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Garrett: No time Zeke needs to report to play

Published in Breaking News
Monday, 02 September 2019 11:03

FRISCO, Texas -- As the Dallas Cowboys begin preparations for their season opener against the New York Giants with practice Monday, coach Jason Garrett would not commit to a time frame for when Ezekiel Elliott needs to be with the team in order to play.

"Zeke is as capable as anybody I know. He's an experienced player, he's been a really good player for us, he knows our system of football," Garrett said. "I don't think they'll be a lot of learning there. He's a smart guy, an instinctive guy. But again, that's a hypothetical. We're just focused on the guys we have right now. We're going to go practice as well as we can the right way to prepare for the Giants."

Conditioning could be a factor with Elliott, since he missed all of training camp. Elliott has been in Cabo reportedly working out.

"There's a playing progression we have every year with our guys. But again, this is a different situation than that," Garrett said. "You try to treat each situation on its merits, specifically based on the guy and what the particular situation is."

With the Cowboys beginning the regular season, the running back faces a new set of potential fines with his holdout.

Elliott is subject to fines of $39,890 a day for missing work. He would not be subject to a fine on scheduled off days for the players. Each game missed will cost him a little more than $226,000 in base salary, plus he could potentially be fined for missed meetings and other team protocol. According to the collective bargaining agreement, if Elliott does not report for the first game, then the Cowboys could come after another 25% of his prorated signing bonus ($1.02 million).

The Cowboys and Elliott's agents spoke over the weekend, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting sources saying that talks were "intensifying," but the Cowboys are set to begin their first full-fledged practice for Sunday's season opener at 11:45 a.m. CT without their running back.

According to a source, the Cowboys will call up running back Jordan Chunn from the practice squad on Monday and will place rookie guard Connor McGovern on injured reserve with a pectoral muscle injury. Chunn gives the Cowboys four running backs on the 53-man roster, joining Tony Pollard, Alfred Morris and fullback Jamize Olawale. While Chunn's addition could be viewed as preparation for Elliott to not be available against the Giants, he can also play on special teams.

Elliott could be on the hook for fines totaling $1.48 million for missing 37 days of training camp.

The fines are at the discretion of the Cowboys and it is not known whether they would look to collect.

Osaka out: No. 1, defending champ falls at Open

Published in Breaking News
Monday, 02 September 2019 12:12

NEW YORK -- Naomi Osaka's 10-match US Open winning streak and title defense are done after she was outplayed in the fourth round by Belinda Bencic and lost 7-5, 6-4 Monday.

Osaka has been wearing a black sleeve on her bothersome left knee and was visited by a trainer after getting broken to trail 3-2 in the second set.

"I was so excited to come on the court. The challenge cannot be bigger [than] against Naomi," said the 13th-seeded Bencic, who will face No. 23 Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals. "I'm really pleased with how I played and how I managed my nerves in the end."

The result under the closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a rainy afternoon means both defending champions and No. 1 seeds are gone before the quarterfinals at the year's last Grand Slam tournament.

Last year's men's champ, Novak Djokovic, retired in his fourth-round match against Stan Wawrinka on Sunday night because of a painful left shoulder.

Osaka made her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows in 2018, winning her first major championship by beating Serena Williams in a chaotic final that devolved after Williams got into an extended argument with the chair umpire.

Osaka followed that up with a second consecutive Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January. That allowed her to become the first tennis player representing Japan to reach No. 1 in the rankings.

Bencic, who is from Switzerland, showed again that she is a big-match player. She improved to 3-0 against Osaka this season and now has a tour-leading nine victories over top-10 opponents in 2019. Bencic also is 4-1 over her career against top-ranked players.

Bencic is 22, just a year older than Osaka, but her progress was slowed in recent years by injuries, including wrist surgery.

Back in 2014, when she was 17, Bencic became the youngest woman into the US Open quarterfinals since 1997, when Martina Hingis took the title.

