Williams beats Osaka in Canada
Serena Williams advanced to the Rogers Cup semifinals in Toronto, beating soon-to-be-top-ranked Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4.
Playing her first event since losing the Wimbledon final, Williams will face Czech qualifier Marie Bouzkova on Saturday. Bouzkova led Simona Halep 6-4 when the Wimbledon champion retired because of a leg injury.
Williams, 37, played Osaka for the first time since losing to her last year in the U.S. Open final.
Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian Rogers Cup semifinalist since 1979, overcoming a groin injury to beat Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 2-6, 6-4. Andreescu will face American Sofia Kenin, a 7-6 (2), 6-4 winner over Elina Svitolina.
“I told myself, go big or go home,” Andreescu said. “Literally go home. My home is like two minutes from here.”
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal rallied to reach the Rogers Cup semifinals, beating Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Daniil Medvedev beat Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-1 and Karen Khachanov topped Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3 to set up an all-Russian semifinal . ... Andy Murray will return to singles competition next week at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce broke the 40year-old Pan American Games 200-meter record. The two-time Olympic 100meter champion clocked 22.43 seconds, besting the record set by American Evelyn Ashford in 1979.
A former member of the U.S. figure skating team said in a lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court that he was sexually molested as a teenage boy by a coach, Richard Callaghan, whom the sport’s governing body had ignored complaints about. Adam Schmidt, once known as Adam Baadani, quit a promising career because of the abuse that began in 1999 when he was 14, his lawyer said. Callaghan, suspended last year by the U.S. Center for SafeSport after another skater said he’d been abused 20 years ago, denied wrongdoing through his lawyer.
Michael Barisone, a former U.S. Olympic dressage athlete, was arrested and accused of shooting a woman at his New Jersey farm where he trains equestrian athletes.
The New York state board for economic development approved a $1.3-billion project to build a 19,000seat arena for the New York Islanders at Belmont Park.
Oklahoma defensive back Tre Norwood, who started all 14 games last season, is out for the season with an undisclosed injury . ... Pittsburgh defensive lineman Rashad Weaver, who led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and fumble recoveries last year, will miss next season after tearing a ligament in his right knee . ... Duke receiver Jake Bobo (broken clavicle) is out indefinitely.
Simone Biles was comfortably ahead after the first night of the U.S. women’s gymnastics championships, on her way to a record-tying sixth national title.
McLaren will return to full-time IndyCar competition for the first time since 1979 next season in partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports . ... Brad Keselowski won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.