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Former Kentucky, NFL QB Lorenzen dies at 38

Published in Breaking News
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 14:41

Former Kentucky and NFL quarterback Jared Lorenzen died Wednesday after a battle with cardiac and renal issues, his family confirmed to ESPN. He was 38.

Lorenzen, who battled weight issues both during and after his playing career, was hospitalized last week.

"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jared Lorenzen would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for all of your support and prayers over the past 6 days," Lorenzen's mother, Janet Hermes, said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jared today, July 3, 2019. Again, we appreciate all of the warm wishes and prayers, but as a family, we would request your respect and privacy at this time. We will offer arrangement information in the coming days. Please keep Jared's family and especially his children, in your thoughts and prayers."

Kentucky's football program paid tribute to Lorenzen on Twitter:

Lorenzen became a star at Kentucky because of his record-setting passing accomplishments and his size.

Nicknamed the "Hefty Lefty" and weighing over 300 pounds, Lorenzen became Kentucky's all-time leader in passing yards (10,354), completions (862) and total offense (10,637 yards).

Lorenzen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Giants in 2004 and spent parts of four seasons with New York. He signed with the Colts in July 2008 but was waived before the start of the season.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning said in a statement that Lorenzen was "a great teammate and friend."

"We competed against each other in college and came to the Giants together," wrote Manning, who played against Lorenzen's Kentucky team during his playing days at Ole Miss. "My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I will always remember his competitive spirit and his good nature. Jared has left us all way too soon."

Editor's note: This story originally published on Tuesday but has been updated with Coco Gauff's second-round Wimbledon win over Magdalena Rybarikova on Wednesday.

LONDON -- Corey Gauff still remembers watching the 2009 Australian Open final between Serena Williams and Dinara Safina.

It was early morning at their family home in Atlanta, but his young daughter was captivated by the match on the screen. Williams ultimately won in convincing fashion, 6-0, 6-3, to claim her 10th Grand Slam title. "She's the GOAT," Corey remembers saying in awe.

His daughter, then 4, didn't know what "GOAT" meant, but once he explained it stood for "Greatest of All Time," her eyes got wide, and she said defiantly: "I want to be the GOAT."

Corey told her she could be one day if she worked hard enough -- not knowing if she would ever love tennis or anything enough to actually achieve that dream, but wanting to make sure she knew she could do anything she set her mind to. He kept telling her that as she got older.

Fast-forward 10 years and that same young girl is already leading some to wonder whether her bold declaration might actually come true.

On Monday, Cori "Coco" Gauff, now 15, crouched to her knees, put her hands to her head and then stood up triumphantly, choking back tears. She had just defeated her longtime hero, Venus Williams, in straight sets -- at Wimbledon, of all places -- in her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, and it seemed she had just realized the weight of the moment.

A moment she had been working toward since she first picked up a tennis racket.

After shaking Venus' hand -- and thanking Venus for everything she has done for the sport -- the young phenom couldn't help it. She cried with happiness. Coco Gauff had officially arrived on the world stage.

"I think the sky's the limit, it really is," Venus said after the match. "She did everything well today. She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her."

And it wasn't just Venus who took notice. Others on the WTA and ATP tours watched in amazement as well.

"I thought it was super special for Coco," Roger Federer said after his first-round win Tuesday. "I thought she handled it great. She wanted to be on the big court. She wanted to play against her idol. That's what good players -- that's where they shine, I'd say."

"I've known [Coco] since she was 7, so a long time," Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday after her first-round win. "[Coco] is a great young lady. I really like her. I think she is a really amazing player. Obviously, to beat Venus on a stage like that yesterday is incredible.

"Just for her to qualify, I think that was a very huge step just for her in general. Obviously, to beat someone you looked up to your whole life, even more amazing. ... I think she's on the right path. I think she has two great parents that are looking out for her, protecting her, making sure she has everything she needs. From that sense, I think there's nothing but positives coming out of that corner. We'll just have to see. By the time she really peaks, I'll probably be retired."


