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Here is the complete FedExCup points and purse breakdown for winner Kevin Na and the rest of the players who made the cut at the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Finish Player FedEx Earnings ($)
1 Kevin Na 500.00 1,314,000.00
2 Tony Finau 300.00 788,400.00
T3 C.T. Pan 162.50 423,400.00
T3 Andrew Putnam 162.50 423,400.00
5 Jonas Blixt 110.00 292,000.00
T6 Ryan Palmer 95.00 253,675.00
T6 Rory Sabbatini 95.00 253,675.00
T8 Tyrrell Hatton 75.00 197,100.00
T8 Mackenzie Hughes 75.00 197,100.00
T8 Russell Knox 75.00 197,100.00
T8 Jordan Spieth 75.00 197,100.00
T8 Nick Watney 75.00 197,100.00
T13 Jim Furyk 56.25 136,875.00
T13 Brian Gay 56.25 136,875.00
T13 Charley Hoffman 56.25 136,875.00
T13 Peter Uihlein 56.25 136,875.00
T17 Matt Every 50.00 113,150.00
T17 Josh Teater 50.00 113,150.00
T19 Austin Cook 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Emiliano Grillo 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Billy Horschel 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Adam Long 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Scott Piercy 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Brandt Snedeker 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Kevin Tway 40.18 79,387.50
T19 Jimmy Walker 40.18 79,387.50
T27 J.J. Henry 31.75 55,115.00
T27 Max Homa 31.75 55,115.00
T29 Talor Gooch 28.75 50,735.00
T29 Tyrone Van Aswegen 28.75 50,735.00
T31 Corey Conners 21.33 39,663.34
T31 Brian Harman 21.33 39,663.34
T31 Jhonattan Vegas 21.33 39,663.34
T31 Sam Burns 21.33 39,663.33
T31 Chesson Hadley 21.33 39,663.33
T31 Joaquin Niemann 21.33 39,663.33
T31 Roger Sloan 21.33 39,663.33
T31 Kevin Streelman 21.33 39,663.33
T31 David Toms 21.33 39,663.33
T40 Jason Dufner 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Brice Garnett 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Tom Hoge 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Beau Hossler 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Martin Kaymer 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Peter Malnati 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Trey Mullinax 12.68 26,280.00
T40 Ben Silverman 12.68 26,280.00
T48 Aaron Baddeley 8.50 18,571.20
T48 Scott Brown 8.50 18,571.20
T48 Bill Haas 8.50 18,571.20
T48 Danny Lee 8.50 18,571.20
T48 Chris Stroud 8.50 18,571.20
T53 Daniel Berger 6.18 16,819.20
T53 Branden Grace 6.18 16,819.20
T53 Anirban Lahiri 6.18 16,819.20
T53 Martin Laird 6.18 16,819.20
T53 Francesco Molinari 6.18 16,819.20
T58 Abraham Ancer 4.90 15,987.00
T58 Cameron Champ 4.90 15,987.00
T58 Ted Potter, Jr. 4.90 15,987.00
T58 Justin Rose 4.90 15,987.00
T58 Vaughn Taylor 4.90 15,987.00
T58 Mike Weir 4.90 15,987.00
T64 Ben Crane 3.90 15,257.00
T64 Matthew Fitzpatrick - 15,257.00
T64 Kyoung-Hoon Lee 3.90 15,257.00
T64 Brian Stuard 3.90 15,257.00
68 Byeong Hun An 3.40 14,892.00
69 Nate Lashley 3.20 14,746.00
T70 Dominic Bozzelli 2.95 14,527.00
T70 Ian Poulter 2.95 14,527.00
72 Tim Herron 2.80 14,308.00
73 Graeme McDowell 2.70 14,162.00

Woods grouped with Rose, DeChambeau at Memorial

Published in Golf
Monday, 27 May 2019 06:15

Tiger Woods will be grouped with former world No. 1 Justin Rose and defending champ Bryson DeChambeau when he returns to action this week at the Memorial Tournament.

Woods has won this event five times, most recently in 2012, and he tied for 23rd last year after missing the event each of the two prior years. The Masters champ will be making his first start since a missed cut at the PGA Championship, and this will mark his only start between the PGA and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Rose earned his first career PGA Tour win at the 2010 Memorial, and he lost in a playoff at Muirfield Village to David Lingmerth in 2015. DeChambeau won last year in a playoff over Kyle Stanley and Byeong-Hun An in the first of what turned out to be four victories in 2018.

