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  • WTA: WTA roundup: Top seeds roll at Libema Open

    WTA: WTA roundup: Top seeds roll at Libema Open


    Second-seeded Liudmila Samsonova needed more than 3 1/2 hours but finally got past Lena Papadakis 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3) to advance to the second round of the Libema Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, on Monday.

    Samsonova blasted 11 aces but also suffered through 10 double faults to get past the 348th-ranked German in three hours and 40 minutes. The Russian saved 12 of 14 break points.

    Top-seeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia advanced when Alison Riske-Amritraj retired in the second set, trailing 6-3, 3-0. No. 3 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus posted a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over Natalija Stevanovic of Serbia.

    Unseeded players Emina Bektas, Carol Zhao of Canada and Greet Minnen of Belgium also advanced.

    Rothesay Open

    Top seed Maria Sakkari of Greece defeated China’s Xiyu Wang 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round on the grass at Nottingham, Great Britain.

    No. 4 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia outlasted Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to advance. Eighth-seeded Lin Zhu of China ousted Alycia Parks 7-6 (5), 6-2.

    Sixth-seeded Shuai Zhang of China fell to Germany’s Tatjana Maria in quick fashion, 6-1, 6-4 in 67 minutes. Seventh-seeded Camila Giorgi of Italy was leading Madison Brengle 5-1 in the opening set when their match was suspended by rain.

    –Field Level Media

  • MLS: Revs sign 15-year-old Peyton Miller to MLS contract

    MLS: Revs sign 15-year-old Peyton Miller to MLS contract


    The New England Revolution signed 15-year-old Peyton Miller to a four-year MLS contract on Monday.

    The defender/midfielder from Unionville, Conn., is the youngest player ever to sign with the club.

    At 15 years and 216 days, Miller is younger than Diego Fagundez (15-274) when he signed in 2015.

    “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity,” Miller said in a news release. “… Taking this next step in my development is a dream come true and I appreciate my family and all of the coaches for the guidance and support that helped make this possible.”

    Miller, a product of the Revolution Academy, will join the MLS NEXT Pro roster for the rest of the 2023 season.

    He will ascend to the MLS roster in 2024 as a homegrown player. His four-year deal includes a one-year club option.

    “Our pro player pathway is designed to foster special players like Peyton and help them accelerate their growth as professionals. Peyton is still a young man, but he has excelled in every opportunity presented to him and is very deserving of this opportunity to prove himself at the next level,” Revs technical director Curt Onalfo said.

    Miller made his MLS NEXT Pro debut with Revolution II on March 26. He has two assists in 11 matches (10 starts).

    –Field Level Media

  • ATP: ATP roundup: Milos Raonic makes triumphant return

    ATP: ATP roundup: Milos Raonic makes triumphant return


    Canadian Milos Raonic made a successful return to the court, kicking off the grass-court season Monday with an upset of fifth-seeded Miomir Kecmanovic at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

    Sidelined since July 2021 with a series of injuries, Raonic fired 15 aces and won 92 percent of the points on his first serve (34 of 37) to defeat the Serbian 6-3, 6-4 in 85 minutes.

    No. 8 seed Maxime Cressy also suffered an early exit, falling 6-2, 7-6 (2) in the first round to Marc-Andrea Huesler of Switzerland. No. 7 Ugo Humbert of France was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Australian Jason Kubler, and lucky loser Rinky Hijikata of Australia rallied to beat Dutchman Gijs Brouwer 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.

    Boss Open

    No. 6 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy saved all five break points and defeated Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the opening round in Stuttgart, Germany.

    No. 7 seed Matteo Berrettini was not as fortunate, losing to fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2 in 71 minutes.

    France’s Richard Gasquet ousted Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (2), 6-4. Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic outlasted Marcos Giron 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki defeated Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 6-3.

    –Field Level Media

  • NHL: Flames name Ryan Huska new coach

    NHL: Flames name Ryan Huska new coach


    The Calgary Flames promoted assistant Ryan Huska to be their new head coach on Monday.

    It marks Huska’s first job as a head coach in the NHL.

    Huska, 47, has been an assistant coach with the Flames the past five seasons. He was in charge of a penalty-kill unit that ranked sixth in the NHL in 2022-23.

    “My position coming into this is a little different than most as I know our players very well,” Huska said in a statement. “We have good people in our dressing room, excellent hockey players who want to win. My job is to inspire them every single day to help get our team to the next level.”