It was Hingis' mother, and then Hingis herself, who coached and mentored Bencic along the way, and she credited them after getting past Osaka.

"I know so much from them, what they've taught me," Bencic said.

Vekic, 23, of Croatia, reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by saving a match point and edging No. 26 Julia Goerges of Germany 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3.

"I don't even know how I won this match," Vekic said.

Well, here's how: Goerges served for the victory at 5-4 in the second set, coming within one point of ending things right there. Not only couldn't Goerges convert, but she also double-faulted three times in that game and unraveled from there, wasting a 21-ace effort.

Osaka is more powerful than Bencic and repeatedly used her serve to keep things close, finishing with nine aces.

But it was Bencic's precision that won the day. She made only 12 unforced errors in the entire match, while producing 29 winners.

Her style is similar to Hingis', who won five Grand Slam singles titles.

"I'm just trying to play it a little bit like chess and anticipate," Bencic said.

Playing so crisply, so cleanly, she took balls on the rise and snapped them back, rushing Osaka and not giving her time to respond in kind.

Bencic broke for a 6-5 lead with a forehand volley winner followed by a backhand passing winner, then served out that set. In the second, Bencic conjured up another terrific backhand passing shot off a sharp volley by Osaka to set up love-40, and a double-fault then made it 3-2.

With Osaka out, that leaves No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina as the highest seed remaining in the women's draw. Williams is seeded eighth and is the second-highest remaining seed.

Osaka's loss means Ash Barty will be the new No. 1-ranked player in the world come next week. Barty was seeded second at the US Open and also failed to reach the quarterfinals, losing in straight sets Sunday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Trumbo in O's lineup for first time in over a year

Published in Baseball
Monday, 02 September 2019 10:47

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and was in the lineup for Monday's game against Tampa Bay after missing more than a year with a knee injury.

The 33-year-old Trumbo, who led the major leagues with 47 home runs in 2016, had surgery last September. He last played in the majors on Aug. 19, 2018.

"It's been a long time coming," Trumbo said. "You get paid to play. That always weighed on me pretty heavily. It's something I feel I owe it to the team to get out there and do what I can."

Trumbo could also see time in left and right field but will not be playing every day.

"Some days are better than others," Trumbo said. "Some days are really good. If I do a lot or if I'm heavily involved, I can kind of predict that the next day there will be soreness and some swelling. With any luck, we'll have a lot of productivity."

Trumbo went 4-for-20 with two homers and six RBIs over five games with Triple-A Norfolk last week in his latest of several minor league rehab assignments this year.

"It's cooperated enough that I played five in a row with Norfolk," Trumbo said. "All the while I kept thinking that once we got far enough out, things would kind of come around. We're going to hope for the best here. I enjoy playing, that's kind of what kept the momentum going."

Trumbo was limited to 90 games last season, hitting .261 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs. He has 218 career home runs.

"It's a big deal for a lot of people," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "He's a great teammate. It was awesome texting him this morning. Just to have him here in uniform, in the lineup is a great feeling. Mark has put a lot of time and effort and work into coming back from his tough knee injury.''

To make room on the roster, right-hander Tom Eshelman was designated for assignment.

Minor leaguer dies from skateboarding accident

Published in Baseball
Monday, 02 September 2019 14:34

Chace Numata, a minor-league catcher in the Detroit Tigers' organization, died Monday from injuries suffered last week in a skateboarding accident. He was 27.

Police found Numata early Friday morning in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. He was bleeding from his head, according to multiple reports, and was taken to a hospital.

The Tigers said in a statement that Numata, a Hawaii native who has also played in the Phillies and Yankees organizations, "was beloved by many from our Major League club through all levels of our player development system."

Numata signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers last November and played 71 games this season for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

"The Erie SeaWolves are heartbroken and deeply saddened by the passing of Chace Numata," SeaWolves owner Fernando Aguirre said in a statement. "Chace was a leader, an outstanding teammate, a friend to many, and his personality was positive and infectious. He made everyone he met feel welcome, and he had a very positive impact throughout the SeaWolves organization and the Erie community."

