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Source: Seahawks waive Lynch in favor of Geno

Published in Breaking News
Friday, 30 August 2019 20:34

The Seattle Seahawks have waived quarterback Paxton Lynch, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday, ending his bid to back up Russell Wilson.

That job instead will go to Geno Smith -- as long as tests on his knee don't reveal a serious injury.

The Seahawks signed Lynch to a futures deal in January after the 2016 first-round pick of the Denver Broncos was out of football in 2018. They then signed Smith in the spring to compete for the lone backup spot, as Seattle keeps only two quarterbacks on its 53-man roster.

Lynch could end up on Seattle's practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers. The Seattle Times first reported that he was being waived on Friday.

Smith looked like the more capable of the two throughout the offseason and the summer, though Lynch started to gain ground after an impressive showing in the first preseason game against Denver. He took a hard hit to the head from Minnesota Vikings cornerback Holton Hill in Week 2 that sidelined him for the third game. In Thursday night's preseason finale against Oakland, Lynch completed 1 of 7 passes for 4 yards. One of his incompletions was a near interception that could have gone for a pick-six had the defender not dropped it.

Lynch's final line in three preseason games: 18-of-37 for 180 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He ran for another score.

Smith, meanwhile, went 4-of-7 for 107 yards and a pair of touchdown passes Thursday but couldn't finish the first half after his knee got rolled up on. He missed the second preseason game after surgery on his knee to remove a cyst.

Coach Pete Carroll called Smith's latest knee injury a "little tweak" and said the team will know more in a couple of days once he gets checked out. Smith said his knee felt fine postgame but added that he might need to get an MRI.

In three preseason games, Smith went 18-of-34 for 282 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.

Said Carroll of Smith: "He looks in control of the offense. He gets it. He really understands it. So that's a real positive."

J.T. Barrett was the fourth quarterback on Seattle's 90-man roster.

The Seahawks also waived Shalom Luani, defensive end Logan Tago and rookie running back Xavier Turner on Friday, a source told ESPN, and veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead posted on Twitter that he'd been released.

Sabathia (knee) exits, wants to pitch again in '19

Published in Baseball
Friday, 30 August 2019 19:43

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was pulled from his start Friday night against the Oakland Athletics with a recurrence of right knee soreness that has bothered him for years.

Sabathia, who plans to retire at the end of the season, said he will get his knee drained Saturday and hopes to be able to pitch again this season.

"That's the plan," he said. "Hopefully I can just get enough rest where it'll calm down, and I'm able to get back out there and throw 90 to 100 pitches."

Sabathia pitched three innings of one-run ball against the A's and was pulled after 48 pitches. He was flexing the surgically repaired knee at times, but appeared to be in a groove before getting pulled in a 1-1 game.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he could tell Sabathia was struggling with his knee early in Friday's start.

Asked if he thinks Sabathia will pitch again this season, he said, "I hope so. I mean, I don't want to speculate on that. We'll see as far as treatment goes tomorrow, and then see how he responds to that, and we'll go from there."

Oakland went on to win 8-2, snapping the Yankees' four-game winning streak.

Sabathia, 39, spent time on the injured list to heal his right knee this month, and Friday marked his third start since returning. He said earlier this season that his knee is constantly at least an "eight out of 10" painwise.

Sabathia has 251 wins and surpassed the 3,000-strikeout mark earlier this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Castillo, Dotel cleared of Dominican drug-ring ties

Published in Baseball
Friday, 30 August 2019 20:51

A week after Luis Castillo and Octavio Dotel headlined a list of suspects named in an investigation of drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic, local authorities have cleared the former MLB players of charges of money laundering.

The public prosecutor announced Friday that he's suspending the arrest warrant against Castillo after an interview during which Castillo presented documentation to demonstrate he's not linked to the criminal organization.

Authorities explained that Castillo, who lives in the United States, traveled to the Dominican Republic after coming to an agreement with Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez. In the deal, Castillo promised to collaborate with the prosecutor and to clarify his alleged relations with the criminal organization.

