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Rogers Cup: Bianca Andreescu wins title as Serena Williams retires injured
Serena Williams retired with a back injury in the final of the the Rogers Cup in Toronto, handing the title to Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu.
Williams, 37, was left in tears after suffering back spasms as 19-year-old Andreescu comforted her courtside.
The American was a break down at 1-3 in the first set when she withdrew.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do it today, I tried," said the 23-time Grand Slam champion. "It's been a tough year, but we'll keep going."
Andreescu, who won her first WTA title at Indian Wells earlier this year, becomes the first Canadian to win the Rogers Cup women's singles title since 1969.
"Serena, you made me cry. I know how it is to pull out of tournaments, it's not easy," she said.
"This wasn't the way I expected to win. You are truly a champion. I've watched you win so many times, you are truly a champion on and off the court.
"I'm speechless right now. This has been a dream come true."
Williams' only previous retirement in a singles final came at the Rogers Cup in 2000 - the year Andreescu was born.
Williams was seeking to win her first title since returning to competition in 2018 after the birth of her daughter.
The US Open, where Williams will hope to win her 24th Grand Slam title, starts on 26 August.
She reached the Wimbledon final last month - losing to Simona Halep - but struggled with a knee injury earlier in the year.
Rogers Cup: Rafael Nadal crushes Daniil Medvedev to win fifth title in Canada
Rafael Nadal retained his Rogers Cup title with a dominant victory over Russia's Daniil Medvedev.
Spaniard Nadal, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, wrapped up a 6-3 6-0 win in one hour 10 minutes in Montreal for his fifth Canadian crown.
Victory secured his 35th Masters 1,000 tournament win and it marked the first time he has defended a non-clay title.
"I think I played a solid match. It was my best match of the week without a doubt," said 33-year-old Nadal.
"It's so important to be back on hard courts and to win a big title. It's just about enjoying this one."
Eighth seed Medvedev spurned a break point in the opening game of the match and was made to pay for his missed opportunity when he lost his serve as Nadal went 3-1 up.
The remainder of the first set stayed on serve, with world number two Nadal once again surviving a break point.
But Medvedev, who beat two top 10 players on his way to the final, lost his way in a second set in which he made four double faults, sending a backhand long on Nadal's first match point.
In total, world number nine Medvedev committed 22 unforced errors throughout the match.
'We'll see where wine spills' - Jones to name World Cup squad on Monday
England coach Eddie Jones joked that he would use "red wine" and "advice from his dog" to help decide the World Cup squad he will announce on Monday.
Jones will name his 31-man group for Japan 2019 almost four weeks before World Rugby's 8 September deadline.
After England's 33-19 warm-up win over Wales, the 59-year-old said his announcement would "take a lot of the noise away about selection".
"The coaches will get together and see where the red wine spills," he added.
"That is the science of it.
"My job is to pick the best 31 for England and I am quite capable of doing that. I have got great assistant coaches and my dog gives me some advice so I think we are in a pretty good place."
Once the squad has been named, there is still a risk of players getting injured, with England playing three more Tests before the World Cup.
They face Wales in Cardiff on 17 August, before matches against Ireland and Italy.
Flanker Sam Underhill, wing Ruaridh McConnochie and centre Henry Slade were all late withdrawals from Sunday's starting XV and back row Tom Curry left the pitch in the first half holding his right arm.
But Jones said Curry's issue was not "too serious" and played down any concern over injuries before Japan.
"We know where the injuries are and we know who is going to be available and who is not," he explained.
"We will name a very strong squad of 31 on Monday. We want the players to focus on being the tightest and most cohesive England squad ever to have played in a World Cup and we have the opportunity to do that."
Wales travelled to Twickenham as favourites and with the chance to become world number ones if they avoided defeat.
But the relatively inexperienced side chosen by Jones looked far more energetic than their opponents from the outset, with wing Anthony Watson, scrum-half Willi Heinz and flanker Lewis Ludlam playing themselves into contention.
The England coach insisted he was expecting an even bigger win, but played down the significance of the match when it comes to his final squad selection.
