Andy Murray slumped to another early exit on clay as he was thrashed by Stan Wawrinka at the ATP Challenger event in Bordeaux.

The former world number one won the Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence earlier this month.

But the Briton has struggled for form on clay and is yet to decide whether he will play at the French Open.

As the tournament's second seed, Murray had a bye into the second round but former US, French and Australian open champion Wawrinka, 38, needed only 75 minutes to beat the Briton.

Murray saved five set points at 5-2 in the opening set but was broken three times in the second by the Swiss, struggling on his second serve.

Wawrinka, who also suffered an early exit at the Italian Open, beat France's Ugo Blanchet in the first round and will face Frenchman Ugo Humbert or Belgian Gauthier Onclin in the quarter-final.

Murray has been trying to get more clay-court match time in the build-up to the French Open but remains unsure whether he will make only his second appearance at the Grand Slam event since 2017.

"It's not so much about [physical worries]," Murray said after the loss to Wawrinka.

"I trust that my body will be OK after what I did at the beginning of the year. I played back-to-back five-hour matches and did well physically in those matches," he added.

He came back from a set down in the final against American top seed Tommy Paul on the way to victory in Aix-en-Provence, his first title in four years, but has since suffered back-to-back defeats on the surface as well as first-round exits in Madrid and Monte Carlo.

"It's just what the right thing is to prioritise at this stage in my career. I trust my body now but I'm aware that my best chance of having a deep run is more likely to happen at Wimbledon," said Murray.

The event in Bordeaux was scheduled to be the Scot's final tournament before playing in Paris.

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff will return for the 2023-24 season, general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced Wednesday.

"He'll be back behind the bench," Fitzgerald said of Ruff, whose current contract expires on June 30.

"He's still the right coach for this group. He deserves that. We deserve him. He's a great partner for me and those kids love him."

Ruff, 63, guided the Devils (52-22-8, 112 points) to franchise records in wins and points during the regular season. The 112 points marked a 49-point gain from 2021-22.

New Jersey defeated the Hudson River-rival New York Rangers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second.

A Jack Adams Award finalist for the fourth time and for a third different franchise, Ruff won the honor with the Buffalo Sabres in 2005-06.

Ruff is 98-98-24 during his three seasons with the Devils. He is 834-652-149 with 78 ties in 1,713 career games with the Sabres, Dallas Stars and Devils.

The Arizona Coyotes plan to play the 2023-24 season at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University despite a new arena plan hitting a roadblock.

The Coyotes' plan to build a new arena in Tempe as part of a $2.1 billion entertainment district was rejected by voters on Tuesday, throwing the future of the franchise into uncertainty. Around the NHL, speculation immediately started about the Coyotes relocating to markets such as Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City or Quebec City as early as next season.

But Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez confirmed to ESPN Wednesday that the team will play the 2023-24 season at ASU.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly agrees. In an email exchange he was asked if there was a scenario in which the Coyotes played the 2023-24 season at Mullett Arena in order to give their next market some runway should they relocate.

"I don't envision a scenario in which the Coyotes are not playing in Mullett Arena next season," he said.

Another NHL source confirmed that the current thinking is the Coyotes will play another year at Mullett Arena unless something "unexpected" happens this offseason.

The Coyotes were seeking to build a 16,000-seat arena and an entertainment district on city-owned land at Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive, at the west end of Tempe Town Lake. The total project cost was estimated at $2.1 billion, with at least $1.9 billion privately funded, and was to include two hotels, a 3,500-person theater and up to 1,995 residential units.

Internally, the Coyotes had been optimistic about the Tempe arena vote entering Tuesday. But just over 56% of respondents voted "no" on the three ballot propositions needed to approve the project.

"We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303," Gutierrez said in a statement on Tuesday night that also thanked supporters.

"While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent. What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed his disappointment with the outcome as well. While he had fought to keep the team in Arizona for more than a decade, he didn't sound any rallying cry in his statement Tuesday.

"The NHL is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe," Bettman said in a statement. "We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward."

Gutierrez declined to comment on the Mullet Arena news. A Coyotes source told ESPN that "there is no Plan B" for keeping the team in the Arizona market long term.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Late Tuesday winds that gusted to 25 mph limited how many players ventured out onto Oak Hill for a practice round and temperatures that didn’t break out of the 50s Wednesday had an equally chilling impact on preparation for this week’s PGA Championship, but Jason Day took the less-is-more approach to the extreme.

Day, who won last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson for his first PGA Tour triumph in five years, opted for no practice rounds this week.

“I just want to make sure that I'm mentally prepared and mentally ready for tomorrow. No matter how well I prepare, even if I go out and play a practice round, if I come in tomorrow tired and exhausted, it won't do me any favors, so I'm just going to try and take it easy,” Day said. “It's not the first time I've come into the major championship not playing a practice round.”