"After evaluating the new documents and information offered by Castillo during the interview, we found no evidence to link him to activities related to money laundering. We are closing the case initiated against him," Rodríguez said in a statement.

Dotel, who was released on bail Thursday, still faces charges of possessing illegal weapons at the time he was arrested, a charge that's not connected to the drug bust.

Last week, Dominican officials and the U.S. Department of the Treasury accused César Emilio Peralta, aka "César the abuser," who is a fugitive, as the head of a powerful group that has operated in Dominican territory for about two decades.

Dotel and Castillo, who played for a combined 30 seasons in the majors, were named in the investigation as being suspected of laundering money for the group.

Castillo, 43, was a three-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves and was a member of the 2003 Florida Marlins team that won the World Series.

During his 15 seasons in MLB, Dotel, 45, set a record for playing on 13 teams, more than any other player.

Information from ESPN's Enrique Rojas was used in this report.

Roger Federer says he is "sick and tired" of being asked if he demands favourable scheduling after admitting he had a "competitive advantage" over Britain's Dan Evans.

The Swiss great, 38, won 6-2 6-2 6-1 against Evans, who said he felt fatigue during his second match in 24 hours.

Evans did not leave Flushing Meadows until about 6pm local time on Thursday, then faced Federer at noon on Friday.

"I don't remember that I asked for something," Federer said.

"I know there was a question about having a preference. But that doesn't mean 'Roger asks, Roger gets'.

"I have heard this too often now. I'm sick and tired of it, that apparently I call the shots. The tournament and the TV stations do.

"We can give our opinion. That's what we do. But I'm still going to walk out even if they schedule me at 4am."

Evans, 29, looked a shadow of the player who tested Federer in their meeting at the Australian Open in January, going down in just one hour and 20 minutes on Arthur Ashe - the shortest completed men's match of the tournament.

The world number 58 bemoaned the short turnaround from his three-hour victory over French 25th seed Lucas Pouille, which he finished around 2:15pm on Thursday.

"Physically it was tough, and mentally you know you need to be on top form to beat Roger," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"It's hard - I was the 12 o'clock match. The second match would have been a bit easier for me, but that's the way it's gone."

Evans, who said he did not ask for a later start, added: "I thought common sense would have prevailed a bit. But clearly not. It doesn't always work like that.

"Do you think a guy who's my ranking has any say in that? There are probably about four people in this tournament who have a say when they play. Maybe three."

Seventh seed Nishikori knocked out in third round

Published in Tennis
Friday, 30 August 2019 11:25

Seventh seed Kei Nishikori was knocked out of the US Open by 20-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur in the third round.

The Japanese, runner-up here in 2014, went two sets down before a brief fightback in a 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-3 defeat.

For Australian world number 38 De Minaur, one of the game's rising stars, it was his first win over a top-10 player.

He will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov or Poland's Kamil Majchrzak next.

"This is where I feel like my game's at," De Minaur said after reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time.

"I want to be pushing second weeks of Grand Slams and putting myself out there. So very happy. Hopefully I can just keep it rolling."

Last year the Australian squandered a two-set lead against 2014 champion Marin Cilic to lose in five sets in the third round here.

"Last year it was a bit of a heartbreaking match for me," he said. "It stung a lot, but you learn so much from it. You know that that's your level."

De Minaur, who has won two ATP titles this year, is joined in the last 16 by Stan Wawrinka, who reached the fourth round for the first time since winning the title in 2016.

The Swiss 23rd seed edged a tight encounter with Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-4 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-4) to set up a meeting with defending champion Novak Djokovic or American Denis Kudla.

Meanwhile, Belgium's David Goffin beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno-Busta 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (11-9) 7-5 and will next take on 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, who knocked out Briton Dan Evans.

Williams safely through to US Open fourth round

Published in Tennis
Friday, 30 August 2019 12:54

Six-time champion Serena Williams is safely through to the fourth round of the US Open after a routine victory over Czech Karolina Muchova.

