Djokovic beats Rublev to reach ATP Finals semis
TURIN, ITALY >> Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the ATP Finals by beating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday.
The top-ranked Djokovic is attempting to match Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the season-ending event for the top eight players in the world.
Djokovic was again almost perfect on his serve, although Rublev managed to break him in the opening game. Djokovic broke twice in each set and won the match with his 12th ace.
“I knew that I had to be on my toes and start well,” Djokovic said. “I dropped my serve again like in the first match. It was quite a nervous start from both of us until 4-3, then with new balls I somehow managed to find the right shots at the right time.
“Winning the first set I put additional pressure on him, and I started to maybe play more consistently from the back of the court. I served well, that helped tremendously. I wanted to put him out of his comfort zone, taking away the time and mix up the pace.”
Djokovic is now 2-0 in the Green Group. He beat Casper Ruud in his opening group match.
Motor sports
NASCAR CHAMPION TO GET NORCAL HERO’S WELCOME >> Kyle Larson will get a champion’s welcome when he returns to his hometown of Elk Grove on Monday.
Sonoma Raceway and the City of Elk Grove have planned a day for all NASCAR fans to celebrate Larson’s 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
championship.
Larson, 29, captured the NASCAR Championship by winning the final race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway. He won 10 races this season, including the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in June.
Larson attended Pleasant Grove High School and began his racing career on short tracks all around Northern California.
The event will begin with a parade down Elk Grove Boulevard starting near the intersection of Elk Grove Boulevard and Florin Road. The parade will proceed to the Old Town Plaza where Larson will be joined by local dignitaries and gather with race fans.
MLB
INDIANS OFFICIALLY CHANGING NAME TO GUARDIANS THIS WEEK >> The Cleveland Indians will officially transition to Guardians on Friday, completing a name change that has been happening in stages over the past few months.
The team sent out a release on Wednesday saying its team shop at Progressive
Field will begin selling Guardians merchandise and souvenirs later this week. The store at the team’s downtown ballpark will exclusively sell Guardians gear before it becomes available at retail outlets in northeast Ohio on Nov. 23.
Women’s basketball
NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPANDS TO 68 TEAMS >> The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is expanding to 68 teams beginning with the current season, giving it an equal number of participants as the men’s tournament as part of a concerted effort at gender parity.
The men’s tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011 with four first-round games traditionally played in Dayton, Ohio. The first four for the women’s tournament will take place on the campuses of teams seeded in the top 16 this season, but they will move to a to-be-determined neutral site beginning with the 2023 tournament.
NHL
RED SOX OWNERS IN TALKS TO BUY PENGUINS >> The owners of the Boston Red Sox are in talks to buy the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Red Sox President Sam Kennedy confirmed that Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Major League Baseball team as well as Liverpool FC of the Premier League and is partners in the RFK Racing NASCAR team, has been working on a deal for the professional hockey club. The talks were first reported by Sportico.
Former Penguins star and current part-owner Mario Lemieux and the management team will reportedly remain in place.
Golf
KORDA, KO TAKE THEIR RACE
TO FINAL EVENT OF LPGA TOUR >> Nelly Korda won tournaments nearly nine months apart, with a major and an Olympic gold medal in between. Jin Young Ko did her damage late, winning four times in the last two months.
Each has four victories going into the CME Group Tour Championship, the season finale on the LPGA Tour with more than just $1.5 million at stake.
They are separated by a mere 10 points in the race for LPGA player of the year, with Korda taking the lead with her playoff victory last week. Both have a chance to finish the year with a sub-69 scoring average, a feat accomplished only once on the LPGA Tour, nearly 20 years ago by Annika Sorenstam.
They play together in the opening round Thursday because of their 1-2 standing in the Race to CME Globe, along with No. 3 Lydia Ko.