SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – A simple rundown of Nelly Korda’s two rounds of 70-69 at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Club & Lodge reveal she hasn’t missed a beat following her blood-clot recovery.

Korda hit 12 of 14 fairways in each of the first two rounds and 15 of 18 greens on Friday, showcasing her consistency. “If I missed, I missed in the correct area, gave myself a good look, a pretty decent chip at it,” Korda said after her round Thursday.

It was this consistency that made Korda deadly during last year’s LPGA season, in which she had four wins, including her first major championship at the KPMG Women’s PGA at Atlanta Athletic Club and a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She also reached No. 1 in the world during her stellar stretch.

On March 11, Korda went to the ER for an ultrasound after experiencing a "funny feeling" in her arm. She ended up having surgery on a blood clot in a subclavian vein in her left arm and posted about the surgery April 8 on social media.

Fans were thrilled just to watch Korda compete at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open. And after two months off from tournaments, Korda is exciting fans more by putting herself into weekend contention.

“Overall, I think all of it [golf game] came together really well, and hopefully I can continue building into the next couple of days,” said Korda, who sits at 3 under par and six shots behind early second-round leader Mina Harigae.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Describing her round as “a little shaky,” Day 1 leader Mina Harigae followed her opening 65 with a 2-under 69 on Friday to extend her lead following the morning wave at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“A little more stressful today for sure, and things got a little shaky there, but I was really happy with the way I hung in there and made some good birdies coming in,” she said.

Harigae, 32, attributes her success to maturity and experience. This is her 47th major start and her 27th made cut. She's hoping her first top-10 in a major will also be her first LPGA Tour win.

“Every time that I'm doing well in a tournament, especially in a major championship, I just draw on from each experience,” she said. “Today, even when things weren't going great, I was really able to keep myself calm and just try to be really level-headed out there.”

Ten years ago, Harigae wouldn’t have said the same thing. “If I hit a bad shot or I make a bogey, even though I'm still doing just fine, I probably wouldn't have handled it very well,” she added. “I probably would have gotten really upset or it probably would have affected me the next one to even three holes. I think I'm doing a lot better with that.”

Harigae, who was on last year's U.S. Solheim Cup team, began her round on the par-4 ninth, making the turn at 1 under and then battled on the back nine with two bogeys and three birdies.

“I think I'm just a completely different person and golfer,” she said. “I'm hitting a lot more greens now. I've always generally been a pretty good driver of the golf ball, but it's my irons that have really taken care of where I'm going with my game. I think just as a person, I'm much more mature. It took me a little bit, but I feel like I'm a lot more mature than I was in my 20s.”

Some of the people around Harigae that she credits for her maturity are her fiancé, Travis Kreiter; her swing coach, Jeff Fisher; and her mental coach, Dawn Woodard.

“Travis Kreiter is my caddie and fiancé. He has been caddying for me over four years now. He has a great killer-athlete mentality. He kind of brought me back to how I was in my amateur golf days,” said Harigae, who turned professional in 2009. “I went back to my old swing coach that knows me best. Just surrounding myself with people that are really good for me.”

The only other time Harigae has led a tournament was last year at the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie, following opening rounds of 70-67. “I was tied for the lead going into Saturday,” said Harigae, who finished the tournament T-13 after 76-69 weekend.

“Since then, I have the better tools to navigate these new experiences. I think just trying to be calm, just go about my day.”

Orlando Magic executive Matt Lloyd has agreed to become senior vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Lloyd, who spent a decade with Orlando as assistant general manager and VP of basketball operations, is the first significant hire by Timberwolves' president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Connelly left the Denver Nuggets with a directive to bring organizational stability and playoff success to the Timberwolves, and Lloyd is believed to be the first front-office executive that he targeted to help him in the process.

Lloyd -- who built a strong resume in player evaluation and deal-making with teams and agents -- will play a substantial role with Connelly in running the franchise's basketball operations. Lloyd spent his first 13 years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, working his way from public relations to basketball operations, where he played a role in several successful draft classes.

Lloyd joins a front office that already includes executive VP of basketball operations Sachin Gupta and assistant GM Joe Branch, among others.