Other marquee, early round groupings this week in Ohio will include Phil Mickelson alongside Rickie Fowler and former Memorial champ Matt Kuchar, while Justin Thomas will return from injury alongside Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth for the first two rounds. With the Presidents Cup fast approaching, Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott will be joined in a PGA Tour Live featured group by Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who won this event in 2014.

Specific tee times for the four featured groups, along with the rest of the 120-man field, are expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon.

Villa back in Premier League after win over Derby

Published in Soccer
Monday, 27 May 2019 11:39

Aston Villa returned to the Premier League as goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn earned a 2-1 victory over Frank Lampard's Derby side in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium.

El Ghazi made the breakthrough when he diverted in a cross just before the break, and McGinn capitalised on hesitation from keeper Kelle Roos to seal the win for Villa, who held on after Jack Marriott had pulled one back late on.

Villa created the first chance after five minutes when, from a Jack Grealish cross, Axel Tuanzebe scuffed his attempt when the ball fell to him inside the area.

Soon afterward, Grealish, with space to run into after a loose clearance from keeper Roos caused problems, blasted over.

Derby's Jayden Bogle fired in a dangerous low cross that created confusion, but back came Villa, and El Ghazi's run took him into the area before Richard Keogh ended the threat.

McGinn thumped wide after an El Ghazi cross had caused confusion, and El Ghazi was booked for fouling Bogle only for Derby to waste the free kick.

Villa's on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who had struggled for chances in the opening stages, worked space but shot over after 33 minutes.

Mason Mount, on loan at Derby from Chelsea, had the first effort on target after 37 minutes when his drive was held by Jed Steer.

But Villa made the breakthrough close to half-time, Albert Adomah's cross from the right diverted in by El Ghazi.

Mount went into the book in the early stages of the second half for a foul on Abraham, Villa annoyed that advantage was not played with a swift counter-attack developing.

Conor Hourihane's free kick forced Roos to punch clear as Tyrone Mings closed in, but Villa doubled their lead after 59 minutes when the Derby keeper wanted too much time to claim El-Ghazi's deflected shot and McGinn jumped to head in.

Lampard responded, taking off Tom Huddlestone and replacing him with Marriott, but it was Villa who threatened again when Grealish shot wide.

Another forward, Martyn Waghorn, came on for Derby as the game headed toward its final 20 minutes, Mount making way, but Lampard's side were showing few signs of finding a way back.

Bogle fired into the side netting from an angle with teammates well placed in the middle, and then Mount miscued after neat buildup play on the edge of the Villa area.

Derby and Lampard had new hope after 81 minutes when Marriott finished from close range following a spell of pressure. But despite seven minutes of stoppage time being added, they could not find an equaliser.

Sources: U.S. international Olosunde leaving Utd

Published in Soccer
Monday, 27 May 2019 11:49

United States international Matthew Olosunde is set to leave Manchester United this summer, sources have told ESPN FC.

The 21-year-old, who arrived at Old Trafford from New York Red Bulls in January 2016, is looking for a new club after United decided against renewing his contract.

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Olosunde is keen to continue his career in Europe -- preferably in England -- rather than return to the US.

The defender, who made his senior international debut against Bolivia in May 2018, has played for United's Under-23s and was part of the first team squad for games against Arsenal and Tottenham under former boss Jose Mourinho in 2017, although he never made a senior appearance.

Striker James Wilson is also set to leave the club this summer when his contract expires on June 30. The 23-year-old, who made 20 first team appearances, spent last season on loan at Aberdeen, scoring three goals in 23 games.

Wilson scored twice on his full United debut in a 3-1 win over Hull City in 2014.

Soto brace gives U.S. huge U20 win over Nigeria

Published in Soccer
Monday, 27 May 2019 14:45

Sebastian Soto scored twice as the United States picked up a crucial 2-0 win against Nigeria in its second match at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup on Monday.

The Americans came into the match needing a result after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Ukraine in its opening match of group play and Tab Ramos' team started the game brightly, controlling most of the possession and staying on the front foot from the opening whistle.

That strong start yielded a goal in the 18th minute when Soto lost his defender and smashed a header past Nigeria keeper Olawale Oremade from a corner kick to make it 1-0.

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Soto looked to have doubled the U.S. lead minutes later with a close-range shot following a scramble in front of goal, but the flag was up for offside in the buildup and the goal was waved off.

Nigeria began to find its footing as the first half wore on, with substitute Aniekeme Okon's sweet volley forcing a save from U.S. keeper Brady Scott and Maxwell Effiom rattling the crossbar from long range.

