Walsh Jennings announces tour
Five-time Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings has announced plans for her new beach-volleyball circuit that will bring a sports and music festival to eight cities — beginning with her hometown of San Jose.
The p1440 series will open in September in San Jose, where Walsh Jennings attended Archbishop Mitty High, then over the next four months, visit Las Vegas, San Diego and Huntington Beach (Orange County). Four stops in early 2019 are planned, including Chicago; the others were not announced.
A three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA national champion with Stanford, Walsh Jennings broke with the biggest domestic pro tour last year, saying AVP officials lacked the vision to grow the sport. The move meant a split with April Ross, her partner when they won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Instead, Walsh Jennings has formed her mini-tour, using beach volleyball as the centerpiece of an entertainment and wellness festival. Attendees can watch volleyball, work out, practice yoga, meditate, eat and listen to live music, she said. Tennis: Rafael Nadal remains on course to retain his Monte Carlo Masters title in Monaco and won’t have Novak Djokovic standing in his way.
Nadal beat Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals, clinching victory with a clinical smash at the net. The 10-time champion next faces fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem, who earlier prevailed 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 against Djokovic. Soccer: Atlético Madrid lost 3-0 at Real Sociedad, leaving Barcelona a win away from clinching the Spanish league title. Barcelona, which drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo on Tuesday to go up 12 points on Atlético, can secure its 25th crown at Deportivo La Coruna on April 29.
Victor Moses set up the first goal and scored the second himself as Chelsea won 2-1 at Burnley to move five points back of London rival Tottenham, which occupies the fourth and final Champions League qualification place. College basketball: The San Jose State men added five recruits, including Michael Steadman, a 6-foot-10 center from CCSF and James Logan-Union City, and guard Zach Chappell from Capital Christian High in Sacramento . ... Southern Utah named Tracy Sanders as its women’s head coach. Sanders was a longtime assistant on Paul Thomas’ staff at St. Mary’s.