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1:11

Gauff: I had a feeling I was going to play one of the Williams sisters

Coco Gauff says she wasn't surprised to draw Venus Williams in the first round, and is excited to have played one of the greats at Wimbledon.

Corey Gauff played college basketball at Georgia State, and his wife, Candi, was a track star at Florida State. They encouraged Coco to try every activity they could think of -- basketball, track, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, you name it. She was a natural at everything she tried -- even winning the first 5K race she ever ran -- but tennis was her favorite.

Corey had played casually while growing up but hadn't seen many players of color. He was inspired by the Williams sisters and their father-turned-coach, Richard Williams. He used their strategy as a model, eventually moving his family to Delray Beach, Florida, to ensure Coco was able to get the best training possible.

It didn't take long for her to show a rare talent. At 11, she worked with Serena's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, at his facility in France. She won the Junior Orange Bowl title the following year, in 2016, joining the likes of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati. She then won the 2018 French Open junior singles title and the 2018 US Open junior doubles title with Caty McNally. The comparisons to the Williams sisters began, and tennis insiders began to take notice.

"She really started to impress me, and make me think she could play at the next level, when she would be down at these really big events, with so many people there and with so much pressure, and she would find a way to win," Corey said. "She would have to come back from behind and she would just come up with these amazing shots and show such gumption.

"I remember one match where she lost the first set 6-0, and then was down 5-0 in the second, and she somehow turned it around and won it. I asked her after what happened, or what clicked, and she just said she really didn't want to lose. It's those nerves and ability that make her so special."

Coco turned pro in 2018 and made her WTA debut at the Miami Open in March of this year, winning her first match before losing in the second round. She signed endorsement deals with New Balance and Barilla. She lost in the second round of qualifying at Roland Garros but was dominant during Wimbledon qualifying. She won three matches to line up her opening-round main draw clash with Venus.

Monday's match was hyped as a battle between one of the sport's legends and one if its brightest future hopes. Perhaps no one was more excited for it than Serena, who even said beforehand that she might watch it -- a rarity, as she usually gets too nervous to watch her sister play.

"She's such a fantastic young lady," Serena said at Saturday's media day. "She works very hard. Every time I have work, I see her out there working, training, her and her dad. It reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad. I can't help but look inside of myself and be proud and be happy for her. Yeah, so it's really nice to see."

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1:03

Serena 'honored' to have been a role model to Coco Gauff

Serena Williams shares her thoughts on Coco Gauff after it was revealed the teenager had a poster of the 23-time Grand Slam champion on her wall.

Serena doubled down on her praise of Coco on Tuesday following her own first-round win.

"I don't know. I just love Coco and her family," Serena said. "They're just really sweet. Her dad is just a good guy. She's pretty awesome and pretty cool. Honestly, I feel honored that I was on her wall [as a poster] at some point in her life. Soon she'll be on other girls' walls. It's nice, because it will keep it going from the next generation to next generation."

With Monday's victory, Coco became the youngest player to win a match in the main draw at a Grand Slam since Anna Kournikova at the 1996 US Open, and the youngest at Wimbledon since Capriati in 1991. (By the time Coco was born, Venus had already won four of her seven Grand Slam titles.) The expectations for the young American have skyrocketed overnight -- literally -- and she went from being part of the sport's future to very much being part of the game's present.

On Wednesday night, in front of an adoring audience all hoping to catch a glimpse of the newly appointed star, Coco looked unfazed by her surroundings and beat 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-3, 6-3, in an hour and nine minutes. It was the first match played under the roof and lights of Wimbledon's Court No. 1, and Coco lived up to the moment, putting on a nearly flawless display and responding to everything Rybarikova could possibly throw her way.

Save for a few emphatic "Come on!" screams, Coco was poised and calm throughout -- and unlike the emotion she showed in her first-round win, she barely cracked a smile when it was all over. The crowd, on the other hand, gave her a very warm, and very loud, standing ovation. Her parents, seated with Mouratoglou, also couldn't contain their excitement, standing and cheering wildly.

