French Open will start late
PARIS — For the second year in a row, the traditional French Open schedule is being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers of the clay court Grand Slam announced Thursday that they will push back the start of the tennis tournament by one week because of surging virus cases in France. “This postponement will give us a little more time to improve the health situation and should allow us to optimize our chances of welcoming spectators at Roland Garros,” said Gilles Moretton, president of the French tennis federation. The French Open was scheduled to start May 23, but first-round matches will now get underway May 30. Last year’s tournament was pushed back to September because of the pandemic, with crowds limited to 1,000 per day. The move to delay this year’s French Open came as hospitals in the country approach saturation from virus cases. To slow down the pace of infections, new nationwide restrictions have been enforced, including a threeweek school closure, a monthlong domestic travel ban and the closing of nonessential shops. The French tennis federation said the decision was taken in order to maximize chances the event will be played “in front of as many spectators as possible” in a safe environment. This year’s Australian Open was delayed by three weeks because of the virus, and quarantine restrictions affected the preparations of several players.
BASKETBALL
› ATLANTA — Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins will be out at least another week with a sprained left ankle. The team announced Thursday that Collins has progressed to drills such as lateral shuffling and individual work on the court, and his status will be reviewed again in seven to 10 days. Collins was injured in a March 30 road loss to the Phoenix Suns, and an MRI showed a lateral ankle sprain and an associated bone bruise. Collins has missed the past five games for the playoff-contending Hawks (27-25), who have dealt with a rash of injuries that have sidelined key players — including Bogdan Bogdanovich, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish — for significant periods. Collins has averaged 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season for Atlanta, which hosts the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
› LOS ANGELES — UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin has been rewarded for the Bruins’ surprising NCAA tournament run with a two-year contract extension. They went from the 68-team bracket’s First Four as a No. 11 seed to the Final Four before falling to No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, the runner-up to Baylor in Monday night’s title game. Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced Thursday that the deal worth a guaranteed $4 million per year runs through the 2026-27 season. Cronin is 41-22 record in his first two seasons, and he led the 11-time NCAA champions to their first national semifinal since 2008.