Day spent the early afternoon Wednesday in the short game area with his caddie, and with an early tee time looming on Day 1 he appeared to have made the right choice to rest. He also said that Oak Hill, where he tied for eighth in 2013 the last time this event was played in Upstate New York, is not your typical PGA Championship venue.

“From what I understand and listening to the comments from the guys that have been talking about the golf course and everyone saying how difficult it is, that this style of golf course is going to be a lot more difficult than previous PGA Championships,” Day said. “It's most likely going to be more of a kind of be more to the center of the green, putt to the pin locations, grab your birdies when you can, and then just kind of survive.”

At the 2016 PGA Championship – as the defending champion – the Australian walked 18 holes on Wednesday with a wedge and putter but didn’t play the entire course. Day finished runner-up at Baltusrol.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – With temperatures barely creeping out of the 40s, players made their final preparations for the PGA Championship on Wednesday wearing ski caps, mittens and at least three layers.

Welcome to western New York in mid-May.

Famed Oak Hill Country Club is getting its third major showcase in the past 20 years, this time with the date change that could make things even more unpredictable than usual. Jason Dufner was ranked 21^st in the world when he put on a sharpshooting clinic here in 2013 that led to his lone major title. Shaun Micheel had much longer odds for his unlikely breakthrough in ’03 – the world No. 245’s goal that week was simply to make the cut.

The way that Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are playing – plus the inspired play recently of Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa and Cameron Young and  … – it seems more likely than ever that we’ll get a clash of in-form alphas in their athletic primes. 

Here are the questions that are top of mind entering the week at the PGA Championship:

WHAT’S RORY MCILROY GOING TO DO THIS WEEK?

Which Rory shows up this week at Oak Hill:

The one who, on the eve of the Masters, was striking it so beautifully and was so clear minded that he absolutely knew he’d play well at Augusta? (Narrator: He did not.)

Or is it the one who glumly spoke to the media here Tuesday, detailing his ongoing swing battle to eliminate a two-way miss and talking about lowering expectations?

Yep, much can change in the course of five weeks.

The PGA in general, and Oak Hill in particular, always seemed like a perfect fit for McIlroy. And maybe it still will be – his entire game is predicated on how he drives the ball, and the tree-lined track puts a significant emphasis on placement off the tee. But what has limited McIlroy so far this year has been his putter. Currently, he ranks 172^nd on Tour in strokes gained: putting – a far cry from his career-best season last year (20^th).

Drilling down further, he’s outside the top 175 from the 10- to 15-foot range, as well as from 15 to 20 feet – problematic, of course, because that’s where many of his birdie putts come from. It’s impossible to build momentum, or fire low scores, without pouring in those attempts with any sort of frequency. (A year ago, for reference, he was inside the top 10 in both categories.)

Someone of McIlroy’s caliber is never far from a turnaround – a swing key, a holed putt, a fortuitous break – but an almighty stress-fest at Oak Hill isn’t exactly a welcome sight for a player searching for confidence with his swing and on the greens.

WHO HAS THE EDGE THIS WEEK: JON RAHM OR SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER?

Um, how about …both?

With McIlroy skidding, these two have separated themselves by more than just their world ranking. They’ve been so ruthlessly efficient and relentlessly consistent that it’d be a genuine surprise if one didn’t play well this week at a place that’s going to protect par. That sort of challenge is a perfect match for their respective skill sets and mindsets; Rahm won the 2021 U.S. Open while Scheffler has been in the top 7 in each of the last two editions of golf’s toughest test. They’re always up for it.

A four-time winner this season, including the Masters, Rahm took two weeks off after a valiant title defense in Mexico. In recent years, only Tiger Woods in 1999 has enjoyed a better start to a Tour season.

Scheffler shot 20 under last week in Dallas and has failed to break par in just four rounds all year. The Players champ hasn’t placed worse than 12^th since last October.

“I’m confident,” Rahm said. “I feel good.”

“Feeling good,” Scheffler said. “My game feels like it’s in a good spot.”

Fingers crossed these two powerhouses go head-to-head over the weekend.

WHICH LIV PLAYERS WILL STEP UP?

Fair or not, the Masters felt like a referendum for the entire LIV concept: the players, the schedule, the offseason, the competition. That the rival leaguers accounted for three of the top six on the Sunday leaderboard quieted (at least temporarily) the critics who thought these players’ best days were behind them.

By sheer numbers alone, the odds of another stacked board are unlikelier here at the PGA: There are only 16 LIV players in the 156-man field (compared to 18 of 88 at Augusta), after both Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey bowed out with injury. Fewer still would seem to have a realistic chance to contend, given the severity of the examination here at Oak Hill.