"The last three days have definitely just kind of been surprising," Coco said after Wednesday's match. "It just shows if you really work hard, you can get where you want to go. Last week around this time, didn't know I was coming here. It just shows you have to be ready for everything."

Coco will next face Polona Hercog, who upset Madison Keys, in the third round Friday. Corey, who used to be an assistant basketball coach, studies film of Coco's matches and her upcoming opponents. One can assume he will be up late again into the night leading into the next match.

"I was up until 3 a.m. watching Coco's returns and serves," he said Tuesday, the day after her win over Venus. "I used to do the scouting reports and work with the statistical data during my basketball coaching days, so it's just natural for me to watch the videos. I look at percentages, and what each opponent likes to do and doesn't like to do. I run each practice specifically based on who she plays next, and we focus completely on that match."


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1:49

Cori Gauff's parents relive daughter's Wimbledon victory

Tom Rinaldi gets Corey and Candi Gauff to reminisce about watching their daughter, Cori, stun Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon.

While she showed poise and talent well beyond her years on Monday, and during a practice session that drew much attention (and was just two courts away from Serena), Coco is still very much a teenager. She loves music (Beyonce and Rihanna are two of her favorites), meme culture ("And I Oop" is her current go-to) and watching sports. She wore a "Fun Guy" shirt to her postmatch news conference on Monday, in reference to NBA star Kawhi Leonard, who she admires for his quiet leadership and incredible skill. She's home-schooled, and she even had a science test this week. She got a B.

And she may not typically cry after tennis matches, but she does during movies. (Spoiler alert: Don't read the following quote if you haven't seen "Avengers: Endgame.")

"Actually [during] the movie 'Endgame' when Iron Man died, I was crying," she said when trying to remember the last time she cried before Monday. "Every time I think of it, I get teary-eyed because I really liked Iron Man."

During the closing credits of "Endgame," a teenage Spider-Man is anointed to pick up where his hero and mentor, Iron Man, left off. It doesn't require a movie geek to see the parallels between the film and Coco's win over Venus. While Venus has said nothing about her career being anywhere near over, it's tempting to think Coco could eventually emerge from the Williams sisters' success and carry on their storied legacy.

Coco herself certainly seems to believe she could do just that.

"I've said this before: I want to be the greatest," Coco said. "I'm still not 100 percent confident. But you have to just say things. You never know what happens. If I went into this match saying, 'Let's see how many games I can get against her,' then I most definitely would not have won.

"My goal was to play my best. My dream was to win. That's what happened. I think people just kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it's like, 'What do you do now?' I like to shoot really high so that way I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal."

Fredette leaves Warriors' summer league team

Published in Basketball
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 16:03

SACRAMENTO -- Jimmer Fredette left the Warriors' summer league team and will not be with Golden State in the Las Vegas Summer League as he considers other options.

Fredette played in the first two games for the Warriors in the California Classic in Sacramento. Fredette informed the team on Tuesday night that he would not play in the third and final game on Wednesday.

"I spoke with him last night," Warriors summer league coach Aaron Miles said. "He said he wasn't ... was kind of over it. I guess his agent has spoken with our people, so I called him and thanked him for his time. His reasoning is his reasoning. I'm glad he had a chance to come and impact us."

"He still can play," Miles added. "I think he should do whatever he feels is best for him and his family ... I don't know his situation, but he definitely has a lot of basketball left."

After scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds in Golden State's opener on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, Fredette went 2 for 6, including 0 for 2 from 3, and scored five points in 16 minutes during a 100-90 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

During that loss, Fredette made a crowd-pleasing spin move on a Laker defender but missed the layup. He later drew a technical foul for taking out his frustration on an official late in the game.

Fredette, 30, was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He has played a total of 241 NBA games for five different teams and averaged 6.0 points and 37.2% 3-point shooting. Fredette led the Chinese Basketball Association in scoring with 36.9 points per game and set a league record with 219 3-pointers last season with the Shanghai Sharks.