    Huska replaces Darryl Sutter, fired May 1 after three seasons. Huska has been a head coach in the AHL and the WHL.

    The move is the first for Craig Conroy, who was named general manager three weeks ago.

    “Ryan provides 11 seasons of bench experience as a head coach from the WHL and the AHL and over 20 years coaching in total, including knowledge gained as an assistant coach in Calgary for the past five seasons,” Conroy said in a statement. “Ryan has earned this opportunity and we are confident he is the right coach for our team.”

    Huska played just one game in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks on May 1, 1998. He logged 5:51 of ice time. He was a third-round pick in the 1993 draft.

    –Field Level Media

  • PGA: Emiliano Grillo among final 6 into U.S. Open field

    PGA: Emiliano Grillo among final 6 into U.S. Open field


    Emiliano Grillo was among the final six golfers to gain entry into this week’s U.S. Open.

    The USGA on Monday announced the three final exemptions as well as three alternates who will compete in the 156-man field in Los Angeles.

    Grillo, Pablo Larrazabal and Adam Schenk made the field once the updated Official World Golf Rankings were released, with the trio in the top 60.

    Grillo will play in his fifth U.S. Open while Schenk and Larrazabal will each make their second appearance.

    The final three spots in the field went to Bastien Amat, Michael Kim and Maxwell Moldovan, who were first alternates coming out of qualifying.

    The 123rd U.S. Open will begin Thursday at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course.

    –Field Level Media

  • PGA: Scottie Scheffler begins U.S. Open week as favorite

    PGA: Scottie Scheffler begins U.S. Open week as favorite


    Scottie Scheffler arrived in Los Angeles this week with a firm grip on the No. 1 world ranking — and on the status as the favorite ahead of the 123rd U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club.

    Scheffler hasn’t finished worse than a tie for 12th in his past 16 starts. That run began in Mexico in February and has included a pair of wins, most notably at The Players.

    Scheffler hasn’t won since then, but he does enter this week with four consecutive top-5 finishes, including a T2 at the PGA Championship.

    So it stands to reason that the 2022 Masters champion is the +700 favorite at DraftKings and BetMGM, where he has been backed by the second-most outright winner tickets (7.7 percent) and third-most money (10.7 percent) since opening at +1200.

    The next-shortest odds at both books belong to the man who has been jockeying with Scheffler for the No. 1 ranking for most of 2023. Jon Rahm, who won the Masters in April, is +1000 at both books this week, followed closely by Brooks Koepka at +1100.

    Koepka won the PGA Championship after a T2 at the Masters. The two-time U.S. Open champion is the second-biggest liability at BetMGM, having drawn the most money (13.0 percent) and third-most tickets (7.5 percent) since opening at +3300.

    The book’s biggest liability this week is Max Homa. Homa has yet to win a major, but the six-time winner on the PGA Tour is a Burbank, Calif., native who knows The Los Angeles Country Club well. As a senior at California in 2013, Homa set the course record at the North Course with a 9-under par 61.

    Since opening at +5000, Homa’s odds have shortened to +2800 as he leads BetMGM with 9.4 percent of the total tickets backing him to win and the second-most money at 11.7 percent.

    Another popular choice has been Viktor Hovland. After battling Koepka down the Sunday stretch at the PGA Championship, Hovland finished T16 at the Charles Schwab Challenge before winning the Memorial in a playoff.

    The young Norwegian star has seen his odds shift from +3000 to +1600, and Hovland is the book’s third-biggest liability this week. He is fourth with 6.1 percent of the total bets and fifth with 6.6 percent of the money backing him to claim his first major this week.

    Meanwhile, defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick has garnered very modest support, with only 1.4 and 1.7 percent of the action, respectively, at +4000 at BetMGM. He is being offered at +3500 at DraftKings — 13th in the field.

    Fitzpatrick, who enters this week ranked No. 8 in the world, won the RBC Heritage earlier this yearn but missed the cut at The Players and the PGA. He finished T10 at the Masters.

    Rory McIlroy, the third-ranked player in the world, is is attempting to snap a major drought that dates back to 2014. He is +1200 at BetMGM and +1400 at DraftKings. That’s fourth at both books.

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: Commanders call off final day of OTAs

    NFL: Commanders call off final day of OTAs


    The Washington Commanders called off their final day of organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled for Tuesday, with head coach Ron Rivera and his coordinators happy with how the spring went for their club.

    The Commanders instead will have meetings and a light workout Tuesday to conclude their offseason program. The team held a minicamp last week.

