USTA preparing U.S. Open plans
As coronavirus cases spike in other parts of the country a month before the U.S. Open is supposed to start in New York, the U.S. Tennis Association said Friday it “continues its plans” to hold its marquee event and another tournament beforehand.
The U.S. Open — usually the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, but the second of 2020 because of the pandemic — is scheduled to run Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center also will host the Western & Southern Open on Aug. 20-28; that tuneup was moved from Cincinnati as part of a doubleheader organized by the USTA.
Players will be allowed on-site on Aug. 16.
A statement released Friday by the USTA said: “We remain confident that our top priority, the health and safety of all involved in both tournaments, remains on track.”
What is unclear at this point is which players will participate. While Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have said they will be at both events, current women’s No. 1 Ash Barty is staying away. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have not made their plans known.
The USTA statement added that details of its health and safety plan will be released closer to the start of competition. The group said it is working with the WTA and ATP tours.
The USTA is putting most players and their limited entourages in specific hotels — creating something of a bubble environment — but also is allowing participants to rent private houses.
Professional tennis has been on hiatus since March because of the coronavirus outbreak. The women’s tour is supposed to return next week.
SOCCER Orlando City ousts LAFC
Joao Moutinho scored on a header in the 90th minute to tie the match and Nani scored the deciding goal in a penalty shootout, and Orlando City beat Los Angeles FC in the quarterfinals of the MLS is Back tournament at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The sides played to a 1-1 draw in regulation thanks to Moutinho’s late goal, and Orlando City was a perfect 5-for-5 in the shootout to advance to the semifinals. Orlando City will face either San Jose or Minnesota United on Thursday.
The Lions were decided underdogs against LAFC, the prohibitive favorites to win the tournament among the remaining quarterfinal teams. But Orlando City managed to neutralize LAFC’s potent offensive attack and got the late equalizer.
Moutinho’s goal came off a corner kick from Nani. Moutinho, a onetime draft pick of LAFC, beat Jordan Harvey to the ball and his header got past LAFC goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.
WNBA Laney leads Dream win
Betnijah Laney scored a career-high 30 points and the Atlanta Dream beat New York 84-78, in a game in which the Liberty lost top draft pick Sabrina Ionescu to an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Rookie Chennedy Carter added 17 points and Monique Billings had eight points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta.
Laney’s 3-pointer with two minutes left in the third quarter gave Atlanta a 14-point lead but New York (0-3) chipped away, trimming its deficit to 73-71 when Layshia Clarendon made a short jumper with 2:45 to play.
Rookie Jazmine Jones scored a season-high 20 points to lead New York.
In other games at the IMG Academy bubble:
• Dallas forward Satou Sabally scored 23 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Wings to a 76-73 victory over the Indiana Fever.
• Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi scored 22 points apiece as Phoenix dealt the Los Angeles Aces a 102-95 defeat.