Dustin Johnson is coming off a win last week in Tulsa, his first of the season since suffering a back injury earlier this year. Brooks Koepka, the 54-hole leader at the Masters, has played consistently well for the past two months. Cameron Smith and Patrick Reed will relish the tougher conditions that can highlight their brilliant short games.

When asked Wednesday if there’s any added pressure to represent, or wave the LIV flag at majors, DJ said: “To me, I don’t need to keep proving myself. I already have for many years; same with all the other guys. It’s just where we play at. It doesn’t change the style of golfer we are.”

Given PGA CEO Seth Waugh’s consistently critical comments of the Saudi-backed circuit – that it is both unsustainable and inferior – it could make for a deliciously awkward handshake on Sunday evening.

WHAT’S JORDAN SPIETH’S STATUS?

Still to be determined, apparently.

After arriving late to Oak Hill, Spieth had a lengthy practice session Tuesday to test out his injured left wrist, then played a disjointed nine-hole practice round with Jon Rahm. He returned to the course midday Wednesday for a spin around the front nine, but once again he signaled that he wasn’t going to speak to the media.

The absence of any concrete information about his injury and status – especially with so much riding on the week, with him thisclose to completing the career Grand Slam – feels a bit odd. All we know, for sure, is that Spieth felt “severe pain” nine days ago and that he believed he was “week to week” in his recovery.

Oak Hill’s dense, punishing rough wouldn’t seem ideal for a player with a bum wrist, but Spieth and his team continue to weigh the options. Check back at 8:11 a.m. local time Thursday to see if he makes it to the starting line or pulls out to not risk any further damage.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OAK HILL?

The storied track is hosting a major for the first time in a decade, and the Oak Hill of today bears little resemblance to the one that Dufner dissected back in 2013.

Thanks to Andrew Green, the layout was restored in 2019 to Donald Ross’ original design. That means hundreds of trees have been removed. The greens, rounded over time, have been redone to create interesting complexes with severe runoffs. The bunkers have been dramatically reshaped.

And the rough? Oh, it’s thick. It isn’t so much the long, tangly, gnarly rough we’ve been conditioned to expect at a U.S. Open-like test. But it’s so dense, and the ball sinks so quickly to the bottom, that even the strongest players might not be able to muscle anything more than an 8-iron onto the putting surfaces.

In August 2013, when Dufner won at 10 under, it was the lowest score to par in the history of an Oak Hill major. It’s hard to envision that total being approached this week at a course that has been described as a brute, as stout, and as a cross between Winged Foot and Bethpage Black.

IS IT GONNA SNOW?

Well, it sure feels like it at times, with the low temperatures Wednesday in the 30s and a brisk wind making the feels-like temps hover in the 40s for much of the final practice round.

A frost delay is possible early Thursday – the low is 33 – but the forecast for the rest of the week should, shockingly, be fine.

A high of 80 on Friday. A high of 62 on Saturday, with showers possible and gusty conditions. That’s Rochester in May for you.

All things considered, PGA officials have to be thrilled with what has transpired so far. The course has been presented beautifully after ideal growing conditions this spring. And the weather, for the most part, has cooperated this week.

“That’s sort of the fun of golf,” said Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s chief championships officer. “It’s an outdoor game, and we can’t wait to see what Mother Nature brings as well.”

WHAT IS THIS CHAMPIONSHIP’S IDENTITY?

Pour one out for Glory’s Last Shot, for the PGA is no longer that. It’s the fourth time that the PGA has been held in May – in 2020 it was returned to August, however briefly, because of the COVID-19 pandemic – and the tournament is still looking to differentiate itself among its major brethren.

The Masters has all of the mystique and the pomp and the intrigue from months of buildup. The U.S. Open is the (kinder, gentler) slobber-knocker meant to push players to the breaking point. The Open is a glorious return to the game’s linksy roots – with a 30-mph wet wind to boot.

But the PGA?

“I feel like having it be the last major of the year maybe just gave it a little bit better of something that it doesn’t quite have right now,” McIlroy said.

What it does have right now – indisputably – is the strongest major field of the year.

Ninety-nine of the top 100 in the world are here – Will Zalatoris is out indefinitely after back surgery – with other special invitations filling out a 156-man field that also includes 20 club professionals. Major field criteria is a hot-button topic at the moment, but it doesn’t feel as though anyone of significance is missing. If you’re a player of consequence at the elite level, you’re here, and that’s a powerful advantage.

Zach Johnson is playing his 20^th PGA, and he summed up the tournament’s essence as well as anyone we’ve heard this week:

“This championship is just extremely proper,” he said. “We play really good, classic golf courses that have also been nuanced to make it more modern. What I appreciate about it is they’re not afraid to go to every corner of this great nation. It’s different every year.