"I wrote down on a bit of paper before the game I thought we would win 33-12," he said.
"We've had a squad of around 36-38 and there's been a great competitive spirit. Everyone wants to play for England, they know they have a good chance to win the World Cup - today was just a selection day.
"This game was never going to be a 'be all and end all selection'."
"A lot of people will be unhappy, but that is the nature of sport," added number eight Billy Vunipola, who missed the 2017 Lions tour and was injured during England's 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign.
"It is not always going to go your way. Sometimes that can help you, you can come back in two or three years' time and I have learned the hard way that things do come in roundabouts."
Analysis
BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones:
Eddie Jones is naming his squad this early in a bid to avoid weeks of selection speculation which - he believes - have adversely affected the preparation of England squads in the past.
Most of the 31 picks itself, but there are still some close calls. Jones will probably have to pick all nine front-rowers in camp, with none of his props able to convincingly play both sides of the scrum.
Elsewhere Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Mark Wilson, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill and Billy Vunipola are all certainties if fit, leaving a place for one more second row - surely Joe Launchbury - and then possibly a fifth lock in Charlie Ewels or perhaps the ultimate bolter in Lewis Ludlam, who did his case no harm whatsoever against Wales.
Ludlam looks made for Test rugby, and his energy and attitude could be a trump card in Japan. Then there is Brad Shields, earmarked for a place on the plane for the past year, but now struggling with injury.
In the backline, Jones is likely to roll the dice with just two scrum-halves: Ben Youngs and Willi Heinz, who has impressed in camp with his temperament and made a solid debut against the Welsh, although was curiously replaced early in the second half.
Captain Owen Farrell and George Ford are the two 10s, with Danny Cipriani not in the picture, but Ben Te'o's indiscretion in Treviso has livened up the midfield debate.
Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade are dead certs, with Jonathan Joseph almost guaranteed, but has Jones lost patience with Te'o? If so, will he opt instead for Piers Francis, whose versatility and solidity compensate for a lack of X-factor?
England are blessed out wide, although Jack Nowell's recovery from injury remains in the balance.
Either way the Exeter man will be named in the 31, as will Jonny May and Elliot Daly, with Anthony Watson and Joe Cokanasiga also set to be included. Another Bath player, Ruaridh McConnochie, is firmly on the radar, and will play in the warm-ups despite injury keeping him out of Sunday's win, but it would be a surprise if the former sevens star made the 31.
While every Eddie Jones squad announcement is usually laden with intrigue and curve-balls, there surely won't be the drama of four years ago, when Stuart Lancaster's controversial selection of Sam Burgess dominated the agenda. Most of Jones' big calls - such as leaving out Dylan Hartley, Chris Robshaw and Danny Care - have already been made.
SPIELBERG, Austria – Andrea Dovizioso made a stunning last-corner pass of Marc Marquez in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix to maintain Ducati’s run of perfection at the Red Bull Ring.
Ducati has won all four MotoGP races held in Spielberg, with four different riders.
Polesitter Marquez was lightning off the start, but so was Dovizioso. The two race favorites headed into turn one in first and second as Jack Miller got in slightly hot, almost clipping Dovizioso in the process.
Marquez and Dovizioso were incredibly close heading down the straight into turn three as the two made slight contact. Marquez had the inside line, with Dovizioso on the outside as the two fought for first.
Marquez was in hot though, and ran wide, with Dovizioso having to sit his GP19 up. This allowed Quartararo to sweep through to the lead, with Miller and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins getting by Marquez and Dovizioso on the exit of the corner.
Dovizioso then got by Marquez into turn four on the opening lap, demoting the polesitter all the way back to fifth. Meanwhile, Quartararo was getting the hammer down as the rookie took a half-second lead on lap two, but Dovizioso and Marquez started to make up ground as they recovered from a frantic opening lap.
Quickly, Dovizioso was back up to second, with Miller holding off Marquez for the time being in third and fourth.
