In Brief: Sock defeats Cilic, advances to 4th round
Tennis: Before Jack Sock took on 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic in the third round, the 23-year-old American acknowledged that, as of a couple of years ago, simply making it that far would have made him, to use two of his words, “satisfied” and “excited.”
Now Sock wants more. He thinks his game and his mindset are ready for deep Grand Slam runs. And the way he overwhelmed the No. 7-seeded Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a little more than 1 1/2 hours on Friday to reach the fourth round at New York’s Flushing Meadows for the first time, who would doubt Sock?
“Just all around, I think I’m putting things together, better and better,” said the 26th-seeded Sock, who celebrated his victory with a racket-as-foil jousting move in tribute to his friend and fellow U.S. Olympian, bronze medalist fencer Miles Chamley-Watson. “I definitely feel more confident out there in everything I’m doing.”
Against Cilic, who followed up his title with a semifinal appearance a year ago, Sock won all 14 of his service games, never facing so much as one break point. Not much of a surprise there on a hard court for a guy whose game is best known for two parts – “‘serving and forehand’ is what I hear all the time,” he said with a smirk.
Other men into the round of 16 included No. 1-seeded and defending champion Novak Djokovic, No. 10 Gael Monfils, No. 24 Lucas Pouille, and 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, who ended the career-best showing of American qualifier Ryan Harrison by beating him 6-3, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-1.
Moore, Hahn hold Deutsche lead
Golf: Ryan Moore and James Hahn each shot 6-under-par 65 to share the lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on a day when no one was too far away.
The scoring was so consistently good at the TPC Boston that after one round, 37 players were separated by three shots.
As usual, there were more Ryder Cup implications.
J.B. Holmes, Jim Furyk and Daniel Berger were among those at 67, all trying to make an impression to get one of three captain’s picks that Davis Love III makes in 10 days.
Frost leads in Calgary: David Frost made two eagles and shot a bogey-free 8-under 62 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.
The 56-year-old South African player eagled the par-5 11th and 18th holes at Canyon Meadows in the round interrupted by lightning, thunder, hail and heavy rain. He was a stroke short of the tournament record of 61 set by Fred Couples in his 2014 victory and matched by Miguel Angel Jimenez last year.
Alex leads LPGA event: Marina Alex eagled her final hole for an 8-under 64 and the second-round lead at the LPGA Manulife Classic in Cambridge, Ontario.
Alex played the final five holes in 5 under for the lowest score in her LPGA Tour career, setting up the 18-foot eagle putt with a 5-wood approach on the par-5 ninth.
The 26-year-old former Vanderbilt player had a 10-under 134 total at Whistle Bear for a one-stroke lead over Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim.
Earnhardt’s season comes to end
Nascar: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the rest of the NASCAR season as he continues to recover from a concussion.
NASCAR’s most popular driver has already missed six races while undergoing treatment at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program and in Charlotte.
Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman will continue to share seat time in the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
Weather delays Darlington qualifying: It’s been a soggy ride in recent weeks as weather once more engulfed NASCAR.
Chris Buescher shrugged his shoulders after qualifying for Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway was canceled because of Hurricane Hermine.
“I’m definitely disappointed,” Buescher said. “We’re along for the ride when it comes to Mother Nature.”
Young leads Sky over Storm
Wnba: Tamera Young scored 24 points, Elena Delle Donne added 22 and the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm 92-88 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Chicago (14-13) has won three straight and six of seven to move into a tie with Atlanta for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Jewell Loyd had 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead Seattle (11-17), which has lost two of three and is tied with Connecticut for the eighth playoff spot. Sue Bird added 15 points and Breanna Stewart had 13 points.
Besler helps US route St. Vincent
Miscellany: Matt Besler scored his first international goal, 17-year-old Christian Pulisic added two late strikes and the U.S. routed St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 to move into prime position to advance to the final round of World Cup qualifying.
Bobby Wood scored in the 28th minute, Besler doubled the lead in the 32nd and Jozy Altidore converted a penalty kick in the 43rd as the Americans built a 3-0 halftime lead at the Arnos Vale cricket ground in St. Vincent.
Memphis, Temple cut from expansion: The Big 12 narrowed the field of candidates for possible expansion to 11 schools, with Memphis and Temple among the latest to be cut from consideration.
Big 12 officials are planning to start holding meetings in the Dallas area next week with BYU, Air Force, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Colorado State, Houston, Rice, SMU, South Florida and Tulane.
Kings guard pleads guilty to battery: Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery from a May incident and issued a statement apologizing to a woman he said he has known and loved since high school.
Collison, 29, must serve 20 days in jail, but may be allowed to participate in an alternative sentencing program.