Off the wire
SOCCER FIFA scraps expansion
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played with 32 teams after FIFA scrapped a proposal to expand the tournament to 48 nations due to the political and logistical complexities of using another Persian Gulf nation, a person with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s hopes of expanding the Middle East’s first World Cup in the region were stymied by the regional diplomatic crisis and the governing body’s demands on host nations to adhere to human rights requirements. That means the World Cup will not be expanded until 2026, with FIFA already having approved a format with 48 teams for that tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A meeting of the FIFA Council in March authorized Infantino to work with Qatar on seeing if it was feasible to use at least one more country in the region to accommodate an additional 16 matches.
BASKETBALL Michigan hires Howard
Juwan Howard is headed back to Michigan. The Miami Heat assistant coach and former member of the Fab Five agreed Wednesday to a five-year deal to lead the Wolverines. It will pay him $2 million in his first year. He replaces John Beilein, who left to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers. Howard helped Michigan reach the national championship game twice, playing alongside Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. The school later removed the Fab Five’s Final Four banners from Crisler Arena as part of self-imposed sanctions that stemmed from one of the NCAA’s largest financial scandals. A federal investigation revealed now-deceased booster Ed Martin gave Webber and three non-Fab Five players more than $600,000. Howard’s hiring may bring a wave of excitement with endorsements from former teammates, and his experience in the NBA also makes him an attractive coach for top prospects.
TENNIS Tsonga advances
Former champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga rallied past Canadian qualifier Steven Diez on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals and extend his perfect record at the Lyon Open. Tsonga, the 2017 champion, came within two points of losing but finally prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 on his sixth match point after 2 hours, 42 minutes. The clay-court event serves as a warmup for the French Open, which starts Sunday in Paris. Tsonga will next take on top-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Garcia moves up
Fourth-seeded Caroline Garcia earned two victories Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg clay-court tournament. The Frenchwoman first finished off her first-round match with Shelby Rogers, which had been suspended on Monday, then beat Rebecca Peterson of Sweden 6-2, 6-3 in the afternoon. Garcia will face teenager Marta Kostyuk for a semifinal spot. Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Laura Siegemund.
BASEBALL Martinez held out
Boston Red Sox slugger J.D.
Martinez was held out of the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays because of a sore back. Manager Alex Cora said the two-time All-Star isn’t likely to return to the lineup until Friday. Martinez sat out the previous two games because of illness but had been expected to return Wednesday. He’s hitting .308 with 9 home runs and 28 RBI. Cora said he was hesitant to play Martinez in today’s finale, citing Toronto’s artificial surface and the early 11:37 a.m. game time. The Red Sox begin a three-game series at Houston on Friday.
Yelich scratched again
National League MVP Christian Yelich was scratched from Milwaukee’s lineup Wednesday against Cincinnati because of back spasms, the second consecutive day he was scratched. Yelich leads the major leagues with 19 home runs and is batting .325 with 41 RBI in 44 games, including 42 starts. He missed parts of seven games this season because of back problems and also missed time last season. Brewers Manager Craig Counsell said he would not characterize Yelich’s back problem as “chronic,” but as a short-term problem that he will have to “actively manage.”
MOTOR SPORTS Hall of Fame class
Tony Stewart headlines a Joe Gibbs Racing trio that has been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The three-time Cup Series champion will be inducted alongside car owner Joe Gibbs and former teammate Bobby Labonte. Driver Buddy Baker and mechanic Waddell Wilson were also voted in Wednesday. Stewart won 49 Cup Series races during his 17-year NASCAR career, including championships in 2002 and 2005 driving for Gibbs and another in 2011 with Stewart-Haas Racing. He won another championship as an owner in 2014 with driver Kevin Harvick. Labonte won the Cup Series title in 2000, giving Gibbs the first of his four championships at NASCAR’s highest level. Gibbs, the Super Bowl-winning former coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won his most recent owner championship in 2015 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel.