Osaka wins first match
Defending champion Naomi Osaka won the opening match the Australian Open in Melbourne, reeling off the last four games after dropping serve for the only time to beat Marie Bouzkova, 6-2, 6-4.
Osaka is aiming to be only the ninth woman to successfully defend the Open title. She wasn’t able to do that at the U.S. Open last year, when she lost in the fourth round a year after winning her first major title in New York, but says she learned some valuable lessons there.
“Definitely, it was really tough for me trying to control my nerves. I’m really glad I was able to finish it in two,” Osaka said.
Osaka hit 29 winners and 28 unforced errors, pushing No. 59-ranked Bouzkova around with some heavy ground strokes.
Other seeded players advancing included No. 13 Petra Martic and No. 14 Sofia Kenin. Martic had a 6-3, 6-0 win over Christina McHale and Kenin beat Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan, 6-2, 6-4.
AUTO RACING
Kyle Larson finally won the Chili Bowl and he did it in fitting style – by beating Christopher Bell.
In his 13th attempt at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, dirtrace event, and after being beaten on the last lap a year ago by Bell, Larson stalked his soon-to-be NASCAR rival for the first 38 laps before sliding into the lead coming off Turn 2 on Saturday night. Then he held off the three-time winner in a couple of late restarts to earn his first Golden Driller trophy.
“Sorry, NASCAR and Daytona, but this is the biggest (expletive) win I’ve ever had,” said the 27-yearold Californian who started third. “This is badass and I’ve spent almost half my life trying to win this thing. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Going for his fourth consecutive victory in the midget race that kicks off the racing season, Bell fell a couple of car lengths short.
MMA
Conor McGregor’s opening flurry – a punch that missed, followed by shoulder and elbow shots to the face – bloodied Donald Cerrone’s nose. He then floored Cerrone only 20 seconds into the bout with a perfectly placed kick to the head, and he mercilessly finished on the ground.
When he paraded around the ring with an Irish flag, the mixed martial arts world knew McGregor was back with a big bang Saturday night.
The Irish former two-division champion came out of a three-year stretch of relative inactivity and outside-the-cage troubles with a welterweight performance in UFC 246 on Saturday night that echoed his greatest fights during his unparalleled rise.
After hurting Cerrone (36-14) with his first punch, McGregor (22-4) dropped him with a sublime kick to the jaw. McGregor pounced and forced referee Herb Dean to save Cerrone, delighting a sellout crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Isabelle Spingola’s season-high 20 points Sunday led Marquette to an easy 80-60 victory over Xavier in Cincinnati.
Three other Golden Eagles scored in double figures: Selena Lott tallied 14 points, Camryn Taylor had 13 and Altia Anderson recorded her first double-double at MU (13-5, 4-3 Big East) with 10 points and a career-best 14 rebounds. The Golden Eagles allowed just 16 points in the first half.
Iowa 85, Wisconsin 78: Makenzie Meyer scored 22 points to lead the No. 24/22 Hawkeyes in Madison. Imani Lewis led the Badgers (9-8, 1-6 Big Ten) with 18 points and added nine rebounds. Nia Beverley had 16 points and seven assists and Abby Lasewski finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
IUPUI 75, UW-Milwaukee 53: The Jaguars cruised to victory, shooting 50.9% from the floor. Sydney Staver led the host Panthers (6-12, 3-4 Horizon) with 10 points.
SKIING
Clément Noël skied through steadily falling snow to protect his first-run lead and win a World Cup slalom Sunday in Wengen, Switzerland.
Noël was only 17th-fastest down the second gate-setting yet stayed 0.40 seconds ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen, who retook the overall World Cup standings lead.