NEW YORK -- Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rayber Romero, Colorado Rockies pitcher Stalyn Sanchez and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Geremias Valencia were suspended for 60 games each Friday following positive tests under baseball's minor league drug program.

Romero, on a Florida Complex League roster, and Sanchez, in the Dominican Summer League, tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol, the commissioner's office said Friday.

Valencia, in the Dominican Summer League, tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clostebol.

Twenty-six players have been suspended this year under the minor league drug program.

Six players have been suspended this year under the major league drug program: Milwaukee pitcher J.C. Mejía and Brewers catcher Pedro Severino for 80 games each; Baltimore pitcher Matt Harvey for 60 games; and free agent outfielder/first baseman Danny Santana, pitcher Richard Rodríguez and infielder José Rondón for 80 games apiece.

The New York Yankees have activated Josh Donaldson from the 10-day injured list and the third baseman will return to the lineup for Friday's home series opener against the Detroit Tigers.

Donaldson has played only one game since his on-field altercation with Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson on May 21. Donaldson admitted to calling Anderson "Jackie" -- a reference to Jackie Robinson, who broke MLB's color barrier in 1947 -- in the first inning of that game before later apologizing to Anderson and the Robinson family for his comments.

After playing May 22, Donaldson was placed on the COVID-19 injured list May 23 before going on the regular IL the following day with right shoulder inflammation.

Donaldson, who is appealing a one-game suspension by Major League Baseball for his comments to Anderson, said Wednesday that he was hurt to not have his Yankees teammates back him following his remark.

Donaldson, 36, is hitting .238 with five home runs and 15 RBIs. He is batting cleanup against the Tigers on Friday.

The Yankees also announced that reliever Chad Green underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday. The procedure, performed in Arlington, Texas, will end his 2022 season after 14 appearances in which he was 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Green, 31, is eligible for free agency after the season. He is 33-22 with a 3.17 ERA in seven major league seasons and has a $4 million salary this year. He was 10-7 with a 3.12 ERA in 67 appearances last year, striking out 99 in 83 2/3 innings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WTA world number one Iga Swiatek is back with another BBC Sport column at the French Open.

I like watching Coco Gauff - my opponent in the Roland Garros final on Saturday - and maybe this will become a special rivalry for years to come.

I feel like she's been on tour longer than me and she's only 18.

Coco has great potential and I hope she will keep improving. I think this tournament has shown she is on the right path.

I remember Coco winning the French Open juniors in 2018 when I really wanted to win. I didn't play against her, though, because I lost to Caty McNally in the semi-finals.

But when Coco won - she was only 14 - I was like 'great, I worked so hard and a girl three years younger than me is winning junior Grand Slams'!

It was tough for teenage me to take but I've progressed well since.

When I got to meet her more on the WTA Tour, I could see she was staying on a really good level and she deserves her success.

We don't talk to each other loads when we're at tournaments, just because we're both kind of shy! It is pretty hard for introverted people to bond but I really like her.

I feel she is really humble and focused on the job. It seems like she is having fun and has good people around her.

Rivalries are one of the most fun things about sport and there have been some great ones in the history of tennis.

On Tuesday night we all saw Rafael Nadal play Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros and that is one of the greatest ever rivalries.

I think it is good for players to have others that are on a similar level, that makes you more motivated and want to work even harder.

It is amazing how many matches Rafa and Novak have played against each other and how many they have played in the deep stages of the tournaments.

Many of their meetings have been in semi-finals or finals, it shows that the competition between them drives them to higher levels.

It would be nice to have a rivalry, one that would push me to excel, to be more intense and that will challenge me to play my best tennis. I could imagine that.

I wouldn't want to have a record like Maria Sharapova did against Serena Williams, she won two of their 20 matches. Of course it sometimes happen and numbers aren't always the most important.

The goal is to enjoy tennis matches but, of course, also to win.

I've never thought about who exactly I would like to develop a special rivalry with. It is hard to predict who will stay at the top of the WTA Tour and be consistent.

As well as Coco and maybe Emma Raducanu, I think Leylah Fernandez has the ability to potentially challenge for the Grand Slam trophies.

Leylah has already made two great runs - the quarter-finals here this year and the 2021 US Open final - and if she continues to play that well at more tournaments I think she will be near the top of the rankings.