It wasn’t long before Marquez had dispatched Miller, as the top three started to edge away. On lap seven, Quartararo was like a sitting duck heading into turn one as Dovizioso used the Ducati grunt to blast into the lead. Moments later, Marquez did the same on his Honda.
There was nothing Quartararo could do about the Yamaha’s lack of acceleration as he slipped down to third. Now, Dovizioso and Marquez were sitting first and second.
Marquez threatened to stretch away but the gap didn’t rise above four tenths of a second. It was clear the first half of the lap belonged to Marquez, but Dovizioso was the stronger man in the second part. The laps ticked by and there was nothing between them.
With nine to go, a move was made. Dovizioso powered alongside Marquez as the No. 93 had a quick glare at the Italian heading into turn one.
The Ducati man made the pass stick and it became the 2017 Austrian winner in control.
Tensions were bubbling to boiling point as for the next five laps, Marquez trailed Dovizioso by a scant margin. Shadowing his great rival, where would Marquez choose to pounce?
With three to go, turn seven became the unlikely location as Marquez stuck it underneath Dovizioso to regain the baton, but was it the race-winning move?
Marquez wasn’t pulling clear and heading into turn one on the penultimate lap, Dovizioso went for it. He couldn’t quite make it stick, however, running wide and allowing Marquez to power back past.
Entering the final lap, Marquez had a half-bike length lead as the duo got close heading into turn one. Again, Dovizioso went for it but ran wide, so it was Marquez who led going down into turn three.
The breathless battle came down to the last sector. Dovizioso powered up the hill out of turn eight, and no pass came at turn nine, but then he pulled out from behind Marquez heading into the last corner.
It was a role reversal from 2017 as Dovizioso lunged down the inside and got it stopped.
Dovizioso stood the Ducati up and there was nothing Marquez could do, with the Ducati rider taking the checkered flag and extending Ducati’s winning run to four straight MotoGP victories at the Spielberg circuit.
“I’m so happy, because this victory was really important for me,” said Dovizioso. “Towards the end of the race, I had good right-side grip on the tire, allowing me to successfully attempt that incredible overtaking move at the final corner. My strategy for the race was to be aggressive right from the opening lap, but Marquez was more aggressive than me. He immediately tried to impose his rhythm, but I was always able to respond and in the final stages, I think he had more wear on his tires than me … so I could stay right on his tail until the end and attempt that crazy passing move on him at the final corner.
“I want to thank Ducati and my team, because today we did everything just perfectly.”
Quartararo completed the podium, followed by the two factory Yamahas of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales.
Alex Rins, Francesco Bagnaia, Miguel Oliveira, Danilo Petrucci and Franco Morbidelli made up the balance of the top 10.
BLUE ISLAND, Ill.— Marks Hernandez, better known to Chicago-area stock car racing fans as Speedy Gonzales, passed away on Friday at the age of 85.
Born in Blue Island, Ill., Hernandez began racing at Blue Island’s Raceway Park in 1963, using the cartoon character name. In 1965, he won one feature and five heat races in the track’s amateur/claiming division.
He became a late model division competitor the following year, driving a blue ’65 Chevelle No. 3. In 1967, Hernandez captured a couple of heat race wins in late model action at the “World’s Busiest Track” still driving his trusty ’65 Chevelle, which was now numbered “09”.
Hernandez was a late model heat race winner at Raceway Park every year from 1967 through 1974, winning as many as nine heat races in 1972 and 1973.
He finished 11th in the late model standings at Raceway Park in 1973 – his best points performance at the tight, quarter-mile, paved oval.
In May of 1974, Hernandez finished second to 11-time Raceway champion Bud Koehler in a 30-lap feature race, with the legendary racer Dick Trickle trailing Hernandez at the checkered flag.
His feat that night became a great trivia question: who finished behind feature winner Bud Koehler and ahead of Dick Trickle the night Trickle showed up unexpectedly at Raceway Park in 1974?
Hernandez enjoyed a special moment in his racing career when he won his one and only late model feature race at Raceway Park early during the 1971 season – Sunday, May 16, to be exact.