The U.S. got the start it wanted to the second half, scoring just after the restart when Soto collected a pass from Hannover teammate Chris Gloster and finished with a neat outside-of-the-foot chip over Oremade.

Nigeria responded well to the U.S. goal again, but were unable to score and saw a penalty waved off after video review because for offside on the pass into the area.

The U.S. got a minor scare as full-time approached when Soto had to be helped from the field after a violent collision with Oremade as he chased a whipped in cross in search of his hat trick. Soto returned to the field and was able to finish off the match.

The win puts the U.S. level on three points with Nigeria, who play leaders Ukraine in its final group match on May 30, while the Americans face Qatar on the same day.

Aston Villa's Premier League battle starts now

Published in Soccer
Monday, 27 May 2019 11:38

LONDON -- Aston Villa are back in the big time. Three seasons after being relegated from the Premier League, one of English football's aristocrats are back where many believe they belong after defeating Derby County in the EFL Championship playoff final, 2-1, to reclaim their place among the elite.

Of course, the reality is that no club has a divine right to play and succeed at any level of the game, but some clubs really should be too big to fail and Villa -- seven times champions of England and European champions in 1982 -- certainly fit that category. Only five English clubs (Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham) have won more major trophies than Villa, who will play their 106th season of top-flight football when they return to Premier League action in August. Only Everton (117) can top Villa on that score.

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They were also cheered on at Wembley by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and future king of England, and are co-owned by Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, the latter a joint-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. Edens saw the Bucks lose their NBA Eastern Conference finals series against the Toronto Raptors at the weekend, so Villa's success will certainly soften the blow of that basketball disappointment.

On a financial level, at least, nothing comes close to winning a Championship playoff, with Villa's finances guaranteed to be boosted by at least £170 million ($215 million) by winning this game and securing a passport back to the Premier League. But despite everything that is weighted in their favour -- history, a huge fan base and wealthy owners -- the hard work really does start here for Aston Villa.

Yes, Birmingham's biggest club are back among their fellow giants in the Premier League, but since being relegated at the end of the 2015-16 season, Villa have had it tough. They have been bought and sold twice, players have come and gone and, due to the terms of the sale of the club from former Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner to Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia in June 2016, current owners Sawiris and Edens face a £30m payment to Lerner following promotion to the Premier League and a further £10m if they remain in the top flight for the next two seasons.

Having just been assured of at least £170m by winning promotion to the most lucrative league in world sport, the money owed to Lerner may sound like loose change, but when you are competing in the Premier League, every pound counts. Villa will need to back manager Dean Smith with substantial funds if they are to survive their first season back among the big boys. Of the last five Championship playoff winners, only Huddersfield Town have been able to avoid relegation in their first season in the Premier League. But even the Terriers couldn't survive Year 2, with the club finishing bottom of the table this season.

Queens Park Rangers and Fulham both reacted to promotion by making wholesale changes to their squads, but relegation followed regardless. Huddersfield, Hull City and Norwich all attempted a more prudent approach, but it only worked for Huddersfield and they paid the price this season anyway.

So what about Villa? Four of Smith's starting line-up at Wembley were players currently on loan to the club while a fifth, Kortney Hause, was introduced from the substitutes' bench late in the game. Of the five loanees, Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Bournemouth), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea) and Anwar El Ghazi (Lille) have been key figures in the promotion campaign; if they are to play a part for the club next season, Villa must spend to either buy them or loan them once again merely to keep the current squad intact.

Spending money to stand still is not an ideal recipe for playing in the Premier League, especially when the former owner is due £30m of the promotion windfall, but if those players are recalled by their parent clubs, Villa will have to replace them. Yet manager Smith, a boyhood Villa supporter who arrived from Brentford last October, is confident that Sawiris and Edens will back the club with substantial funds this summer.

"We've got two owners who have got a lot of money and are in it for the long haul," Smith said. "The potential now is massive."

On the evidence of their 2-1 win against Derby, secured with goals from El Ghazi and John McGinn -- the latter a £3m bargain buy from Scottish club Hibernian last summer -- Villa will need to strengthen in every department to ensure they stay up next season. McGinn has been outstanding for Villa this season -- check out his EFL Goal of the Season stunner against Sheffield Wednesday last September -- but Premier League survival will not be achieved by making smart recruits from Scottish football. Villa will have to aim higher and spend more.

