Aussie opener goes to Kerber
Former champion Angelique Kerber continued her resurgent run with a 6-0, 6-4 win early today over fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
Kerber raced through the first set in Melbourne in 17 minutes but had her struggles in the second and was broken twice before converting her second match point and extending her streak to 10 consecutive wins. She opened the year by winning four singles matches at the Hopman Cup and won the Sydney International last week for her first title since the 2016 U.S. Open.
Kerber made her major breakthrough two years ago in Australia, where she beat Serena Williams in the final, and went on to reach the Wimbledon final and win the U.S. Open in a year when she rose to No. 1. She and Maria Sharapova are the only former Australian Open champions in the women’s draw.
On Thursday, Kerber will celebrate her 30th birthday and play a second-round match.
No. 9 Johanna Konta beat Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-1, handing the U.S. a 10th loss in 11 women’s matches.
Colleges: Fallout from Lubbock
The Big 12 fined Texas Tech $25,000 and reprimanded West Virginia men’s basketball player Wes Harris for hitting a fan who joined thousands of others in storming the court during a weekend postgame celebration. Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement Texas Tech did not ensure the safety and security of West Virginia players following the game in Lubbock, Texas. Videos show Harris and other Mountaineers trying to reach the sideline as Red Raiders fans swarmed the court Saturday in celebration of No. 8 Texas Tech’s 72-71 win over then-No. 2 West Virginia . . . .
North Carolina State redshirt senior quarterback Jalan McClendon will leave as a graduate transfer . . . .
Junior linebacker Roquan Smith, the leader of the Georgia defense, is entering the NFL draft.
Soccer: French boot ref
The French federation suspended referee Tony Chapron until further notice after the official kicked a player during a league match. The federation said Chapron will be summoned by French league officials to a disciplinary hearing following Sunday’s incident, when he kicked Nantes defender Diego Carlos before sending him off. The bizarre incident happened near the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 win at Nantes . ...
Cyrille Regis, a pioneer for black players in England who endured racist abuse while with West Bromwich Albion and defied threats of violence to represent the national team, died Sunday at 59 after a heart attack.
Misc.: Olson takes wheel
Justin Olsen has an Olympic bobsled gold medal as a brakeman on the winning 2010 four-man team, and now gets the chance at one as a driver. Olsen, Nick Cunningham and Codie Bascue will be the three drivers on the U.S. men’s team for the Pyeongchang Games . ...
Racecar driver Danica Patrick confirmed to the AP she is dating NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Patrick-hopes to finish her racing career with the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, a farewell she’s dubbed “The Danica Double.”