Raceway Park announcer and writer for the old Illustrated Speedway News newspaper, Wayne Adams, wrote on the feat in the following week’s issue of the paper and lauded Hernandez.
“Speedy Gonzales of Blue Island is an excellent example of what it takes to become a successful race driver – he has ambition, desire, courage, skill, daring and above all he never learned the meaning of the word – quit,” said Adams. “Tonight at Raceway Park, Speedy Gonzales achieved of one he greatest thrills of his lifetime as he drove his 1969 Chevelle “409” No. 09 to a feature victory in the rugged late model division – the first such win in his eight-year driving career.
“During the past eight years, Gonzales has suffered some severe setbacks – the type that would make an ordinary person give up in disgust, but not Gonzales,” Adams added. “Many times during that period since 1963, he has dragged home a shattered hunk of metal that used to be a racing car. He had numerous narrow escapes and has wound up in the hospital with rather severe injuries.
“But Speedy kept coming back for more and tonight he was rewarded with the feature checkered flag in the roughest short track stock car action in the entire Midwest.”
That feature win night saw Hernandez take the lead on lap two and score the victory ahead of Jerry Kemperman, Koehler, Ray Para, George Hill and Larry Middleton – definitely some stout competition.
For a time, Hernandez drove for Dennis Kwiatkowski and Art Corradino. Hernandez dubbed his young car owners the “Fernando Brothers” – a “tag” that stuck to Denny and Art for many years.
He seldom traveled away from his home track – Raceway Park, but did compete at other area short tracks – even on the dirt at Santa Fe Speedway.
Retiring as a race car driver in the mid 1970s, Hernandez began fielding quarter-midgets for his two sons, Marks II and Peter. Speedy’s team, including his wife Theresa, would travel all over the Midwest to compete.
When the boys got older, both competed in local stock car action. Peter Hernandez, nicknamed “Little Speedy”, began competing in Mid American Stock Car Series action, traveling to various tracks in the Midwest and winning the series title in 2004.
With his driving days behind him, Marks Hernandez also served as a member on several local race teams, including helping Tom Jones in American Speed Ass’n competition. He also fielded a late model car for several drivers including area champion Mike White, who won late model feature races in 1990.
Visitation for Marks Hernandez will be held Aug. 12, from 3 pm until 9 pm. Chapel prayers will begin Tuesday at 9:00 am at the Krueger Funeral Home at 13050 S. Greenwood Ave. in Blue Island, then move to St. Donatus Church at 1939 Union St. in Blue Island for mass at 10:00 am.
Cremation will be private.
Rest in peace, Speedy.
Pittman Finally Lands On Knoxville Nationals Podium
KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Daryn Pittman won the 2013 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship and has a collection of victories that would make most drivers green with envy.
But the 40-year-old Oklahoma native has always felt like a fish out of water at Knoxville Raceway.
During Saturday’s 59th annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals, Pittman charged from 10th starting spot and was finally a contender to win the $150,000 top prize.
He rode second most of the race in his Roth Motorsports No. 83 sprint car, but finished third after Logan Schuchart passed him on the final lap.
Pittman’s contention left him with mixed emotions.
“I am happy with the effort our Roth Motorsports team put in and for us to have a car that I honestly believe was capable of competing for a win,” Pittman said. “I don’t think I have ever had that here. There are good thirds, there are bad thirds and I’m kind of in between.
“On one hand, I’m happy, but on the other I think I made too many mistakes as a driver to stay with David. I think he had the better car and was able to get through traffic better than I was.”
Pittman said he’s never really been comfortable with the feel of his race cars at the Marion County Fairgrounds dirt track.
“It’s the feel of the race car. I leave here every year watching videos of the guys who are successful here and watching their cars on video and going, ‘Mine doesn’t even come close to that,’” Pittman said. “It’s my 17th A-main start here on Saturday and this has been a difficult place for me to figure out as a driver and as far as the setup. We came here in June and tested right before the Outlaw show and ran good then, and this has been the best year I’ve ever had at Knoxville.
