NEWSMAKERS
Raonic, Abanda win at French Open
Fifth-seeded Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., is safely through to the second round of the French Open after sweeping past Steve Darcis of Belgium in straight sets on Monday. The Canadian took just 92 minutes to beat the 38th-ranked Darcis 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. In women’s action, Montreal’s Francoise Abanda opened with a 6-3, 6-4 win over France’s Tessah Andrianjafitrimo. Raonic’s big serve was in full effect as he fired 15 aces to Darcis’s three. He also won 88 per cent of his first service points compared to 65 per cent for Darcis. Next up for Raonic is Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil. Abanda, who entered the main draw through qualifying, had three aces and converted four of eight break point opportunities in her win over Andrianjafitrimo. Next up for Abanda is 11th seed and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
Reporter fired over Indy 500 tweet
Denver Post publisher Mac Tully and editor Lee Ann Colacioppo issued a statement on Monday that sports writer Terry Frei is no longer an employee of the newspaper one day after he tweeted that he was “very uncomfortable” with Japanese driver Takuma Sato winning the Indianapolis 500. “We apologize for the disrespectful and unacceptable tweet that was sent by one of our reporters,” the statement reads. Frei issued an apology on Sunday after facing backlash for his tweet that he later deleted about Sato’s win. “Nothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,” Frei, whose father was a Second World War veteran, tweeted after Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the race.
New Brunswick boxer in stable condition
Journeyman boxer David Whittom was in an induced coma at Saint John Regional Hospital on Monday following surgery to treat bleeding on the brain after a knockout loss. The 38-year-old was listed in stable condition, trainer Francois Duguay said. Whittom (12-24-1), a Saint Quentin, N.B., native based in Quebec City, was knocked out in the 10th round of a bout for the Canadian cruiserweight title against Gary Kopas (8-11-2) of Saskatoon in Fredericton on Saturday. Duguay said doctors considered it progress on Monday that he was deemed fit to have a brain scan.
U.S. sports writer Deford dies at 78
Sports writer and commentator Frank Deford has died. He was 78. His family says he died Sunday in Key West, Fla. Deford was a member of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He wrote with a lyrical elegance and was known for his work at Sports Illustrated and on National Public Radio. He retired this month from NPR’s Morning Edition after 37 years as a contributor. He was the first sports writer awarded the National Humanities Medal. In 2013, U.S. president Barack Obama honoured him for “transforming how we think about sports.” Deford, a prolific book author, also contributed to HBO’s Real Sports program.
Injury could take Trout out for weeks
Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has a torn ligament in his left thumb and might need surgery that could sideline him for eight weeks. The Angels put the reigning AL MVP on the disabled list Monday for the first time in his career. The outfielder hurt himself a day earlier making a headfirst slide to steal second base in Miami. At 25, Trout already is a two-time AL MVP. He is hitting .337 and has 16 home runs, second most in the majors. Angels general manager Billy Eppler said an MRI revealed the tear. Team doctor Steve Yoon was scheduled to meet with Trout and discuss his options. Trout was off to a dynamic start, leading the league in on-base percentage (.461) and slugging percentage (.742) when he was hurt.