TENNIS
Murray out at Queen's
Top-ranked Andy Murray headed a list of high-profile departures in the first round at Queen's on Tuesday, with the Wimbledon champion losing to a player who found out he was competing only on the morning of the match. Murray put in a sloppy and error-prone display in losing to 90th-ranked Jordan Thompson 7-6 (4), 6-2, joining Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic in getting eliminated on a day of shocks at the Wimbledon warmup event in London. They were the top three seeds. The second-seeded Wawrinka was beaten by big-serving Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 7-5, with the Spanish player sealing victory off a net cord from a sliced backhand return. Raonic lost 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8) to No. 698-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was playing only his sixth singles since November 2015 because of injury problems.
Federer advances
Roger Federer bounced back from his surprise first-round defeat in Stuttgart last week with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Yuichi Sugita of Japan in the opening round of the Gerry Weber Open at Halle, Germany, on Tuesday. Federer, an eight-time champion in Halle, continues his bid for his 16th grass-court title against Germany's Mischa Zverev, who beat Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4. Kei Nishikori toiled for his opening grass-court victory of the year, beating Fernando Verdasco 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4. The seventh-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut beat Carlos Berlocq 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, Robin Haase defeated David Ferrer 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and Florian Mayer defeated Benoit Paire 6-0, 6-4.
Muguruza survives
Garbine Muguruza, trying to find good times in tennis again after conceding her French Open title in the last 16, barely survived her first grass match of the season at the Aegon Classic on Tuesday in Birmingham, England. The fifth-seeded Muguruza frequently had to abandon her elegant game and scramble to stay in the rallies during a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory against Elzaveta Kulichkova, a Russian qualifier who hit the ball with a complete absence of inhibition. In the second round Muguruza will face Alison Riske, a top-50 American who thrives on grass and is a former semifinalist at the Aegon. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova also won her opening match beating Tereza Smitkova 6-2, 6-3. Third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova failed to convert two second-set match points and lost 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-5 to Lucie Safarova, the former top-10 Czech.
GOLF
PGA to test blood
The PGA Tour is beefing up its anti-doping policy by adding blood testing next season. The tour also is bringing its list of banned substances in line with the World Anti-Doping Association. The revised policy takes effect in October at the start of next season. Blood testing will allow the tour to detect any use of human growth hormone, which is on the list of banned substances but cannot be detected through urine. The tour, however, still plans to use urine samples for most of its drug testing next season. The tour said it will report any suspensions for drugs of abuse. Under the current policy, the tour is required to announce when a player has been suspended only for performance-enhancing drugs.
Tiger in clinic
Tiger Woods has checked into a clinic to get help for dealing with pain medication, and his agent is not sure how long he will be there. Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management said he could not disclose the location of the in-patient treatment Woods is receiving, or how long the golfer would be there. Woods said Monday night that he is receiving professional help to manage his medications and how he deals with pain and a sleep disorder. Steinberg said Woods' May 29 arrest in Jupiter, Fla., on a DUI charge shook him up. He said he's proud of Woods for seeking help, and that the objective is all about a healthy lifestyle more than playing golf again. Woods said his arrest stemmed from a reaction to prescription medicine.
Lefty, caddie split
Phil Mickelson and his longtime caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay have "mutually decided" to part ways. Mackay confirmed the news in a statement sent to Sports Illustrated on Tuesday afternoon, describing his 25-year run as Mickelson's right-hand man as "amazing." Mackay said player-caddie relationships "don't often last that long. I will always be grateful that I was around to witness so much of Phil's career." Among those accolades with Mackay at his side, Mickelson racked up 42 PGA Tour victories and more than $80 million in winnings, according to ESPN's Jason Sobel. Mackay will be replaced by Mickelson's brother Tim for the remainder of this season. Mickelson said his relationship and history with Mackay "far exceeds golf. He has been one of the most important and special people in my life since the day we met, and I will always be grateful for everything he has done for me."
FOOTBALL
Lions DT suspended
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Khyri Thornton has been suspended for the first six games of the 2017 season for violating the NFL's policy on substances of abuse, the league announced Monday. Thornton played in 13 games and had one sack as a backup for the Lions last year, and was scheduled to compete for a roster spot this fall with sixth-round pick and former Arkansas Razorback Jeremiah Ledbetter, as well as a handful of lower-priced free agents. Ledbetter, who played both end and tackle at Arkansas, and free-agent additions Jordan Hill, Ego Ferguson and Bruce Gaston also will vie for backup spots. Thornton still is eligible to take part in training camp and preseason games, but his suspension will run through the Lions' Oct. 15 game against the New Orleans Saints.
Riley's pay upgraded
Lincoln Riley already had a major upgrade in his job title. Now, he's got the financial upgrade to match. Oklahoma's Board of Regents on Tuesday approved a five-year deal for Riley that starts at $3.1 million for the first year. It increases by $200,000 annually, with a national championship bonus of $425,000. Riley was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach this month after longtime coach Bob Stoops abruptly stepped down following an 18-year run. New assistant head coach Ruffin McNeill has a two-year deal starting at $560,000.
HORSE RACING
U.S. filly wins in England
American filly Lady Aurelia won at Royal Ascot at Ascot, England, for the second consecutive year, cruising to a three-length victory in the King's Stand Stakes under replacement jockey John Velazquez on Tuesday. Frankie Dettori was scheduled to ride Lady Aurelia, but pulled out of the entire meeting early Tuesday after failing to recover from an arm injury sustained when he was thrown off a horse in a parade ring last week. Velazquez was drafted in and settled the U.S. horse into a good early position. Lady Aurelia took the lead with two furlongs to run and pulled away, winning the five-furlong race in 57.45 seconds, just short of a course record. Godolphin Racing won three races on opening day, including the St. James's Palace Stakes with 5-2 shot Barney Roy as favorite Churchill finished fourth in the signature race. Ribchester won the Queen Anne Stakes, and Sound And Silence won the Windsor Castle Stakes, both for Godolphin.
SOCCER
Former U.S. team coach dies
Tony DiCicco, who coached the U.S. to the 1999 Women's World Cup title, has died. He was 68. Son Anthony DiCicco said on Twitter his father died Monday at home in Wethersfield, Conn., with his family there. DiCicco became the U.S. coach in 1994 and led the team to the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the first games to include women's soccer. He then guided a team filled with superstars -- and such women's sports pioneers as Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Michelle Akers -- to the '99 World Cup title. DiCicco is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He is the winningest coach in U.S. Soccer history by percentage as well as the only coach to win more than 100 games. He went 103-8-8 from 1994 to 1999. He then left coaching and did television work. In 2008, DiCicco took over the U.S. Under-20 women's team and led it to a world title.
Sports on 06/21/2017