Off the wire

Compiled from Democrat-Gazette Press Services

Former SEC commish Slive dies

Mike Slive, the former SEC commissioner who guided the league through a period of unprecedented success and prosperity, died Wednesday. He was 77. The SEC said Slive died in Birmingham, Ala., where he lived with his wife of 49 years, Liz. The conference didn’t provide the cause of death. Slive retired in 2015 after 13 years as commissioner. He was battling prostate cancer at the time he stepped down. Slive replaced Roy Kramer as SEC commissioner in 2002, coming from Conference USA to help clean up an SEC that was beset by NCAA compliance issues. Soon after, the SEC became the most powerful conference in college football, winning seven consecutive national championships and landing television contracts worth billions.

TENNIS Fognini advances

Fabio Fognini got the Italian Open crowd fired up with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over sixth-seeded Dominic Thiem to reach the third round Wednesday. Italy’s top player was energized from the start, frustrating the Austrian with well-placed lobs and touch volleys. Rafael Nadal, a seven-time Rome champion, and four-time champion Novak Djokovic also advanced. Nadal routed 31st-ranked Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-0, while Djokovic beat Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2. Nadal will next face Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov, who got by Robin Haase 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, while Djokovic will play Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who rallied past eighth-seeded John Isner 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). Defending champion Alexander Zverev beat Italian wild-card entry Matteo Berrettini 7-5, 6-2. In women’s action, Simona Halep routed Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-0 for the first of two wins she needs this week to keep Caroline Wozniacki from taking her No. 1 ranking.

BASKETBALL Budenholzer to Bucks

Mike Budenholzer, the former Atlanta Hawks head coach, reached an agreement to become the next head coach of the Bucks on Wednesday, according to a report by ESPN. The Hawks and Budenholzer mutually agreed to part ways on April 26 after the former NBA Coach of the Year interviewed with the Suns and Knicks despite having two years and $14 million remaining on his contract.