In Sacramento with Golden State, Fredette shot 1 for 7 from 3-point range during his two games.

The Warriors wanted to take a look at players like Jacob Evans and Damian Jones, and draft picks Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Alen Smailagic.

"We had quite a few draft picks and roster guys on our team so he wasn't able to play as many minutes," Miles said of Fredette, who played 16 minutes in each of his games. "I'm not going to say he might've thought he should play [more] ... I would imagine he would want to play a lot more minutes, but he was great in the minutes he played."

Sources: Suns to waive Korver after Jackson deal

Published in Basketball
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:34

As part of a Memphis Grizzlies-Phoenix Suns trade that includes four players, guard Kyle Korver is on his way to the Suns -- who plan to waive Korver and allow him to become a free agent, league sources tell ESPN.

Korver -- whose expiring contract can be waived for the cost of $3.4 million -- will consider signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers once he clears waivers, league sources tell ESPN.

The Suns are trading the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, underachieving forward Josh Jackson, to the Grizzlies with guard De'Anthony Melton, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 conditional second-round pick, league sources said. The Suns will also receive guard Jevon Carter, sources said.

The Grizzlies get a free look at Jackson, but have long evaluated Melton as a guard with an NBA staying power. History has shown that future Suns second-round picks are typically in the low-to-mid-30s.

Lowe, Berrios, Bogaerts All-Star replacements

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:05

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Jose Berrios and Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts were named to the American League All-Star squad as injury replacements on Wednesday.

Lowe leads all rookies in home runs (16), RBIs (49) and doubles (17) and is a strong early candidate for AL Rookie of the Year.

Lowe replaces Angels infielder Tommy La Stella, who fractured his right tibia when he fouled a ball off his shin against the Rangers on Tuesday night.

Lowe is also banged up -- he suffered a leg contusion in Tuesday's game against the Orioles and is day to day.

"As of right now, nothing is really set in stone," Lowe said Wednesday. "We're still looking at stuff, doing some treatment. Hopefully the next couple days we'll know more but as of right now it's too soon to say anything."

Berrios, who is 8-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 17 starts for the AL Central-leading Twins, replaces teammate Jake Odorizzi, who went on the injured list on Wednesday with blister. Berrios was also an All-Star last season.

Bogaerts leads AL shortstops in many offensive categories. He's hitting .301 with 16 homers, 58 RBIs and a .933 OPS through 82 games this season.

Bogaerts replaces Rangers designated hitter Hunter Pence, who is on the IL with a groin injury.

The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will take place Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Angels' La Stella breaks tibia, out 8-10 weeks

Published in Baseball
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 16:00

Los Angeles Angels All-Star infielder Tommy La Stella has a fractured right tibia and has been placed on the 10-day injured list, the team announced on Wednesday.

The typical timetable for a return to play after a fractured tibia is eight to 10 weeks, the Angels said in announcing the injury, which was revealed in a CT scan.

La Stella had fouled a ball off his right shin in the sixth inning of Tuesday night's game at the Texas Rangers and had to be helped off the field.

In his first season with the Angels and sixth in the major leagues, La Stella is batting .300 with 49 runs scored, 16 home runs and 44 RBIs. All the totals are career highs.

The 30-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time in his career on Sunday.

Also on Wednesday, the Angels placed outfielder Brian Goodwin on the 10-day IL with a right wrist contusion.

Watch the bizarre moment Fernando Verdasco leaves a Kyle Edmund lob - thinking it is going out - only to see it catch the line and give the Brit the second set.

FOLLOW LIVE: Wimbledon - Live video & text commentary

Available to UK users only.

Find out how to get into tennis with the BBC Get Inspired guide.

Top seed Novak Djokovic cruised into the Wimbledon third round after three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka lost to American Reilly Opelka.

Serbia's Djokovic, 32, needed just one hour and 33 minutes to beat American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 6-2.

