TENNIS

Coco Gauff reached her first WTA quarterfinal when Kateryna Kozlova retired during the third set of their second-round match Wednesday at the Upper Austria Ladies in Linz, Austria.

Gauff fell behind by a set and a break but was on the verge of a comeback when Kozlova retired with the American teenager leading 4-6, 6-4, 2-0.

At 15 years and 214 days, Gauff became the youngest player to reach a WTA quarterfinal since January 2005, when Sesil Karatancheva did it at 15 years and 153 days.

SHANGHAI MASTERS: Novak Djokovic opened his title defense in China by beating Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round.

Djokovic, who had a bye into the second round, improved his career record against the Canadian to 3-0 and has now won 22 straight sets in Asia – dating back to his title run in Shanghai last year and also including last week’s Japan Open.

FORMER FRENCH OPEN CHAMP DIES: Andres Gimeno, the Spanish tennis player who became the oldest man to win the French Open in the professional era, died at age 82.

The Spanish tennis federation said Gimeno died following a long illness.

Gimeno was 34 years and 301 days old when he won the French Open in 1972.

SOCCER

U.S. MEN: Christian Pulisic says he won’t let his benching with Chelsea affect his play for the U.S. national team as it prepares for a match against Cuba.

Pulisic said he feels “very confident” in his game and his form is the best it’s ever been, despite scant playing time of late.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been mostly a spectator in his first season in the Premier League, playing in just one league match since August – a 10-minute stint Sunday during which he contributed an assist.

Pulisic has previously voiced frustration with his playing time under Chelsea Manager Frank Lampard but declined to elaborate on those feelings Wednesday, saying he’s focused on the national team.

The United States will play Cuba on Friday in Washington and then visit Canada in Toronto on Tuesday, its opening two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League.

GYMNASTICS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Russia won its first men’s all-around team gymnastics world title since the end of the Soviet Union after a crucial fall from China.

China went into the high bar – the last rotation for both China and Russia – with a 1.394-point lead, but Sun Wei’s fall allowed Russia to snatch the initiative.

Strong high bar routines from Ivan Stretovich, Artur Dalaloyan and Nikita Nagornyy lifted Russia to a total score of 261.726. That was 0.997 ahead of China, which had won the men’s team event at seven of the last eight world championships.

Japan took the bronze, continuing its run of reaching the men’s team podium at every world championships since 2003.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: The powerful typhoon that is heading for Japan’s main island this weekend could impact the Japanese Grand Prix.

Typhoon Hagibis is expected to hit western and eastern Japan between Saturday and Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It has urged people to take precautions with the storm approaching.

Practice for Sunday’s race at the Suzuka circuit, about 230 miles west of Tokyo, is scheduled for Friday and qualifying is Saturday.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.