The American won 6-3 6-2 after converting five of nine break points against the Wimbledon quarter-finalist.

Williams was broken back midway through the second set but it was an otherwise flawless display.

Second seed Ashleigh Barty is also through after a 7-5 6-3 win over Greek 30th seed Maria Sakkari.

And third seed Karolina Pliskova overcame a mid-match blip to beat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-1 4-6 6-4.

The Czech 2016 finalist had been a set and a break up and had appeared to be cruising before Jabeur took a medical timeout early in the second set and won five games in a row to make a match of it.

Pliskova will face British number one Johanna Konta in the fourth round after the 16th seed defeated China's Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-3.

They are joined in the fourth round by Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina, who beat compatriot Dayana Yastremska 6-2 6-0 in just 54 minutes.

She will face 10th seed and 2017 runner-up Madison Keys, who battled past fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-3 7-5 after taking a medical timeout in the second set because she "did not feel 100%".

She had been cruising but her level dropped in the second set and she had her pulse and blood pressure checked while trailing 4-3. But she continued playing and went on to get a decisive break in the 11th game before serving out the match.

Meanwhile, Australian French Open champion Barty will take on Chinese 18th seed Wang Qiang or France's Fiona Ferro.

Williams, who is still seeking to equal Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, will play Croatian 22nd seed Petra Martic in round four.

Martic, a French Open quarter-finalist, defeated Latvian 12th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-4 6-3 on court 10.

British number two Dan Evans was outclassed as Swiss great Roger Federer rediscovered his best form to ease into the US Open fourth round.

Federer, 38, played with his trademark fluency in a 6-2 6-2 6-1 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The third seed had dropped the first sets in both of his previous two matches, but played with a swagger.

Five-time champion Federer, who lost in the last 16 last year, will play Belgian 15th seed David Goffin next.

Evans was playing his second match in 24 hours after only completing his three-hour victory over French 25th seed Lucas Pouille at about 15:00 local time on Thursday.

Despite only leaving the Flushing Meadows site at about 18:00, the world number 58 had to be back to play Federer at midday on Friday.

"I was fatigued, I thought it was pretty tough to be first up after playing yesterday if I'm brutally honest," Evans, 29, said.

"Him being totally fresh and me battling yesterday, it is completely polar opposite.

"To try and beat him being tired, stiff, and having played four sets… it is nigh on impossible.

"He played near-perfect tennis."

Shortest match and Federer's 'golden set'

Evans, resurrecting his career after being without a ranking last year, pushed the 20-time Grand Slam champion when they met at the Australian Open in January but the 29-year-old could not impose himself in what proved to be a miserable first appearance on Ashe.

The Briton did not look overawed by the occasion as he stepped out in the lunchtime New York heat, laughing with Federer and basketball legend Kobe Bryant - who was helping with the coin toss - at the net.

But the smiles soon turned to grimaces as he was beaten in one hour 20 minutes - the shortest completed men's match of the tournament.

Evans played some wonderful stuff in his second-round win over 25th seed Lucas Pouille on Thursday, albeit helped by an erratic display from the Frenchman who could not land a first serve and clocked up 81 unforced errors.

Here, he was given no help by Federer.

The Swiss, perhaps benefiting by an extra day off than Evans, showed his intentions by starting the match with an ace and was then allowed to dictate his service games, pushing forward regularly and finishing by winning 69% of his 36 net points.

The second set flashed by Evans, with Federer not dropping a single point on his serve and hitting 20 winners compared to none from the Briton.

"In the locker room we call that a golden set," former player Jeff Tarango said on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra commentary. "It's a golden serving set - it's so hard to serve a whole set without losing a point and we've just seen Roger Federer do it.

"Federer is definitely going to talk about it at dinner."

Evans earned some brief respite in the third by breaking back for 2-1 and showed his relief with a huge roar.

That could not inspire a change of fortunes, however, Federer stepping up to immediately regain his advantage and then win the next three games to seal a comfortable win.

British number one Johanna Konta was in devastating form to beat China's Zhang Shuai and reach the US Open fourth round.