Cox back at Braves' park 5 months after stroke

Published in Baseball
Monday, 02 September 2019 12:20

ATLANTA -- Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox has made his first return to SunTrust Park, five months after suffering a stroke.

Cox returned to see both teams he managed, Atlanta and Toronto, open an interleague series on Monday.

Cox smiled and waved when shown on the video board under a message that read "Welcome Home." Fans and Braves players applauded and cheered.

Cox sat in a private box with team executives, including former general manager John Schuerholz.

The 78-year-old Cox has regained feeling on his right side, as well as speech, and was able to walk Monday as he continues to recover from the April 3 stroke.

Cox ranks fourth with 2,504 wins in 29 years as a manager. He led the Braves to the 1995 World Series title and 14 straight division titles from 1991 to 2005.

London’s secret run

Published in Athletics
Monday, 02 September 2019 10:10

Ultra London’s multi-terrain course takes in some of the city’s finest scenery

London is famously crammed full of landmarks, with just about every nook and cranny of the British capital known throughout the world – particularly to the many runners who hit the famous city streets on a daily basis.

There is one route, however, which many people are unaware of – and which will provide the backdrop for a brand new endurance event taking place this autumn.

The Capital Ring is a footpath which forms an inner circle around Greater London and, on October 5, will host those taking on the challenge presented by Ultra London.

There are two distance options on offer. Starting in Greenwich and finishing in Richmond upon Thames, the full ultra challenge covers 55km and largely follows the Capital Ring route south of the Thames. There is also a shorter distance, starting at the halfway point of Crystal Palace and following the second half of the route for a distance of 27.5km.

The multi-terrain course – a mix of trails, footpaths, parks, woodland and more – takes in some of London’s finest scenery, including the Thames Barrier, Eltham Palace, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park.

It will provide a challenge for participants who will also need to ensure they navigate the correct paths through parts of Falconwood, Grove Park, Crystal Palace, Streatham, Wimbledon and on to Richmond. It will be a far more urban experience compared to the many ultra distance races which take place in more remote locations, with an added bonus being that the route is perfect for supporters looking to cheer on their runners at various points along the course.

This will be a chance to uncover one London’s few remaining running secrets and to see a side of the city you will not have experienced before.

Whilst the inaugural event will us the southern half of the Capital Ring there are plans to include the northern half of the route in 2020, where the ultimate challenge for ultra runners will be to complete the entire 125km circular route in the ULTRA LONDON 125.

World number one Naomi Osaka will continue her US Open title defence on Monday when she faces Belinda Bencic for a place in the quarter-finals.

The 21-year-old won her first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows last year but has lost two of her three previous meetings with the Swiss 13th seed.

"The thing with me is I get better as the tournament goes on," said Osaka.

Three-time champion Rafael Nadal takes on 2014 winner Marin Cilic in the Arthur Ashe Stadium night session.

Japan's Osaka was involved in an emotional embrace with Coco Gauff in the previous round after she beat the 15-year-old 6-3 6-0.

Osaka, who won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, says she "trusts myself more" in the latter stages of tournaments.

"The last two times I was in the round of 16, I won it, if that answers... I don't want to say that. That's bold.

"I'm just out here trying my best. I'm just going with the flow at this rate. I've never defended a Grand Slam before."

Her match against 22-year-old Bencic, who is looking to reach the quarter-finals in New York for a second time, will be first on Ashe from 17:00 BST.

In the other women's singles last-16 matches, 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu plays American Taylor Townsend, Kristie Ahn, also from the US, faces Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens and Croatia's Donna Vekic takes on Germany's Julia Gorges.

Nadal's moment to 'make a step forward'

Spaniard Nadal is the men's second seed and has a favourable draw with long-term rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer placed in the other half.

Nadal has enjoyed a relatively easy passage to the last 16, winning two matches in straight sets and having a walkover in the second round when Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew through injury.