“While I am disappointed with running third, at least I am in here and I can see the front and I know what it feels like to have a competitive race car here,” Pittman noted. “That’s something I’ve lacked for a while. There are just some tracks that I get and this isn’t one of them. I’m 40 years old and maybe I am finally figuring it out 20 years later.”
Still, he felt he should have finished second.
“I’m pretty frustrated that we lost second on that last lap,” he said. “A lapped car just made a mistake in front of us and I’m pissed off, but I’ve been that lapped car and made that mistake, so I have to keep that in mind. It’s been a roller-coaster of a season.
“We are fighting really hard and for once I know what it feels like to be fast around here.”
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I do: Wie ties the knot with West in big Beverly Hills ceremony
Michelle Wie got married in style Saturday to Jonnie West in a ceremony and reception at a private home in Beverly Hills, Calif.
West is the director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors and son of NBA great Jerry West.
“She was so happy, and she looked so radiant,” said David Leadbetter, her long-time coach. “It’s a great new chapter in her life.”
Leadbetter was among the estimated 150 or so guests at the wedding. His daughter, Hally, was one of the bridesmaids. And, yes, of course, Jerry West was there, as was Golden State warriors star Stephen Curry. LPGA pros Danielle Kang, Jessica Korda, Marina Alex, Alison Lee and Alison Walshe were also among the guests, as were World Golf Hall of Famers Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon.
“I’ve known Michelle since she was 13, more than half of her life,” Leadbetter said. “So, it was quite emotional, seeing her get married. She’s going to be a great wife and I’m sure at some time a great mom, in the future.”
While Wie has a home in Jupiter, Fla., she’s expected to make her new base in San Francisco, where her husband is based.
And about Wie’s golf?
“She has no thoughts about retiring,” Leadbetter said. “She’s very determined to keep playing.”
After missing the cut with recurring pain in her ailing right hand at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in mid-June, Wie announced she was going to take the rest of the year off. She had surgery last fall to repair an avulsion fracture, bone chips and nerve entrapment in the hand. She struggled with pain in her four starts this year.
“She’s getting various treatments and just looking to give it more rest,” Leadbetter said. “Hopefully, she’ll be able to get back working on her game toward the latter part of the year, to get ready for next year.”
Hur closes with 66 to run away with Ladies Scottish Open
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland - Mi Jung Hur won her third LPGA title with a brilliant final round at the Ladies Scottish Open on Sunday.
The South Korean carded a closing 5-under 66 in wet conditions at The Renaissance Club to finish at 20 under, four shots ahead of compatriot Jeongeun Lee6 (70) and Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn (71).
After playing the first eight holes in 1-over par, Hur had four straight birdies starting on the ninth and also birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to come home in 31 to secure her first win since 2014.
''Honestly I don't like links courses but after this week I love it,'' Hur told Sky Sports. ''It was really tough today with the rain but my caddie Gary is from Scotland and he helped me a lot on the course.''
Hur shot a 62 in the second round, taking just 24 putts.
Lee6, a newcomer to links golf, won the U.S. Women's Open in June in South Carolina.
Overnight leader Jutanugarn had been trying to follow her sister with a Ladies Scottish Open victory after Ariya Jutanugarn won last year at Gullane.
Koepka, DeChambeau talk slow play: 'No issues' after face-to-face chat
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – A day after making an impassioned defense of his pace of play, Bryson DeChambeau took his message to at least one high-profile opponent of slow play Sunday at The Northern Trust.
According to various sources, prior to his final round at Liberty National, DeChambeau told Brooks Koepka’s caddie Ricky Elliott that if Koepka had a problem with his pace of play he should tell him directly.
Before teeing off for the final round the two were spotted talking.
“I mentioned his name once. I don't think I've come at him. I just talked about slow play, and obviously he feels I'm talking about him every time,” said Koepka, who added that he hoped to continue the conversation later on Sunday. “It was fine. No issues.”