    Washington will reconvene for training camp next month, when Sam Howell will make his bid to be the 2023 starting quarterback. Veteran Jacoby Brissett remains in the mix for QB1.

    The Commanders finished last in the NFC East last season with an 8-8-1 record. They haven’t had a winning record since 2016 but did make the playoffs in 2020 with a 7-9 mark.

    Jack Del Rio is the defensive coordinator and Eric Bieniemy is entering his first season as offensive coordinator.

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: Report: DE Danielle Hunter to skip Vikings’ minicamp

    NFL: Report: DE Danielle Hunter to skip Vikings’ minicamp


    Minnesota Vikings three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter will skip the team’s mandatory minicamp, choosing to hold out over his contract, NFL Network reported Monday.

    Hunter, 28, is set to make $5.5 million this season after the team restructured his deal to move up money to him in 2022, per the report. He wants a new deal after signing a five-year, $72 million extension in June 2018.

    Hunter has 71 career sacks for the Vikings, including 10.5 last season. He’s started 73 of 102 games in Minnesota since being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft out of LSU.

    He has 85 tackles for loss, 112 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in his seven seasons.

    The Vikings have received trade calls on Hunter, per the report.

    Hunter is subject to fines totaling $99,000 if he skips all three days of camp.

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: Texans to induct J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor

    NFL: Texans to induct J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor


    The Houston Texans will induct J.J. Watt into their Ring of Honor on Oct. 1.

    Watt, who cemented his legacy with the Texans as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a tireless philanthropist, will become the third person so honored. He joins the late Robert McNair, the founding owner, and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

    The Texans made the announcement Monday in a video posted to social media.

    “Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston,” the McNair family said in a statement. “He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston’s heart and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

    The induction ceremony will be held when the Texans host the Steelers, meaning his brother — Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt — will be in the stadium that day.

    Watt spent the first 10 seasons of his career (2011-20) in Houston after the Texans drafted the Wisconsin product with the No. 11 overall pick in 2011. He played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring.

    Watt, 34, was named the NFL’s top defender in 2012 and 2014-2015 and a first-team All-Pro in those seasons, plus 2013 and 2018. He also earned the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award after raising more than $41 million to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

    He played in 151 career games, 128 of them with the Texans. Injuries limited him to just eight games in the 2016-17 seasons combined.

    He set the franchise record for sacks (101) and made 172 tackles for loss, the most in the NFL since TFLs became an official stat. He also holds franchise records for quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26), forced fumbles (25) and fumble recoveries (16).

    –Field Level Media

  • WNBA: Mystics shoot for four strong quarters vs. Fever

    WNBA: Mystics shoot for four strong quarters vs. Fever


    The Washington Mystics got to see Sunday what they look like when they play at their best.

    For two quarters, anyway.

    Now the trick is to carry that over into a full game, beginning with their Tuesday trip to Indianapolis to meet the Indiana Fever.

    Washington (5-3) is coming off a weekend sweep of the Seattle Storm, including Sunday’s 71-65 win in which it took a 46-21 halftime lead and then expanded it to 28 points before a near collapse. They Mystics were outscored 23-8 in the fourth quarter but hung on to get the win.

    “You can see what our offense is capable of looking like,” said Mystics coach Eric Thibault. “We moved the ball. We set good screens. We didn’t get up against the shot clock. For two quarters, we did a lot of the things we really want to see offensively.”

    Washington got a season-high 19 points, plus five assists, from point guard Natasha Cloud. Ariel Atkins added 12 points and Shakira Austin posted 11, plus nine rebounds. The Mystics played without leading scorer Elena Delle Donne (neck tightness), who missed her first game of the season.

    Meanwhile, Indiana (2-6) missed on a chance to score consecutive wins Sunday when it dropped an 85-82 decision at home to Phoenix. The Fever took a 67-59 lead to the fourth quarter but were outscored by 11 points.

    Wasted in the loss was a monster effort by second-year forward NaLyssa Smith, who pumped in 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Erica Wheeler added 17 points and eight assists.

    Rookie center Aliyah Boston struggled against the Mercury’s Brittney Griner, scoring only four points and landing in foul trouble. But Boston is still contributing 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell (16.8) and Smith (15.0) are the team’s other double-figure scorers. Smith also averages 10.8 rebounds per game.

    The Fever lost all four matchups with Washington last year by at least 12 points, allowing 87.0 points per game.

    –Field Level Media