How rock music is helping my winning streak

In those final few moments before walking out on to court, you might have seen me wearing my earbuds while I'm waiting to be called out.

I'm always listening to a playlist that I made at the start of the season to get pumped up for my matches.

It's always rock music. There are five songs from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Gorillaz and Pearl Jam and they are on repeat.

If I have time before I go on to court then I will listen to the last two again.

Sometimes music helps me relax before the match but I use this playlist when I want to have more energy.

I started listening to these five songs before the first match this season so when I go on my streaming account and see my most frequent songs it is always the match playlist.

So it's proved to be a lucky playlist which I don't want to change before what I hope is one more win here at the French Open.

Iga Swiatek was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Roland Garros

Britain's Andy Murray reached the Surbiton semi-finals without dropping a set as his Wimbledon preparations stayed firmly on track.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray is the top seed, playing at the Challenger Tour grass-court event for the first time since he was 17.

He faces American seventh seed Denis Kudla for a place in Sunday's final.

Murray was under early pressure from Nakashima, having to save two break points in his opening service game but then got the key break in the seventh game before serving out the set.

The second set went with serve, with neither player facing a break point, taking it to a tie-break which Murray took immediate control of to keep a first singles title on grass in six years within reach.

"The conditions were tricky, it was a bit blustery," Murray said.

"And there was some old-school grass-court tennis out here. I enjoy it here, but it is different to Wimbledon and Queen's, in terms of the way the court plays.

"It's a lot quicker here and there's not many opportunities to break serve. I had to stay strong at the end of the second set."

Coco Gauff says she has shaken off the pressure she felt as a 15-year-old and is ready to win a first Grand Slam against heavy favourite Iga Swiatek in the French Open final.

The 18-year-old says her change in perspective will help her try to end Swiatek's superb 34-match unbeaten run.

"I always wanted to play her in a final - I just didn't think it would happen so soon," American Gauff said.

Swiatek, champion in Paris in 2020, is the overwhelming favourite at Roland Garros, having won the past eight finals she has played in and claimed five successive titles this year alone.

However, Gauff has yet to drop a set in this year's tournament and has spent the past three years building on her eye-catching performances at Wimbledon.

Since beating Venus Williams at SW19 on her Grand Slam main draw debut, Gauff has enjoyed a steady rise up the rankings and claimed some notable wins, including ending Naomi Osaka's title defence at the 2020 Australian Open.

Swiatek and Gauff will meet on Court Philippe Chatrier from 14:00 BST on Saturday, with live text and radio commentary available on the BBC Sport website and app.

This version of me is ready to win a Slam - Gauff

Gauff is bidding to become the youngest American to win a Grand Slam since Serena Williams lifted the US Open trophy in 1999.

Her Wimbledon run caught the attention of the public, with former First Lady Michelle Obama and singer Beyonce's mum posting about her on social media.

On the eve of the final, Gauff spoke openly about how she "wanted to win too much" during that time, which led to her putting "way too much pressure" on herself.

"I think there's a fine line between believing in yourself and almost pushing yourself too much," said Gauff, who won the 2018 junior title at Roland Garros.

"If I do lift the trophy, honestly, I don't think my life is going to change really.

"The people who love me are still going to love me regardless if I lift the trophy or not."

Gauff is known for speaking out for social change, including calling for an end to gun violence in America after her semi-final win over Martina Trevisan.

She credited her family and those around her with helping her to look at life beyond tennis.

"I feel like I put myself in a bubble to the point where it was like tennis, tennis, tennis, tennis," she said.

"Talking to my family in general, my grandmother is always like there is more to life than this.

"Since I was younger my dad told me I could change the world with my racquet. He didn't mean that by just playing tennis. He meant speaking out on issues like this."

Swiatek aiming for fast start

Swiatek has become one of the best front-runners on the tour, having broken her opponent's service in their first service game in all six of her matches in Paris.

She often overwhelms her opponents through her sheer power, most notably at last year's Italian Open when she thrashed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 in just 45 minutes.

Victory in the final will mean Swiatek will draw level with Venus Williams for the longest winning streak on the WTA Tour in the 21st century.