DeChambeau, who became the focus of the slow play conversation this week after a video surfaced of him taking more than two minutes to hit an 8-foot putt on Friday, said he was pleased with the conversation but didn’t think anything else needed to be said.
“[Koepka] said a lot of things about slow play out in the public, and you guys have asked him that and he has the right to say things just as I do,” DeChambeau said. “I have heard him talk about slow play before and he has mentioned my name before, and I just wanted to clear the air. He's got respect for me; I have respect for him. So, no issues.”
DeChambeau said he hadn’t spoken with any other players about this week’s slow-play debate but he did spend a good amount of time on social media Saturday evening explaining his side of the conversation to fans.
“Everybody says not to respond to people on social media, but I'm not about to let my reputation be known as a slow player,” he said. “I just don't appreciate that. I think it's unfortunate because people don't see what I do day-in and day-out, high-fiving the kids, saying thank you to the fans and volunteers out there, and they just look at all the negative stuff.”
Koepka, who publicly criticized DeChambeau for slow play earlier this season, added that it might help the situation if more players discussed pace of play candidly like he and DeChambeau.
“Everyone out here [is] probably a little bit more afraid of confrontation than in other sports. I think you see that,” Koepka said. “There's always been some confrontation on a team. Sometimes it helps and you figure out what the root of the problem is, and start working on it.”
'Recent incidents' move PGA Tour to review its pace-of-play policy
Responding to what it describes as "recent incidents about pace of play," the PGA Tour has announced plans to review its current pace-of-play policy, including the possibility of expanding fines and penalties to players in groups that are not out of position.
Pace of play has been a lingering issue on Tour this year, from J.B. Holmes' deliberate victory at Riviera to six-hour rounds at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. This week it was Bryson DeChambeau who was in the spotlight after a video went viral showing him taking 2 minutes and 20 seconds to hit an 8-foot putt during the second round of The Northern Trust.
The video sparked social media outrage that included input from fellow Tour players and caddies, and it seems to have led to some swift action in Ponte Vedra Beach. According to a statement released Sunday, the Tour hopes to leverage its proprietary Shotlink technology to create a comprehensive pace report for each Tour player.
"We know that the individual habits of players when they are preparing to hit a shot can quickly become a focal point in today's world, and our players and fans are very passionate about this issue," said Tyler Dennis, the Tour's chief of operations. "We are currently in the process of reviewing this aspect of pace of play and asking ourselves, 'Is there a better way to do it?' We think technology definitely plays a key role in all of this and we are thinking about new and innovative ways to use it to address these situations."
At root is the issue that DeChambeau's much-discussed putt would not, on its own, merit a penalty under the Tour's current guidelines. To incur a penalty, a player's group must first be deemed to be out of position. At that point, an individual would receive a warning the first time he exceeded the allotted time limit (either 40 or 50 seconds), and would only be penalized for a second such bad time.
The Tour doles out undisclosed fines beginning with a player's second bad time of the season, even if he didn't get penalized, and similar fines are handed out the 10th time a player's group has been deemed out of position in a season. But moving forward, the Tour "could consider adding" language aimed at cracking down on slow players even if their group is not out of position.
DeChambeau spoke out against his critics Saturday, reiterating his position that elements like how fast a player walks in between shots should also be factored when calculating individual pace of play.
"When people start talking to me about slow play and how I'm killing the game, I'm doing this and that to the game, that is complete and utter you-know-what," DeChambeau said.
Justin Thomas, who played with DeChambeau during the first two rounds in New Jersey, conceded, "I like Bryson as a person, but he's a slow golfer."
But the answer to the issue may not simply be expanded ShotLink data. Former world No. 1 Justin Rose added that aspects like increased crowd size and noise, as well as the amount of media members following a group inside the ropes, can have an adverse effect on any attempts to accurately gauge pace.
"The crowds are a lot bigger here and a lot more vocal, and there's a lot more movement and distraction, I think,which obviously creates the atmosphere that we want to play in front of," Rose said. "You can't have it both ways. You can't have it fun and rowdy out here yet expect guys to hit shots on a clock through situations where the environment isn't ready for them to play."
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