But the 33-year-old said "you never know what's better or worse" when it comes to time spent on court.

"Now is the moment to push, to make a step forward if I want to give me a chance to fight for the important things," he said. "That's what I'm going to try."

Cilic said he must "serve well" and be a "little bit aggressive" to impose himself on Nadal.

"I'm going to have to be ready for a tough battle. Hopefully I'm going to win that one," added the Croat.

Either German sixth seed Alexander Zverev, 22, or 27-year-old Argentine Diego Schwartzman, who follow Osaka and Bencic on Ashe, will face the winner.

Meanwhile, unseeded Russian Andrey Rublev plays Italian 24th seed Matteo Berrettini and French 13th seed Gael Monfils takes on Spaniard Pablo Andujar.

Karolina Pliskova was one of the favourites to win the US Open title, but was beaten by Britain's Johanna Konta in a compelling last-16 match.

In her final BBC Sport column from New York, the Czech third seed talks about her exit at Flushing Meadows, why it has not changed her belief she can win a Grand Slam - and her love for fishing.

Losing to Johanna Konta was disappointing but I would not say this was another golden opportunity missed to finally win my first Grand Slam.

I played an opponent who has been fourth in the world, so it was always going to be very hard, and then she played the best I've seen her play.

And even if I had won, I would have played Elina Svitolina, and possibly Serena Williams in the semi-finals, so there would not be an easy match between now and the final.

Maybe the first couple of matches were a little easier than they sometimes they can be, but this was not a dream draw for me. The standard is so high in the women's game but I'm still sure I have the game to win a Grand Slam - that remains the goal.

Overall, I played solid in the tournament - it was not a disaster and it was nothing super. I could do much better.

Leading by a set and a break against Johanna meant it was, of course, a big chance but it is not like I missed match points - it was very close all the way through the match.

Immediately after losing a match like that, I don't feel angry. You have a lot of emotion and stress during a tournament so once you lose it is like all those emotions are suddenly lifted.

'She said she had improved since Rome - she was 50 times better!'

It is tough to talk about positives because I don't see any.

Maybe it was my best match of the tournament but sometimes it is not enough when somebody plays as well as Johanna did. I had beaten Johanna in six of our seven previous meetings at tour level, but she played more aggressive than our other matches.

She said before she thought she had improved since I beat her in the Italian Open final in Rome - and I think she was 50 times better!

What impressed me the most was the way she went for her shots a little bit more, because normally I think she waits more for mistakes from her opponent, or plays more crosscourt, but she went for every shot and a lot of times she hit the line. She was brave and it paid off.

She also served very well, especially in the third set when she was behind on serve and I was always one game up. She did a great job by serving under pressure and putting the pressure back on to me.

Overall I'd say it was her best match of the tournament so far, but it is tough to say how far she can go.

She has reached this part of a Grand Slam a few times now, and semi-finals, but I'm not sure if she can go on to win it because Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are still in the draw, while Elina is going to be tough in the next round.

'A chance to catch up with family - but no time for fishing'

I will not watch the rest of the tournament because of the time difference - I am flying back to Prague straight away - and there is nobody who I would be interested in staying up to watch.

When I get to Prague I will take some time off because the month has been long and I haven't had many days off. Then I will think about my plan, and then the Asia swing which starts later this month.

My twin sister Kristyna is already back in the Czech Republic so we will spend time with our family because we are away a lot, and maybe I will go home to Monte Carlo for a couple of days too.

I will also get to see our little sister - she is six and starts school this week. She is very excited about that. She is very clever, I think more than most six-year-olds, so she should do very well at school and enjoy it.

Obviously I wish I was still going to be here in New York all week, but at least it will be nice to see her going to school on her first week there.

Other than that, I will be sleeping, shopping and doing all the normal stuff - although I doubt I'll have time for fishing, which is one of my favourite hobbies!

I like fresh water fishing a lot. The Czech Republic has no coast so I fish in rivers, ponds or lakes.