It's not all gloom, of course. By winning promotion, they can at least rest a little easier about the future of captain Jack Grealish, who has arguably been the most consistent player outside the top flight this season. With a £60m escape clause in his contract, the 23-year-old midfielder was almost certain to leave Villa Park this summer if the club failed to win promotion. But now that they are back in the Premier League, Grealish can be the foundation on which all the other bricks are laid by a club with a big history and big ambition.

It won't be easy, and survival will be the priority next season, but Villa have a better chance of staying up than most playoff winners. That said, they know better than most, and from bitter past experiences, that even Aston Villa are not too big to fail.

Worcestershire 64 for 3 (Ferguson 37, Helm 2-14) trail Middlesex 221 (Malan 45) by 157 runs

Middlesex struck back with the ball after being dismissed for 221 on the opening day of their County Championship match against Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road.

The visitors were bowled out in 66.2 overs after being put into bat with Charlie Morris and Josh Tongue continuing their impressive start to the season. Morris, the leading wicket-taker in Division Two, picked up three more scalps to take his tally to 23 and Tongue also added a further trio of wickets to lift his total to 15.

Only Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan, who had recovered from a groin injury suffered on England duty earlier in the month, and keeper John Simpson batted with much authority, scoring 45 and 35 respectively.

Tom Helm bowled a fine new-ball spell for Middlesex, which brought him two wickets, and then Callum Ferguson fell just before the close for an aggressive 37, meaning Worcestershire will restart tomorrow on 64 three 3.

Batting was a challenge for the bulk of the day in the first meeting between the two counties since 2015 with the ball nibbling around sufficiently to keep the bowlers interested and occasionally keeping low.

It is the start of successive home games for Worcestershire against three of the pre-season favourites for promotion along with themselves in Middlesex, Lancashire and Sussex.

They were without all-rounder Wayne Parnell (hamstring) but welcomed back Tongue after a one-game injury absence while fit again Malan and Tim Murtagh - available after international commitments with Ireland - returned for Middlesex.

Morris broke through in his first over of the day as Max Holden played half forward and nicked through to Ben Cox for no score.

Sam Robson was lbw to a Tongue delivery which kept low and Nick Gubbins was bowled by Ross Whiteley.

Malan, who suffered his injury blow in the ODI against Ireland, and Steve Eskinazi, looked to be repairing the pre-lunch damage during a partnership of 62. But Whiteley enjoyed a second success when Eskinazi was leg before for 27 and then Malan departed in the same fashion to Morris after striking six fours in his 91-ball knock.

James Harris became another lbw victim in the next over from Ed Barnard. Simpson and Toby Roland-Jones added 31 before the latter went for a cut against Joe Leach and fell to a sharp first slip catch by Riki Wessels.

Tongue accounted for Helm (1) and Nathan Sowter - the fifth player of the innings to fall lbw.

Simpson was largely responsible for taking Middlesex past the 200 mark until he ballooned a simple catch to Whiteley on the off side against Morris, who finished with figures of 15.2-2-53-3. Tongue took 3 for 49, with Whiteley, Leach and Barnard the other wicket-takers.

When Worcestershire batted, Daryl Mitchell and George Rhodes were both caught behind off Helm during a fine opening spell.

Ferguson reeled off a succession of boundaries, including three in an over from Harris. He dominated a partnership of 53 with Tom Fell but after making 37 was lbw to Roland-Jones to leave the game evenly poised. Fell remained defiant and was unbeaten on 18 from 86 balls by the close.

It was probably fitting that victory should be achieved with a six. So overwhelming was this performance that England, having completed victory with 195 balls to spare, took to the nets to ensure they gained the workout they required from the day. It was efficient, ruthless and encouraging. As their captain, Eoin Morgan, put it afterwards: "We're ready; we've been ready for a week."

You have to take performances in these warm-up games with a pinch of salt, of course. This close to the tournament, the primary aim of both sides is pretty much to get through without incurring injury. England had some fortune with the toss, too, which enabled their new-ball bowlers to gain assistance from the surface. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's captain, Gulbadin Naib, was the first to admit his side "made mistakes" and "didn't take responsibility" with the bat. South Africa will, undoubtedly, offer far sterner opposition for England.

But it is, perhaps, worth contrasting England's state of mind now with their state of mind going into the 2015 World Cup. Hoping they might, somehow, stumble over a winning formula at the last minute, England changed their captain, their opening attack and their batting order on the eve of the event. They held meeting after meeting in an attempt to find an answer despite the fact it had become increasingly plain that they were wedded to a method - and selections - that had become outdated. Within days of the start, they had been beaten by New Zealand with an eye-watering 226 balls unused.