"I want to start with being proactive and put pressure on my opponents because I know how it feels," Swiatek told BBC Sport.

"I try to be aware that my opponent is also going to be stressed and realise that I have nothing to lose."

Swiatek, who turned 21 earlier this week, has said she believes Gauff could be a rival for years to come.

The two met earlier this year at Miami Open, with Swiatek winning in straight sets.

"I'm pretty happy that she's doing well, because I think she's also had a huge amount of pressure in her life," Swiatek said of her opponent.

"When I see her, I tend to forget that she's 18."

Rafael Nadal reached the French Open final after his opponent Alexander Zverev needed to be taken off court in a wheelchair following a nasty fall.

A concerned Nadal went round to check on his opponent as a medic raced on to the court to help the German.

Fifth seed Nadal was leading 7-6 (10-8) 6-6 when Zverev left the court.

After a short break, Zverev returned on crutches and was given a warm hug by Spain's Nadal before the crowd rose in a standing ovation.

"It is very tough and I feel very sad for him," said 13-time champion Nadal.

"He was playing an unbelievable tournament. I know how much he is fighting for a Grand Slam - he will win more than one. I wish him all the very best.

"It is difficult to say a lot of things in this situation. For me to be in the final of Roland Garros is a dream but at the same time to finish that way is not nice.

"I was in a small room with Sascha [in the treatment room off court] and to see him crying was a tough moment."

Zverev's retirement put Nadal into Sunday's final, where he will play Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud or Croatian 20th seed Marin Cilic.

On his 36th birthday, Nadal has become the second oldest men's singles finalist in French Open history behind American Bill Tilden, who was 37 when he was runner-up in 1930.

Heartbreaking end to compelling match

Zverev's fall was a dramatic and heartbreaking end to a semi-final battle that had been intriguing if not compelling.

The 25-year-old German had lost the first set after being unable to take any of four set points from a 6-2 lead in the tie-break.

After missing the chance to serve out the second set, producing three double faults at 5-3, Zverev showed resilience to regroup.

In a set full of suspense, if not quality, he was about to have the opportunity to level in another tie-break.

Instead his ambitions of becoming a Grand Slam champion - at least now - were ended in the cruellest manner.

The seriousness of the situation was immediately clear, with Zverev screaming and signalling for help as he lay on the ground.

Medics quickly arrived and it seemed obvious he would not be able to continue once the wheelchair was called for.

A sombre mood hung in the air as the 15,000 crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier waited for news and it came when Zverev returned on crutches to shake hands with umpire Renaud Lichtenstein.

Almost the entire stadium stood up to give Zverev a thunderous round of applause, the player responding by lifting one of his crutches into the air.

Long scrap cut short by Zverev's misfortune

The unexpected ending brought an end to a scrappy match that had already lasted three hours and 13 minutes without the second set being concluded.

Nadal, who continues to battle a chronic foot injury, was far from his best in the opening set but showed his brilliance in the crucial moments to help win it.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion walked out to the match amid huge applause, before the crowd serenaded him with a rendition of 'Joyeux Anniversaire' - 'Happy Birthday' in French.

The party atmosphere quickly changed. Zverev broke Nadal's serve in the opening game of the match, with Nadal struggling on the slower conditions in humid conditions under the Chatrier roof on a rainy Paris afternoon.

Zverev moved 4-2 ahead with a service hold to love, showing his high level of confidence with powerful winners.

But he got tight when serving at 4-3 and Nadal broke as part of a run of three successive games that left Zverev serving to stay in the opening set.

The German came under pressure again, fending off three set points which his errors had helped create. But he survived, although he was then unable to take either of two break points himself in the 11th game.

It was left to a tie-break to separate the pair, where Nadal produced two forehand winners at crucial times that were almost unworldly.

Nadal saved Zverev's third set point with a whipped crosscourt forehand which left most in the crowd in awe and jubilantly celebrating, sealing the set at the sixth opportunity with a sensational forehand winner down the line.

A messy second set featured eight breaks of serve in the opening nine games. Nadal finally held serve for the first time in the set for 5-5 and another tie-break was necessary until agony struck for Zverev.