FOOTBALL
Burfict fined $112,000
The NFL has been fined Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict $112,000 for multiple unnecessary roughness penalties in Cincinnati's loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday. The third-quarter plays involved Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back James Conner. Burfict, who has been fined 11 times for more than $315,000 during his seven-year NFL career, was suspended for four games to begin this season for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers. Burfict was fined for a helmet hit to Brown; he previously served a three-game suspension for a hit on Brown during the 2016 playoffs. His other fine, announced Saturday, came for a high hit on Conner. There were calls for Burfict to be suspended as a repeat offender, but instead he was handed his biggest one-time fines.
MOTOR SPORTS
Hamilton on GP pole
Lewis Hamilton secured the pole position Saturday for the U.S. Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, where the Mercedes driver could clinch a fifth career Formula One championship. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel must beat Hamilton or stay close to him today if he hopes to push the championship to next week in Mexico City. Vettel was second-quickest on the day. But he'll start fifth because of a three-spot grid penalty for driving too fast under a red flag during a Friday practice. Hamilton leads Vettel by 67 points in the championship with four races to go. A fifth career title would tie the British driver with Argentina's Juan Manuel Fangio for the second-most championships in Formula One history. Hamilton has won the U.S. Grand Prix five of the last six years and the last four in a row. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen will start second and Mercedes' Vallteri Bottas will start third.
GOLF
Koepka leads by 4
Brooks Koepka has improved his chances of taking over as the No. 1 golfer in the world, shooting a 5-under 67 Saturday to take a four-stroke lead after three rounds of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges at Jeju Island, South Korea. Koepka had a three-round total of 13-under 203. Ian Poulter, who shot 68 Saturday, was tied for second place with second-round leader Scott Piercy, who had a 72. Justin Thomas shot a 71 Saturday and is at 1-under, 11 strokes behind Koepka and tied for 43rd. There were six golfers tied for fourth, including Rafa Cabrera Bello, who shot 65 Saturday, and first-round leader Chez Reavie (70). Shubhankar Sharma of India had the round of the day, a 64, to move to 3-under, 10 strokes behind Koepka.
Ciganda shares lead
Carlota Ciganda of Spain fired a 5-under 67 Saturday to share the lead with Sei Young Kim after the third round of the LPGA Shanghai. Ciganda carded her fifth birdie of the day on the par-4 18th to finish tied with overnight leader Kim at 11-under 205. Kim shot a 71 with four bogeys and five birdies. Angel Yin also birdied the final hole for a 68 and was a further stroke back with Brittany Altomare (69), Danielle Kang (71) and Ariya Jutanugarn (71). Local favorite Yu Liu was in sole possession of seventh place after offsetting a lone bogey with four birdies for a 69. Paula Creamer also shot a 69 and shared eighth at 8 under with Minjee Lee (70) and Bronte Law (71).
Haas ahead in Richmond
Jay Haas shot a 7-under 65 to take a two-shot lead Saturday in the PGA Tour Champions' playoff-opening Dominion Energy Charity Classic at Richmond, Va. Trying to become the oldest winner in tour history, Haas, 64, birdied the par-5 16th and 18th holes to get to 11-under 133 on The Country Club of Virginia's James River Course. Stephen Ames and Scott Dunlap were tied for second. Ames had a 67, and Dunlap shot 68. Defending champion Bernhard Langer had a 66 to join Billy Mayfair (67) and Woody Austin (68) at 9 under.
TENNIS
Edmund reaches final
Top-seeded Kyle Edmund defeated 2016 champion Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4 to reach the European Open final on Saturday at Antwerp, Belgium. Edmund has yet to drop serve this week. The Briton saved five break points and broke Gasquet twice in their semifinal. In his second career final, Edmund will try to win his first ATP title against another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, who has seven career titles. Monfils hit 10 aces while beating Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, also by 6-3, 6-4.
Kasatkina wins Kremlin Cup
Daria Kasatkina won the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Saturday as Tunisian qualifier Ons Jabeur narrowly failed to become the first WTA winner from her country. Jabeur was a set and a break up at 4-1 in the second before she seemed to tire in her eighth match in as many days, allowing Kasatkina to claim a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory with vocal support from the home crowd. Sixth-seeded Kasatkina ended a run of three losses in finals, including last year's Kremlin Cup, and now has a career 2-3 record. Her previous win was in Charleston in April 2017. Jabeur was the first Tunisian to reach a women's tour final and the first African finalist since South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers in 2014. Qualifiers have played four WTA finals this year and lost them all.
Gulbis in Stockholm final
Ernests Gulbis reached his first ATP final since 2014 by beating top-seeded John Isner 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Stockholm Open on Saturday. Gulbis, a former French Open semifinalist, will play Stefanos Tsitsipas in today's championship match in his bid for a seventh career title. The third-seeded Tsitsipas won the first of the semifinals, beating Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-2. The 19-year-old Greek has yet to win a title. Gulbis was once ranked No. 10 but is No. 145 after the last few years have been plagued by injuries.
BASEBALL
Marlins to sign Cubans
The Miami Marlins are expected to land baseball's top-rated international free agent -- Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa, according to El Nuevo Herald. Mesa's younger brother -- 17-year-old outfielder Victor Jr. -- will also sign with Miami, according to the report. The Marlins will hold a news conference Monday morning with CEO Derek Jeter and president of baseball operations Michael Hill, but they did not list any specifics about what will be addressed. According to MLB.com's scouting report, Victor Victor Mesa, 22, is "considered an outstanding defender with a strong arm. He's also a plus runner and scouts like his upside and pedigree." The 5-foot-11, 196-pound outfielder played for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic last season, going 3-for-7 with two doubles. After being largely inactive on the international market over the past decade, the Marlins new ownership group -- led by Jeter and Bruce Sherman -- has invested significant resources toward increasing its presence. With a large Cuban population, Miami figures to be a natural fit for the Mesa brothers and the franchise. With the hype surrounding the coveted prospect, Victor Victor Mesa could prove to be a draw for a franchise that's struggled to bring fans into Marlins Park.
SOCCER
Messi breaks arm
Lionel Messi has broken a bone in his right arm and will be sidelined for about three weeks. Barcelona made the announcement on Saturday after Messi left their Spanish league match against Sevilla in the first half at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Messi was trying to reclaim the ball when he ran into the back of a defender and fell in the 17th minute. Trying to cushion his landing, his right elbow bent badly. He was in visible pain and treated by team doctors. They wrapped his elbow with bandages and the playmaker tried to continue, but he eventually left the field. Messi was taken to a clinic and the club said tests showed a "fracture of the radial bone." The playmaker scored the team's second goal with a shot from outside the area in the 12th. At the least, Messi will miss playing Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, and the clasico against Real Madrid next weekend.
Sports on 10/21/2018