Now? England go into the tournament as the favourites. They have, with the bat in particular, pushed the boundaries of what any of us thought was possible and they have a settled, confident team. They don't need meetings to find a formula; they just need to deliver.

"In 2015, we had just come out of the tri-series where Australia beat us up and down Australia," Morgan said. "We beat India once, which got us through to the final, but we were beaten again there. We were constantly trying to find a formula that might work in the group stages. We were having a lot of meetings and chats.

"Tomorrow I'm playing a lot of golf. Then we'll practise on Wednesday and play on Thursday. It's a huge compliment to be considered favourites this time. I would much rather that than not even be considered as contenders."

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More important than the result was the latest health bulletin from the England dressing room. As thing stand, it seems England should go into the tournament with all 15 players available for selection. The scans on Mark Wood's foot showed nothing of concern - he bowled on the outfield here before play - while Morgan's finger injury had improved to the extent that, while he did not field, he was scheduled to bat at No. 4. Adil Rashid also returned and, while he conceded he would require "lots of stretching and painkillers" to get through the tournament, he insisted he was fine to bowl all his variations at full intensity.

It might prove relevant that England's spinners out-bowled Afghanistan's here. These two sides meet again in about three weeks on what we now know will be a used Old Trafford surface. Bearing in mind that Afghanistan's main weapon is the leg-spin of Rashid Khan - he was brought on for the fourth over here - that is not ideal from an England perspective. But the manner in which they played him here - taking three fours and a six off his five overs - underlined their substantial improvement against spin in recent times and suggested there should be no great fears.

England's spinners, by contrast, claimed four for 89 in 21 overs with Joe Root, enjoying a relatively rare bowl, suggesting he could prove a valuable addition to the attack with his all-sorts of leg-breaks, off-spin and variations in pace and angle. Mohammad Nabi's off-spin - thrashed for 34 in three overs - fared much worse, with Jason Roy in devastating form.

"It does a huge amount for confidence when Jason is hitting it as well as that," Morgan said. "It imposes our game on the opposition and feeds right through the changing room. The aggressive authoritative way he plays builds a lot of confidence. And Jonny Bairstow is the same. When you play as convincingly as that it builds confidence in the hard work you've done, both in training and in the game. And it gives us the afternoon and evening to switch off."

Thursday's game - against a strong South Africa side - is far from straightforward. But most of the England side - the top six and the two spinners - picks itself, while it seems Chris Woakes, Wood and Archer will form the basis of the specialist seam attack. They are settled, confident and as ready as they could reasonably hope to be. It is hard to imagine any England team has gone into a World Cup in better shape.

Usman Khawaja staked a late claim to one of Australia's top-order batting slots despite an injury scare during their five-wicket victory in their World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka in Hampshire.

Khawaja hobbled off the field after a ball struck him flush on the left kneecap. He was fielding at mid-off when he dived to his left to stop a ball that had been driven firmly by Jeevan Mendis off the bowling of Steven Smith. Khawaja limped off the field after receiving treatment from the medical staff but was cleared to bat in Australia's innings.

"It's fine, embarrassing more than anything," said Khawaja, after the match. "It just hit the side of my knee and I couldn't put any weight on it. I'd try to get up, Gaz [Nathan Lyon] was telling me to just lie down, but I was saying I'm not going to lie down, I'm going to get up, but I'd try to get up and I couldn't. My knee collapsed underneath me because of where it hit, I went off, iced it and after about 25 minutes I felt all right, it's a bit sore now but nothing structurally wrong.

"When I walked off I was laughing, I was in pain but I knew there was nothing serious about it. It was the same knee I had a reco on, so we were a bit careful about going back on the field just because it was collapsing a little bit but I was alright when I went back out there."

Opening the batting with Aaron Finch, Khawaja went on to comfortably steer Australia towards Sri Lanka's total of 239 for 8 in the 45th over with an innings of 89 off 105 balls.

Coach Justin Langer has rotated Khawaja, David Warner and Shaun Marsh in their World Cup warm-up matches, as they attempt to settle on their best batting line-up. Warner was left out of the team against Sri Lanka, amid reports he had complained of tightness or soreness to his upper leg, giving Khawaja one last chance to impress selectors before the World Cup kicks off.

Warner's absence during the year-long ban for his involvement in the Newland's ball-tampering scandal allowed Khawaja to cement his place at the top of the order, forming a formidable opening partnership with captain Finch.