Ex-world number three Wawrinka had the upper hand against 2015 boys' junior champion Opelka after three sets.

But 6ft 11in Opelka fought back with ferocious serving to edge a three-hour match 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4 8-6.

Djokovic is the defending champion at SW19 and once again considered the man to beat as he chases a fifth title at the All England Club.

The 15-time Grand Slam winner was never threatened against Kudla, producing another efficient performance on Centre Court against the world number 111.

Djokovic, who has added former champion Goran Ivanisevic to his team for the tournament, played a high level throughout as he moved well and relentlessly tested Kudla.

"I'm pleased with my game overall. There were some moments in the match where I could have done better, I dropped my serve a couple of times," said Djokovic, who also beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets on Monday.

"But it was a solid performance, I was returning well, mostly I was serving well and I was holding a high percentage of first serves."

Djokovic will play Poland's Hubert Hurkacz - little over a month since the Serb beat him in the French Open first round - next on Friday.

Opelka 'deserved' win, while Anderson, Raonic & Auger-Aliassime go through

Opelka is the joint-tallest-ever ATP-ranked player, along with Ivo Karlovic. His 142mph (228kph) serve against Wawrinka was the fastest of the Championship so far.

After the match the Florida-raised player, who won his first ATP title in February with victory at the New York Open, bristled when asked how tall he was.

"I have answered this question, like, 150 times," he said. "It's the same as it was yesterday, and, I don't know. Close, 6'11", 7'0". Not sure."

Wawrinka added: "Against those big servers you know you're not going to have a lot of chances and you get under pressure a little bit more.

"At the end he went for it. He went bigger than me, more aggressive, and he deserved to win".

Opelka, 21, will face Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round.

The 2016 finalist, who is seeded 15th, defeated Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson, who lost to Djokovic in last year's final, advanced with a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 victory over Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.

Russian Karen Khachanov got through a tricky test against Queen's champion Feliciano Lopez.

The 10th seed came from a set down to win 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-4 and make it through to the third round for the third year in a row.

Fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev, the 11th seed, defeated Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 6-4 6-4, while Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime progressed by beating France's Corentin Moutet 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2.

Watch the quirkier moments from day three at Wimbledon as Novak Djokovic works out on a medicine ball and Stan Wawrinka rocks court two.

WATCH MORE: Royals, Aussie antics & cheeky children - day two funnies

WATCH MORE: Why did he leave it? Verdasco's bizarre blunder gifts Edmund set

Available to UK users only.

Coco Gauff's fairytale introduction to Wimbledon continued with a second-round victory that belied her years over Magdalena Rybarikova.

The 15-year-old American qualifier needed just one hour nine minutes to beat her Slovakian opponent 6-3 6-3 under Court One's new roof.

Gauff, who beat five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams on Monday, will play Slovenia's Polona Hercog next.

"I'm still shocked I am even here," Gauff told BBC TV.

"I played well on pressure points, she was serving amazing. I've not been able to relax, there is so much going on.

"I believe I can beat anyone across the court."

At such a tender age, Gauff is only eligible to play 10 tournaments at professional level between her 15th and 16th birthdays yet she appears to be taking the grand occasion of Wimbledon in her stride.

Earlier on Wednesday, she had trained briefly under the gaze of 18-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal before being approached for a chat by Roger Federer, an eight-time winner in these parts, more than six hours before she finally got to play.

After a late court switch, the match finally got under way just after 20:00 BST, but Gauff looked at home straightaway against the world number 139, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years ago.

She broke 30-year-old Rybarikova's serve to love to go 4-2 up, losing just five points on her own serve throughout the entire first set.

Rybarikova, somewhat unsettled by the crowd's fierce support for Gauff, had her serve broken once again early in the second set.

But, showing glimpses of the form that saw her formerly become the world number 17, Rybarikova started to rally, twice defying Gauff on break point.

Yet this was always to be Gauff's night, seeing out the win by breaking serve once again.

More to follow.

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