Coco tops Stephens to reach French semifinals
Coco Gauff left Roland Garros 12 months ago crestfallen, knowing she let a big lead slip away in her major quarterfinal debut. She vowed to remember that and learn from it.
Consider that done.
Gauff, still only 18, returned to that stage Tuesday for a second time and was not about to let this one end similarly, beating 2017 U.S. Open champion and 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens, 7-5, 6-2, in a matchup between Americans at Court Philippe Chatrier to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.
“It was just a mental challenge today,” said Gauff, who began this trip to Paris by taking photos near the Eiffel Tower while holding her recently earned high school diploma. “Last year in the quarterfinals, it was a tough loss for me and I think that match made me stronger and better prepared for the tough moments today.”
Gauff has seemed to be preparing for this sort of moment for quite some time, even before she became the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history at age 15 and beat Venus Williams en route to the fourth round there in 2019, even before she won the French Open junior title a year prior.
HAND SURGERY FOR EMBIID
Sixers big man Joel Embiid had surgeries for a sprained right thumb and an injury to his left index finger.
The 76ers, who were knocked out of the playoffs by the Heat, announced the surgeries on Tuesday.
Neither procedure is expected to affect Embiid’s availability for training camp.
The 28-year-old Embiid led the NBA in scoring this past season, averaging a career-best 30.6 points in 68 games.
CAVS HIRE WALTON
The Cavaliers on Tuesday hired former Lakers coach Luke Walton as an assistant under J.B. Bickerstaff.
The 42-year-old Walton finished his 11year NBA playing career with the Cavs in 2012 before getting into coaching. He spent nine years playing for the Lakers, winning
NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.
Walton coached the Lakers from 2017-19 before going to Sacramento. He spent twoplus seasons with the Kings, but was fired following a 6-11 start last season. He also served as an assistant with Golden State, winning a title in 2015.
ABUSE ALLEGED AGAINST RYPIEN
The former longtime partner of ex-NFL quarterback Mark Rypien has filed a personal injury lawsuit against him alleging years of physical and emotional abuse.
The Spokesman-Review reported that Danielle Wade filed the lawsuit in Spokane County Superior Court.
The two have spoken publicly in the past about violence in their home believed to be a consequence of head trauma Rypien experienced during a 14-year NFL career after playing in college at Washington State.
The lawsuit contains new allegations of violence, beginning as early as 2008 and lasting until September 2020.
SABAN: NO PROBLEM WITH JIMBO
Alabama coach Nick Saban tried to put an end to his feud with Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher on Tuesday as Southeastern Conference leaders gathered for spring meetings at a resort on the Florida Gulf Coast.
“I didn’t really say that anybody did anything wrong,” Saban said when asked if he had evidence that Texas A&M has been buying players with name, image and likeness compensation deals. “OK, and I’ve said everything I’m going to say about this. I should have never mentioned any individual institutions as I’ve said that before.”
Saban added: “I have no problem with Jimbo. I have no problem with Jimbo at all.”
Saban set off Fisher two weeks ago when he called out Texas A&M and other schools while talking about the need for NIL regulation in college sports.
Fisher responded angrily, saying Saban’s comments were despicable and calling his former boss at LSU a “narcissist” while denying any wrongdoing with his program that landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2022.