You need a licence to fish so I have one of those and I know more about the waters there, although I went deep-sea fishing in the Seychelles and Miami last year to try different things.

My father is a big fan of fishing - that's where I get my love from - and he tries to teach me how to fish when we go. But I never catch any big fish!

If you want to catch smaller fish then it is easier because you could possibly catch one every 20 or 30 minutes, but if you want to go for bigger weights then you need to be sitting there for hours and hours - maybe all night.

It is a relaxing hobby. I don't have my phone on when I'm fishing because you need to be focused and quiet, so it can be helpful for the mental part.

Once my tennis career is over I want to go fishing more, but for the moment I only have one or two days off every now and then so I don't get the chance.

Karolina Pliskova was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Flushing Meadows

Chuang Chih-Yuan leaves Team Chinese Taipei

Published in Table Tennis
Monday, 02 September 2019 00:49

A consistent first name on the team sheet for Chinese Taipei for almost two decades, Chuang Chih Yuan’s decision to leave the national association has sent shockwaves around the Asian fanbases.

In a statement translated from his social media, the 38-year-old said:

“Thanks everyone.

The reason why I deleted the article is because it spreads wider. I am a table tennis player so I want to calm down and let it stop. But if I could choose again, I would still try to play at the Paraguay Open and singles event at the Asian Championships. It will be very helpful for team and singles seeding in Tokyo 2020 if I get good results at these two events.

Some people have accused me of being selfish to only play singles at the Asian Championships and they say I should not play any event if I insist on playing only singles. Okay then I make my statement here: I will not play either the Paraguay Open or Asian Championships. This means that it will be more difficult for me to gain more points, so I will not play at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games either.

I will not represent Chinese Taipei anymore at future international events. Table tennis is my interest, so I still want to attend the events without affecting entries of other players and without using the association’s budget for Olympic Games preparations.

Sorry for all the trouble caused and thanks again for the understanding. I hope the environment for table tennis players can get better!”

Does this news truly signal the end of the road for Chuang Chih Yuan and Team Chinese Taipei or will come to an agreement? Tell us what you think in our social media comments.

New ITTF Equipment Office up and running!

Published in Table Tennis
Monday, 02 September 2019 02:21

“The new ITTF Equipment Office in Cologne represents an important step in terms of modernising the way in which all table tennis equipment is tested and developed for professional use across the globe. We look forward to seeing the continued growth of this area towards the proposed opening of a laboratory in tandem with the new Home of Table Tennis.” – Steve Dainton, ITTF CEO

Making sure that all equipment meets the high standards of quality required for professional table tennis is no small order. That is when the ITTF Equipment Office swings into action to define standards, develop test methods and devices, test new products inside the department and in external labs, and publish the approved products.

There are more than 1,500 different models of rubbers approved, 90 types of balls, 150 tables, 50 nets and 15 floors currently out there in a highly competitive global market. To ensure that the quality in the markets corresponds with the approved products is one more duty.

“We need to understand and control the triangle of RACKET – BALL – TABLE perfectly, to create conditions where each player worldwide can show their best performance and enjoy our wonderful sport.” – Claudia Herweg, ITTF Head of Equipment

Therefore, the ITTF Equipment Office is working on a further development of the ball qualities, on projects to measure how different balls bounce on different table surfaces, on boostering topics and on testing various materials in blades, other than traditional wood.

Everyone has seen or played with a table tennis ball at some point in their lives, but do you know what actually goes into creating them?! Find out by watching the documentary below:

Topics surrounding how to modernise the look and feel of table tennis also form an increasingly important part of the work, such as the implementation of new colours in rubbers.

“Our new office in Cologne will enable us to reach the next level in terms of developing table tennis equipment, ensuring legal use and approving top-quality products for players worldwide. This really is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant step forwards for the sport. I am very excited to be leading this department and, alongside my colleagues here, to be contributing to the good of the game.” – Claudia Herweg, ITTF Head of Equipment

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