But after six warm-up matches played since Warner's return, the final makeup of Australia's batting order is still very much open to interpretation. Khawaja has opened four times and Warner on three occasions, although Warner may have had another opportunity at the top in Hampshire if he hadn't been forced to sit out the match. Khawaja has batted at No.3 once and Warner twice while Marsh - who made 34 off 46 balls before holing out in the deep - has floated between batting at No.3, 4 and 5.

"I do love opening, absolutely," said Khawaja. "That's where I've batted my whole life in one-day cricket. But at the end of the day it is about winning games and doing the best for your team.

"I'd much rather get a duck and win then me get 100 and lose. It doesn't matter what happens, where I play, if I play, if I don't play, if I'm running the drinks, I'm going to try and contribute to the squad.

"I know what the changeroom feels like when you're winning and what it feels like when you're losing and the winning one I'll take any day of the week."

Australia have now won their past fourteen matches, a streak that began during their tour of India in March and continued through their series against Pakistan in the UAE, and then in their warm-up games against New Zealand in Brisbane and the West Indies, England and now Sri Lanka in England. While Pakistan were not at full strength and the following matches were not official ODIs, such a run will give them welcome confidence as they head to Bristol for their opening World Cup game against Afghanistan on Saturday.

"I thought the Indian series in Australia was, from what I saw from the outside coming into that series - obviously we'd lost a lot of one-dayers before that, was a turning point for us because we probably should've won that series and we didn't," Khawaja said. "But they're one of the best sides in the world and we gave them a real run for their money.

"Then we went over to India and lost the first two games and won the series. We all had that confidence even though we lost the first two games that we could compete and actually beat these guys.

"Once we started doing it we got that winning feeling back. Winning is a habit, we say that a lot amongst the team, hence why we try to win all the (warm-up) games we're playing in, just to keep that habit going. We might've lost that habit before but hopefully we've found it again leading into the World Cup."

Serena's outfit, game make statement in Paris

Published in Breaking News
Monday, 27 May 2019 10:51

Serena Williams' opening matches at any Grand Slam are always on the radar. And while the 23-time Grand Slam winner's play made the ultimate statement on Monday, Williams' fashion statement in first-round play at the French Open made plenty of headlines as well.

Shortly before posting a first-round win over Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia, Williams debuted her latest apparel designed for her by Virgil Abloh in partnership with Nike.

This coming a year after her black compression-material catsuit caused controversy -- the outfit drew criticism from French tennis officials that resulted in backlash and support for Williams.

Williams did not sport a full gown when she walked out onto Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, but a scaled-down version with the words "mother, champion, queen and goddess" in French as part of the print.

At last year's French Open, Williams wasn't only trying to make a fashion statement when she wore the outfit that she called her "Wakanda-inspired catsuit," referring to the fictional nation in the film "Black Panther."

The full-length leggings were also worn for health reasons. In what was her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to her daughter nine months earlier, they were a precaution after a health scare related to blood clots.

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli later said the outfit would no longer be accepted. "One must respect the game and the place," he said.

Williams downplayed the comments at the US Open, saying she no longer needed to wear the leggings because she found that compression tights also work to keep her blood circulating. (She wore tights at Wimbledon, when she made it to the final.)

As for Monday's match against Diatchenko, Williams got off to a slow start, committing 14 unforced errors before dropping the first set 2-6.

Williams quickly regrouped during the break, overwhelming the 28-year old Russian in the second set 6-1.

The three-time French Open champion gave Diatchenko no quarter in the third set, shutting her out 6-0 to cap the 90-minute victory.

Williams arrived in Paris having withdrawn from each of her past two tournaments because of a balky left knee, and the one before that because of illness. She had played only nine matches all season, and so her pursuit of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title -- fourth at Roland Garros -- is no sure thing.

While Williams showed no obvious signs of her recent knee problem in the early going, she didn't look up to her best, either. Her movement wasn't ideal, and she often reached for shots instead of thumping them.

After her mistake-filled first set, Williams committed six unforced errors in the second set and just four in the third. Her winner count went the other way: from five in the first set to nine in the second to 11 in the third.

Williams will now face the winner of the Dalila Jakupovic-Kurumi Nara match in the second round.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report

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EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsKiyan Anthony knows better than most about his father's legacy at S...

Baseball

Mets plate 10 in 3 straight games for first time

Mets plate 10 in 3 straight games for first time

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- The New York Mets scored double-digit runs in three str...

Soto to get X-rays after 'scary' slide into wall

Soto to get X-rays after 'scary' slide into wall

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOne day after clinching a postseason berth, the New York Yankees re...

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