Author: Shekari Philemon

Ben Shelton beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the third round of the US Open as the highest-seeded American man in the draw, advancing past a quality opponent in four sets after also needing four sets in the first round. Shelton said being pushed early in a tournament is valuable, describing it as being battle-tested. He acknowledged he could have won the match more efficiently but credited Hurkacz for the level he brought. He said the pressure forced him to clean up things he had wanted to address, and that those…

Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the US Open in struggling form and in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking. She is through to the third round looking ready for a three-peat, dismantling Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes Wednesday night in a power display that made her recent difficulties seem distant. Sabalenka said afterward she was happy with her level, happy with her focus and happy to be through the match. The top seed won 15 of 16 points on first serve in the opening set and finished 21 of 28 for the match against an opponent playing in…

Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set for the first time in this year’s US Open on Wednesday night but recovered to beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, winning eight consecutive games after falling behind early and advancing to the third round of his title defense. Alcaraz said he wanted to be quick about it but acknowledged afterward that playing four sets was actually good for him at this stage of his return, giving him the chance to test himself physically and see how his body responds the following day. He said he tried to stay calm after losing the set…

Kirk Cousins will start the Las Vegas Raiders’ season opener against the Miami Dolphins, first-year coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday, making Fernando Mendoza the first No. 1 overall pick at quarterback to not start Week 1 since Baker Mayfield sat behind Tyrod Taylor for the first three games of the 2018 season with the Cleveland Browns. Kubiak described Cousins as having played really good football throughout training camp and the preseason, saying Cousins earned the starting position. He did not address whether Mendoza is expected to play this season. The decision was largely expected. Cousins had been taking the majority…

Jalen Hurts confirmed in a GQ interview published Tuesday that he and Brown grew apart during their final season together in Philadelphia, offering a direct answer after being pressed twice. He initially said there was no surprise that it had been talked about. Asked again directly, he confirmed it. The confirmation from Hurts follows what Brown said in June on a podcast hosted by Carmelo Anthony. Brown said nothing happened between him and Hurts, or between their families. He said life happens and you find yourself drifting away, and that both parties had accepted it. Brown was traded to the…

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa will both travel to Australia for the team’s Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, with both players making meaningful progress in their recoveries from significant injuries, according to reports from NFL Network. Kittle, recovering from a torn right Achilles suffered in the 49ers’ Jan. 11 playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles, was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 23 and is trending toward playing in Melbourne after two positive days of practice. He had insisted in the days after the injury…

Alexander Zverev survived the longest first-round match of his career, rallying to defeat Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in 4 hours and 52 minutes to avoid becoming the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament since 2003. The match ended in the early hours Wednesday morning. Zverev said afterward that nearly five hours for a first-round match is the longest he has ever played in his life, and credited Sonego for playing well enough to have beaten a lot of players. He was repeatedly unable to convert on…

Coco Gauff opened her defense of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zeynep Sonmez on Tuesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, defeating a tough opponent in 1 hour and 20 minutes in her second-shortest opening-round match at Flushing Meadows. Gauff, 22 and seeded fourth, had been pushed to three sets in five of her previous seven first-round matches at the tournament. Sonmez played well enough at stretches that Gauff applauded her opponent on a couple of occasions, including a tracked-down ball in the corner hit down the line on the run and a volley with unusual spin…

Victor Oladipo published an open letter seeking another chance in the NBA, writing with clarity about what the past several years of injury and recovery have cost him and what his daughter has given him as a reason to keep trying. The former Indiana Pacers All-Star and No. 2 overall pick ruptured his quadriceps tendon in his right knee in 2019 and has not played more than 42 games in a season since. He played 26 games last season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Oladipo also conducted a private…

The Philadelphia 76ers signed three players to Exhibit 10 contracts Tuesday ahead of Sixers training camp, adding 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and forward Saint Thomas to the roster group that will report to Camden, New Jersey later this month. All three are training camp roster additions rather than guaranteed contracts. Exhibit 10 deals provide a path to the G League affiliate if the player does not make the final roster. Tacko Fall, 29, has not played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before that he spent two seasons with the Boston…