In brief: No surprise! Serena Williams advances in Rogers Cup in Toronto.
TENNIS: Top-ranked Serena Williams advanced to the Rogers Cup quarterfinals Thursday night, beating 16th-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-3, 6-2 in Toronto.
“I think I served better,” Williams said. “It was a big difference. I still think I have a tremendous amount of improvement to do off the ground and everywhere else.”
Williams won titles in Toronto in 2001, 2011 and 2013. The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion will face Italy’s Roberta Vinci, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Russia’s Daria Gavrilova.
• Kyrgios ousted, fined for insult: Nick Kyrgios tumbled out of the Rogers Cup, falling to John Isner a day after insulting French Open champion Stan Wawrinka during a match.
The 16th-seeded Isner beat Kyrgios 7-5, 6-3 in the third-round match.
On Wednesday night, a courtside microphone picked up Kyrgios saying that fellow Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with a player who is reportedly Wawrinka’s girlfriend.
The ATP fined Kyrgios $10,000, the maximum fine allowed by the ATP rule book for incidents of verbal abuse or unsportsmanlike conduct, and fined Kyrgios an additional $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct related to a comment made to a ball person during the match. The tour said Kyrgios has been served with a “Notice of Investigation,” which begins a process to determine if his actions also merit further sanctions.
Earlier, top-ranked Novak Djokovic, second-seeded Andy Murray and seventh-seeded Rafael Nadal all advanced.
Mora makes donation to training center
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UCLA coach Jim Mora has made a big financial donation to his program’s new football training complex, the school says.
UCLA publicized what it says is a “major personal financial commitment” by Mora, though the school didn’t give an amount.
Mora’s donation is the largest by a sitting head coach in UCLA history, the school says.
The school will break ground for the Wasserman Football Center on campus Aug. 27. UCLA is within $10 million of its overall fundraising goal for the facility.
Mora is 29-11 in three seasons at UCLA, winning more games in a three-year stretch than any Bruins coach.
• BYU’s Takitaki charged with theft: A campus police report shows BYU sophomore linebacker Sione Takitaki has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft.
KSL.com reports Takitaki has been given citations for two Class B misdemeanors for thefts of athletic wear from the women’s soccer and track and field portions of Smith Fieldhouse.
• Nebraska suspends five for opener: Five Nebraska players have been suspended for the Sept. 5 opener against BYU for violating team rules.
Coach Mike Riley announced the suspensions after practice. He said he wouldn’t name the suspended players at this time but might by the week of the opener.
Timberwolves add another veteran
NBA: The Minnesota Timberwolves are bringing in another veteran to tutor their young pups.
A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that Tayshaun Prince has agreed to terms with the Wolves on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum. The person requested anonymity because the contract has not been signed.
The 35-year-old Prince is entering his 14th season. He played for Wolves coach and president Flip Saunders in Detroit.
Saunders has wanted to add veterans to a young roster that includes Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine.
• NBA, referees’ union reach deal: The NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association have reached a deal on a seven-year collective bargaining agreement.
It replaces the agreement that was set to expire at the end of the upcoming season.
• Mavericks sign McGee: Free agent center JaVale McGee has signed with Dallas.
The 7-footer has averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his seven NBA seasons.
Biles holds slim lead in U.S. championships
MISCELLANY: Even Simone Biles’ bad nights end up looking good.
The two-time defending world champion struggled during the opening round of the U.S. women’s gymnastics championships in Indianapolis, slipping on floor exercise before recovering late to post a total of 61.100, 1.4 points clear of Maggie Nichols and 2.4 points ahead of reigning Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas.
• Pair tied for Portland Classic lead: Amy Anderson and Sandra Changkija shared the first-round lead at 7-under 65 in the LPGA Tour’s Cambia Portland Classic.
Anderson had five consecutive birdies on the front nine in her bogey-free round at Columbia Edgewater. Changkija made six birdies on her opening nine and reached 8 under before finishing with a bogey.