Djokovic shows he's back in top form with title at Italian Open
ROME >> Just in time.
Novak Djokovic raised his first trophy of the year at the Italian Open on Sunday and showed that he's back in top form exactly a week before the French Open starts.
After missing a large portion of the season because he wasn't vaccinated against the coronavirus, the top-ranked Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 (5) for his sixth Rome title.
Djokovic didn't drop a set all week.
Earlier on the red clay court at the Foro Italico, Iga Swiatek defended the women's title by overwhelming Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 to extend her winning streak to 28 matches.
Djokovic needed only a half hour to win the opening set, during which Tsitsipas got so frustrated at one point that he banged his racket against his bag during a changeover and mangled the frame.
Soccer
CITY DENIED VICTORY >> Another Premier League trophy was virtually in Manchester City's hands. All it needed was Riyad Mahrez to convert a penalty, like he had done in each of his previous seven attempts from the spot this season.
Not this time.
There's still plenty of life in this absorbing title race after Mahrez had a penalty saved in the 86th minute,
leaving City to settle for a 2-2 draw at West Ham and a four-point lead over Liverpool heading into the final week of the season.
Liverpool heads to Southampton for its game in hand on Tuesday, needing at least a point to take the title race to Sunday — the last day of the season. A win is probably required, though, given City has a superior goal difference of 7 compared to Liverpool.
City finishes at home to Aston Villa and that throws up an intriguing storyline. Villa is coached by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard, who was never able to win the league for Liverpool. He still could — but as a manager of another team.
Liverpool hosts Wolverhampton in its last game and still, somehow, retains hope of an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies having won both domestic
cups and reached the Champions League final.
Motor sports
BUSCH TAKES NASCAR VICTORY >>
Kurt Busch pinched his way past Kyle Larson for the lead with eight laps to go, then drove his gaudy Jordan Brand-styled car away from the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion to win at Kansas Speedway.
It was the second win for the up-and-coming 23XI Racing team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who followed the two leaders and Kyle Busch across in fourth place. Bubba Wallace won the team's first race last year at Talladega.
Golf
LEE HOLDS OFF SPIETH
>> K.H. Lee's 240-yard shot on the par-5 12th hole stopped less than 5 feet from the pin, and the eagle put him in front for good on the way to a 9-under 63 and a one-shot victory in the Byron Nelson over Jordan Spieth at birdie-besieged TPC Craig Ranch.
Spieth shot a 67 to finish a stroke ahead of Hideki Matsuyama (62) and Sebastián Muñoz (69), who held or shared the lead the first three rounds. Xander Schauffele had a careerbest 61 and tied for fifth with Ryan Palmer (66) and Justin Thomas (67).
LEE WINS IN LPGA >> LPGA scoring leader Minjee Lee made her only three birdies on the back nine and captured the Cognizant Founders Cup by two shots over Lexi Thompson for her first win of the year.
The 25-year-old Australian took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-5 14th hole at Upper Montclair Country Club. She closed with a 2-under 70, her only round not in the 60s, for a 72-hole total of 19-under 269 in the event that honors the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour. STRICKER GOES WIRE-TOWIRE >> Steve Stricker completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Regions Tradition, closing with a 3-under 69 for a five-stroke victory and his fourth PGA Tour Champions major title.
Stricker's second Tradition win at Greystone Golf & Country Club came in his third event since returning from a six-month absence for health reasons.