AP Sports Summary for August 31st, 2023.
Frances Tiafoe loves the US Open and the US Open loves him. He is into the third round there again
NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe loves the spotlight that comes with playing at night in Arthur Ashe Stadium and he has picked up another victory in that setting to reach the U.S. Open's third round. He quickly grabbed a lead and never let go while getting past Sebastian Ofner of Austria 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in a tad more than 1 1/2 hours on Wednesday. Tiafoe only faced one break point and saved it. He volleyed terrifically. His outmatched opponent needed some help from a trainer for a bothersome neck. Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff all won in straight sets but No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas lost.
Caroline Wozniacki beats Petra Kvitova at the US Open shortly after coming out of retirement
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Wozniacki has reached the third round at the U.S. Open by beating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6 (5). Wozniacki is a 33-year-old from Denmark who won the 2018 Australian Open and reached No. 1 in the rankings during her first stint on tour. She walked away from the sport in early 2020 to start a family and now she and her husband, former NBA player David Lee, are the parents of two children. After a hiatus of 3 1/2 years, Wozniacki returned to competition this month and now is back at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2019. She was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2009 and 2014.
Realignment prompts fresh look at the number of automatic bids in 12-team College Football Playoff
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff have met for the first time since a wave of realignment tore apart the Pac-12. The changing landscape raises the possibility that the number of automatic bids in the 12-team format could be tweaked. This is the final year of the four-team playoff. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey says more clarity is needed. Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher called honoring conference champions in the new format a 'bedrock principle.'
Nebraska volleyball stadium event draws 92,003 to set women's world attendance record
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska laid claim to the world record for largest attendance at a women's sporting event with 92,003 filling Memorial Stadium for the Cornhuskers' volleyball match against Omaha. The university took aim at the record last spring when it announced it would hold a daylong celebration of a sport that enjoys immense popularity in this state of fewer than 2 million. The event began with an exhibition between in-state Division II powers Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State and was followed by the Huskers' three-set sweep of Omaha in a regular-season match. The previous attendance record was 91,648, set during a soccer match in Spain last year.
The USA is in great position entering Round 2 of the World Cup. So are many other teams
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The opponent names will become more recognizable for USA Basketball now. Nikola Vucevic awaits on Friday, Jonas Valanciunas on Sunday, and if the Americans keep progressing through this FIBA World Cup the challenges will only get tougher. That's OK with them. Second-round play at the World Cup starts Friday with a 32-team field to start the tournament now down to 16 contenders for the Naismith Trophy. The U.S. is one of eight teams with 3-0 records and those are the teams that have the easiest path to the quarterfinals.
Spain has condemned inappropriate World Cup kiss. Can it now reckon with sexism in soccer?
MADRID (AP) — Spain has spoken loudly through its government, political parties, soccer clubs, players and ordinary citizens to condemn the kiss of a player by the head of its soccer federation that sullied its Women's World Cup victory. But the apparent abuse of authority by Luis Rubiales has also brought the nation that has made strides in gender equality face-to-face with the sexism that still runs deep in its most popular sport. Now the question is whether the scandal caused by the most powerful man in Spanish soccer can bring about deeper changes in a sport where women have historically been discriminated.
Everton already destined for another tough season after lackluster start to EPL
Everton already seems destined for another season of struggle. Three games into the English Premier League and Everton has no points and no goals after losses to Fulham, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton. That hasn't happened before in the club's 145-year history. Next up is a trip to Sheffield United on Saturday to play one of three other teams on zero points so far. Everton has growing financial problems and has an outstanding Premier League charge for allegedly breaching profit and sustainability rules. The team's business in the summer transfer window has been underwhelming as a result so the mood of supporters isn't too high.
Nothing stirs up rugby's blood quite like New Zealand's haka
New Zealand rugby teams have been performing the haka before matches for 135 years. The All Blacks will do it at the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France. It was adopted from New Zealand's indigenous Maori, who used the social custom for welcomes, big occasions, and funerals. The haka was done overseas initially as an expression of New Zealand's culture and to entertain crowds. But a decline in effort and purpose made it irrelevant as a challenge. A renaissance by Maori of their culture from the 1970s led to Maori in the All Blacks restoring the haka's prestige in the mid-1980s. As the All Blacks began to take it, though, so did opponents. The confrontations have caused some of rugby's greatest theater.
Colts still uncertain about timetable for Jonathan Taylor's return
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will miss the first four games this season and general manager Chris Ballard isn't sure if or when the 2021 NFL rushing champ might return. But the Colts want him back. Ballard says the Colts are hoping to patch up the differences that have emerged during Taylor's ugly contract dispute that led to a trade request. Taylor wanted an extension before starting the final year of his rookie deal. He was even allowed to find a trade partner. But when nothing materialized Taylor remained on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury.
Dolphins' Chris Grier calls talks with Colts about running back Jonathan Taylor 'exploratory'
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami's GM Chris Grier said conversations with the Indianapolis Colts about 2021 All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor were "exploratory," and no official offers were exchanged between the two teams. The Dolphins had been linked to Taylor in recent weeks as the Colts sought trade partners for their 2020 second-round pick. Talks fizzled Tuesday as the deadline for roster cuts passed, and Indianapolis placed Taylor on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Grier also said the team plans to table contract talks with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa until the end of the season.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Final L.A. Angels 10 Philadelphia 8
Final Toronto 7 Washington 0
Final Tampa Bay 3 Miami 0
Final N.Y. Mets 6 Texas 5
Final Pittsburgh 4 Kansas City 1
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Chicago White Sox 10 Baltimore 5
Final Cleveland 5 Minnesota 2
Final Seattle 5 Oakland 4
Final Houston 7 Boston 4
Final N.Y. Yankees 6 Detroit 2
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chicago Cubs 3 Milwaukee 2
Final St. Louis 5 San Diego 4
Final Cincinnati 4 San Francisco 1
Final Atlanta 7 Colorado 3
Final L.A. Dodgers 7 Arizona 0
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final Cincinnati 2 Atlanta 1
Final tie Orlando City 1 Charlotte FC 1
Final tie Nashville 0 Miami 0
Final New England 1 New York 0
Final New York City FC 2 CF Montréal 0
Final Toronto FC 3 Philadelphia 1
Final Seattle 2 Austin FC 1
Final Vancouver 1 Chicago 0
Final Houston 2 Columbus 0
Final Minnesota 3 Colorado 0
Final Saint Louis City SC 2 FC Dallas 1
Final Portland 2 Real Salt Lake 1
Final LA Galaxy 3 San Jose 2
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
N-Y Yankees at Detroit 1:10 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Washington 7:05 p.m.
San Francisco at San Diego 9:40 p.m.
Atlanta at L-A Dodgers 10:10 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Florida at (14)Utah 8 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Phoenix at Connecticut 7 p.m.
Seattle at Los Angeles 10 p.m.
Washington at Las Vegas 10 p.m.