The 29-year-old won 6-2 6-3 in 71 minutes to reach the last 16 for the third Grand Slam in a row.

Konta, ranked 16th in the world, will face Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova for a place in the quarter-finals.

She is the last Briton left in the singles at Flushing Meadows after Dan Evans lost to Roger Federer earlier.

"I'm really pleased. I am playing tough opponents and every match is difficult," she said.

"They are never clean and straightforward matches, there are always two players on court. There was nothing easy about that match. I had to stay clear on what was happening in the match."

Rather like in the previous round on Thursday, where she overcame Margarita Gasparyan in just 54 minutes, Konta seized control from the start.

She broke in the opening game and never looked back, dominating on her serve with impressive figures of 88% of first-serve points won and 80% of second-serve points.

That meant Zhang, who was seeded 33rd, managed to win just six points on the Briton's serve in the match.

"It felt a lot more difficult and I had to work harder than it sounds like from the stats," Konta, who did not realise she had dropped so few points on her serve, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I think there were a lot of things to contend with. My opponent is a good returner so credit to her that I played behind my serves as well.

"Overall, I'm pleased to have dealt with the different challenges out there."

The 16th seed, who reached the semi-finals at the French Open and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon this year, equalled her best run at Flushing Meadows when she forced Zhang to hit long on her second match point.

She had arrived in New York on the back of successive first-round defeats at the two tournaments she played since Wimbledon but seems to have rediscovered the form that marked her excellent clay-court season, where she reached two WTA tournament finals.

In the next round here, she faces 2016 US Open runner-up Pliskova - the player who beat her in straight sets in the Italian Open final in May.

"For tonight, enjoy this success and tomorrow have a chat and look to move forward," Konta said. "I have played her quite a few times, she has got the better of me more times than I have her but I'm looking forward to playing a Grand Slam finalist."

Analysis

British tennis player Naomi Broady on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

I'm so impressed with Jo; it's the best I've ever seen her play - the variety, the moonballs, the slice. She has the highest statistics on all the stats.

It is such impressive tennis. It's not just that she's winning the points, it's how she is winning them. The 5-10% of mixed variety, it's so exciting for her game.

On Sunday 10th June 2018, Chen Xingtong took on home favourite Mima Ito in the women’s singles semi-finals at the 2018 Japan Open in what proved to be a heated encounter. Leading the scoreboard by three games to zero, Chen failed to make it over the finish line as Ito sent the Japanese fans wild with an almighty comeback display that will rightly be remembered for a long time to come.

There were scenes of elation for Ito but for Chen the defeat was hard to take; she had come so close but was forced to settle for a penultimate round finish. Looking back on that day, Chen believes her stunning exit has actually, in a roundabout way, given her valuable match experience that could help her further down the line in her career.

“It was in the semi-final at the 2018 Japan Open the last time I met Mima Ito. I led 3-0 on games and then 9-4 on points in the fourth game, but still lost the match. She became the champion. I concluded and learnt a lot from that match which is really helpful for this time. Mima has been making a lot of progress during the past year, especially in the ability to play and to catch the opponent’s shortcomings. But I do not think I am at a disadvantage when playing against her.” Chen Xingtong

In their first head-to-head battle since that dramatic day in Sapporo, Chen and Ito were once again involved in a vigorous seven-game scrap at the 2019 Bulgaria Open in Panagyurishte, before meeting for the second time in the space of a week at the 2019 Czech Open in Olomouc. On both occasions it was Chen who held the upper hand.

“This time in Bulgaria, I made full preparation in mentality. When stepping into the court… I did not feel she was unbeatable. She did not have anything that could really constrain me. So, I won the match 4-3. One week later, I beat her again in round two of the Czech Open 4-2. Frankly speaking, I felt more pressure this time than in Bulgaria.” Chen Xingtong

Chen faced a second Japanese opponent in her quest for silverware at the 2019 Czech Open in the form of Miu Hirano. Their meeting occurred at the final hurdle, and what a fascinating contest it turned out to be.

