-Star break atop the AL East
UNDATED (AP) — The Red Sox are hosting Philadelphia assured of entering the All-Star break atop the AL East after finishing last season with their second-worst winning percentage in 88 years.
Boston went just 24-36 in last year’s pandemic-shortened season, the team’s worst winning percentage since playing .383 ball (62-100) in 1965.
Former Philadelphia righty Nick Pivetta starts for the Red Sox in the series wrapup against the Phillies. It will be Pivetta’s first start against the team that dealt him to Boston last August. He is coming off a splendid outing when he fanned a season-high 10 over seven innings of two-hit shutout ball in a victory at Oakland last Sunday.
Right-hander Aaron Nola is slated to go for Philly.
In other Sunday highlights:
— The Oakland Athletics now have an All-Star pitcher starting their final game before the break. Chris Bassitt was added to the AL team Saturday as an injury replacement, starts the series finale in Texas. He is 9-0 over his last 16 starts, the longest winning streak by a pitcher in the majors this year. That includes back-to-back wins over the Rangers in late June when he gave up only one run in 14 innings. Manager Bob Melvin said the A’s were elated at Bassitt becoming a first-time All-Star, and recognized the right-hander with a small ceremony in the clubhouse Saturday before beating Texas 8-4 in 11 innings. Melvin said the A’s are certainly OK with Bassitt pitching one inning in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, which would be his normal bullpen day between starts.
— José Abreu (ah-BRAY’-oo) and the White Sox go for their fifth straight win when they close out a three-game series at Baltimore. Dylan Cease starts for the AL Central leaders, and Spenser Watkins pitches for the Orioles. The White Sox have won nine of 12 overall, and it looks as if help is on the way. Slugger Eloy Jiménez (EE’-loy HIHM’-eh-nehz) homered Saturday for Class A Winston-Salem in his first rehabilitation assignment game. Jiménez is coming back after he ruptured his left pectoral tendon during spring training.
— The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals have begun their All-Star break a little earlier than expected. Their Sunday afternoon game was postponed 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch at Progressive Field. It will be made up as part of a seven-inning doubleheader on Sept. 20 in Cleveland. The Indians won the first three games of the series, the first two with game-ending homers in the ninth inning by Franmil Reyes and Bobby Bradley.
MLB-DRAFT
MLB draft returns, makes All-Star debut
UNDATED (AP) — A year after Major League Baseball limited its draft amid the chaos of COVID-19, it’s set to host a revamped event as part of All-Star festivities in Denver.
The 20-round draft will span three days, with Round 1 slated for primetime Sunday. MLB moved the draft to July’s All-Star weekend, putting the opening round on its network right after the All-Star Futures Game, a showcase for the top players in the minors.
The Pirates hold the No. 1 overall pick. Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter could be in play for the Buccos, along with prep shortstops Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar and Kahlil Watson, and Louisville catcher Henry Davis.
One more name to know: California high school shortstop Max Muncy, who could also go on Day 1. Despite sharing a name and a birthday with the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger, the two aren’t related.
SOCCER-EURO 2020 FINAL
England takes on Italy to end title drought
LONDON (AP) — England and Italy meet in the European Championship final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
England hasn’t even reached a final since winning the 1966 World Cup. It’s playing one of the continent’s most decorated teams. Italy is trying to win its first major tournament since the last of its four World Cup victories in 2006. Italy’s only European title came in 1968. England only reached the semifinals once before at Euro ’96.
England has home advantage with the game being played at its national stadium in London.
BRITISH OPEN-WITHDRAWALS
Matsuyama, Watson withdraw from British Open
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (hih-DEH’-kee maht-soo-YAH’-mah) and Bubba Watson have been forced to withdraw from the British Open.
Matsuyama tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on July 2 and has been self-isolating since. He is currently symptom-free but subsequent tests have continued to show positive results.
Hours later Watson had to pull out after being identified as a close contact of someone testing positive for COVID-19.
American golfers Harold Varner and Brandon Steele have come off the reserve list and will play at Royal St. George’s next week.
A total of nine players have now withdrawn from the British Open for various reasons.
NASCAR-ATLANTA
Larson, Elliott eye Atlanta redemption for hot Hendrick team
HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are looking for redemption Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. They also want to extend Hendrick Motorsports’ hot streak.
Larson led most of NASCAR’s March race in Atlanta before fading late as Ryan Blaney won. Engine problems left Elliott 38th. A Georgia native, Elliott has never won in six tries at his home track, but he’s coming off a win last week at Road America in Wisconsin and would love to use momentum from that win to finally break through in Atlanta.
This will be the final race before the track is repaved.