“This one really takes on a new being every year, and I love that. The consistency is that there’s inconsistency in where we go, and I love that.”

Uruguay's new coach Marcelo Bielsa said he decided to take the job because it was the most talented group of players that he was likely to have the chance to work with.

The Argentine, who took over following the departure of Diego Alonso after Uruguay failed to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar, signed a contract until 2026.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

"I did not have to be convinced. I like the group that have represented the country in recent years," he said in an introductory press conference on Wednesday.

"There are countries that combine the awareness of their power, of their potential, and enhance it through fantasy and illusion. Uruguay has the resources to nurture that illusion.

"Managing a club is a job of constant intervention and a national team is a job of quickly bringing together high-level talent. One of the things that I considered a lot is that I would not have a group of players like the ones Uruguay has at the moment in any other club that can offer me a job."

The former Leeds United manager, who led the team to the Premier League after a 16-year absence, is making his return to coaching following his exit from the club in February 2022.

"I've been out of work for over a year and a lot of that time has been used to get a better understanding of some of the new things football has to offer," added the 67-year-old, who previously coached Argentina and Chile at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, respectively.

"It's been a long time since I've been in charge of national teams. Football, players and resources have changed, but I always try to incorporate new things, new ideas."

Bielsa will begin his tenure with two home friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba next month and has already planned how he will approach the matches.

"I have tentatively generated some [strategies], three players per position or four," said the new coach. "Within that group of 33 or 40 players, I will pick the ones I know the least and use these nine days in June to familiarise myself with them."

FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have loosened release date rules around when players can leave their club teams to prepare for this year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The original date of July 10, 10 days before the tournament kicks off, drew criticism from people who said the short break could lead to an increase in injuries.

- Women's World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Although the mandatory release date remains July 10 for players whose club have matches up to that date, players whose domestic seasons are completed can be released from June 23-29, four weeks before the tournament starts.

"The consensus framework takes into consideration the existence of different playing seasons for leagues around the world," FIFA and the ECA said in a joint statement Wednesday.

"This new framework strikes the all-important balance between players having sufficient rest while allowing adequate time to prepare for the World Cup."

There's everything left to play for in this Champions League semifinal second leg, after Real Madrid and Manchester City played out a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu last week. Don't miss a moment of the action as ESPN brings you all the latest updates, commentary and analysis beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

"We are organising a programme for him to work with because when we talk about legbreak and googly bowling, we think the fast bowler is a crucial member of any team," West Indies' lead selector Desmond Haynes said during a virtual press conference earlier this week. "Oshane had the ability to bowl a cricket ball fast and he should be encouraged. We, as a panel, have had discussions with him and with his management. We understand that he is in England. I think my co-selector Mr [Roland] Butcher was looking at the possibility of getting a programme that we will be aware of, and we will be able to monitor.

James Anderson is set to miss England's first Test of the summer against Ireland at Lord's as he looks to preserve himself for the Ashes series that follows.

Anderson is currently recovering from a mild strain of his left groin picked up during Lancashire's recent County Championship match against Somerset. The 40-year-old picked up the injury on day one, and took no further part in the match. A scan last Friday (on day two of the match) revealed the extent of the damage was not too serious, with Anderson calling it "the best result of a bad situation".

He will undergo a 10-day recovery period which will see him running next week. Though he was announced in the squad for the one-off Ireland Test and will be fit by the time it comes around on June 1, his priority is the first Test against Australia which begins at Edgbaston on June 16. Other fast bowlers, such as Mark Wood, are also expected to be preserved for the Ashes, with England due to select their attack for Ireland from Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Matthew Potts and Chris Woakes.

"I think I will be fit for the game," Anderson said of the Ireland fixture. "Whether I play or not is probably another matter really. I definitely don't want to risk it.

"I feel good, fine. I had a scan on the second day of that game. It was a little groin strain. It's a 10-day recovery period, and I'm rehabbing already, running next week. It was the best result of a bad situation. I'm disappointed to have to pull out of a game but with what's to come in the summer it was actually a pretty good result."

Anderson's caution comes from the 2019 Ashes, when he bowled just four overs in the opening Test before suffering a recurrence of a calf injury that ruled him out of the rest of the summer. He admitted to feeling "a little bit" more cautious because of that experience four years ago. Provided rehabilitation goes as expected, the 179-cap seamer expects to be fit and firing to play as full a part as possible in the five-match series against Australia.

"That was a different, more serious injury," Anderson said of his 2019 experience. "I ripped my calf earlier that summer, and it was a real push to try to get fit for that first Test. I don't feel like this is anywhere near that severity.

"I am desperate to be fit for the first Ashes Test. If that means missing the Ireland Test, so be it."

James Anderson was speaking at a partnership launch announcing Radox as an Official Partner of England Cricket.