Down by three games a late comeback bid was launched by Hirano, who successfully managed to level the scores at 3-3. Fears were beginning to emerge that Chen could be set for a repeat outcome from last year in Sapporo. But, this time around the Chinese competitor made full use of her prior experience, keeping her focus and remaining calm to get the job done (11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 12-14, 8-11, 11-8).

Victory in Olomouc was no easy feat and Chen should be commended for her effort. However, it’s the manner of the win that is arguably more important as she proved that she had learnt her lesson from her disappointment one year ago in Sapporo: it’s never over until it’s over!

“She was in good form, especially after beating Liu Weishan and Kasumi Ishikawa. I quickly set up a good 3-0 lead and then my mindset changed a bit… I felt I was very very near to becoming champion. She was very calm and did not make many unforced errors. She just fought and levelled the score 3-3. This match was more about mentality.  I should recognise that I did not give up even when she levelled the score at 3-3.” Chen Xingtong

Back-to-back successes for in Panagyurishte and Olomouc, Chen Xingtong definitely enjoyed her fair share of the spotlight in August. The young Chinese player says that she is grateful to have been given the opportunity to lead her country to glory at the two events and is hoping for more international exposure in the not too distant future.

“China didn’t send the main players for these two matches. For some players, maybe they are only ‘small’ tournaments, but for me, these are two of the most important events. I can only win the chance to attend big events if I win the ‘smaller’ events. I want to play more matches in the future, so I really cherish every opportunity to compete.” Chen Xingtong

Along with national team coaches, Gao Jun and Qi Wei of the United States, in addition to Canada’s Maxime Surprenant, a total of eight players from the United States joined five Canadian athletes in a training camp with top Korean national team juniors.

United States National Coach Development Team member, Qi Wei, praised the fantastic facility, along with the additional bonus of having two physical training coaches on-site to make sure that the programme was well-rounded and of the greatest benefit.

Intense training

The players engaged in training drills, physical training and gruelling round robin matches, which began as early as the day after they arrived. The quality and intensity of training was high and the training partners from the Korean junior national team were an exceptional asset through the days of practice.

Gao Jun, echoed the sentiments and showed gratitude towards the Korean contingent for their hospitality and guidance.

“Head coach Park did everything he could to help us, he gave our players a lot of technical guidance and encouraged them not to lose courage and continue their efforts after losing a game. I think this training opportunity is a very good experience for all players. I hope such training opportunities will continue in the future.” Gao Jun

“It was a great camp for the North American players. We were lucky as the Koreans were also preparing for a competition so the plan really made sense for us. They had six junior boys, all with different styles and the same on the girls’ side. We also got to play with six players from the men’s army team. Every session had some physical training and the programme was really complete.” Maxime Surprenant

Overall it appears the experience was one of great value for the North American players and coaches.

Clearwater the destination

For the North American Para athletes, their preparation for the Lima 2019 Para Pan Am Games, which just concluded in Peru, took them to Florida in early August. Although the neighbouring nations were rivals on the table in Lima, Clearwater in the United States brought the two teams together in the search for their best form going into the event.

A total of 15 athletes, three coaches, three personal care assistants and seven volunteers from the Sunrise Table Tennis Club were present, creating an excellent environment to prepare for such a prestigious event.

The training was hosted by the Morning Side Recreation Center in Clearwater, Florida and was under the guidance of expert lead coaches. The United States Gary Fraiman and Canada’s John Macpherson took the lead as the head coaches for the training sessions.

Warm welcome

Athletes commented on the extraordinary conditions in the facility and also the helpful nature of the staff and welcoming atmosphere of the city. The training sessions were visited George Cretekos, the Clearwater mayor and also by Virginia Sung, the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Table Tennis Association. The teams were very grateful to be shown this support.

“These camps are an amazing opportunity for the United States and Canada to train together; I am thankful to the camp organisers and volunteers for all their help.” John Macpherson

“We are hoping that this is the first camp of many in Clearwater for Para United States and Canada teams.”

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