Nadal’s bid at Monte Carlo gains momentum

COLLEGES: Former Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce died at his home in central Ohio. He was 87. Bruce succeeded Woody Hayes after the longtime Buckeyes coach was fired for punching an opposing player in the 1978 Gator Bowl. Bruce had an 81-26-1 record while winning or sharing four Big Ten titles from 1979-1987 . ... Kansas C Udoka Azubuike is declaring for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his junior season. Michigan F Charles Matthews, Kentucky F Jarred Vanderbilt and Syracuse G Tyus Battle also declared without hiring an agent . ... Alabama sophomore F Braxton Key is planning to transfer. Key averaged 12 points a game as a freshman, but his numbers dipped last season while starting 17 games . ... Wisconsin coach Greg Gard signed a five-year contract extension through May 31, 2023.

GOLF: ... Alvaro Quiros shot a 2-under 70 in windy conditions to push into a one-shot lead over Andrew Dodt after two rounds of the Trophee Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco.

GYMNASTICS: Former USA Gymnastics women’s national team coordinator Martha Karolyi and husband Bela told NBC they were unaware of the abusive behavior by a former national team doctor Larry Nassar. Karolyi, who led the national team for 15 years before retiring after the 2016 Rio Olympics, said in “no way” did she suspect Nassar was sexually abusing athletes under the guise of treatment . ... USA Gymnastics has reached a confidential settlement in a Georgia lawsuit that spurred a newspaper’s investigation into the organization’s child abuse reporting practices.

NFL: Former Packers RB Ahman Green, 41, avoided jail time under a plea agreement in which a felony child-abuse charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Prosecutors amended the child-abuse charge to a nonabuse charge of damage to property . ... Vikings LB Kentrell Brothers and Panthers TE Kent Taylor were suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. ... The Ravens signed WR Willie Snead to an offer sheet for two years and $7 million. The Saints have five days to match the deal or they’ll lose Snead.

ALSO: Hurricanes coach Bill Peters resigned after four seasons with the club. He had a record of 137-138-53 with one season left on his contract . ... Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will step down at the end of the Premier League season after 22 years. ... Rafael Nadal’s bid for his 11th Monte Carlo Masters is on course after he rolled past fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2 to reach the semifinals.

MONACO Rafael Nadal’s bid for a record-extending 11th Monte Carlo Masters title is proving more comfortable than he imagined after his latest return from injury.

Others may not be so surprised, given how the topranked Spaniard won nine straight games while beating fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2 to reach the semifinals on Friday.

“I played great. I played so well this afternoon, playing very aggressive, backhand, forehand, serve. I’m defending well, returning well,” said Nadal, affording himself another rare compliment. “It is difficult to play better than today. Being honest, I have to recognize that.”

Nadal recently returned from a right hip injury, which forced him to retire during the Australian Open quarterfinals. The problem then flared up again, and he dropped out of the Mexico Open and Masters tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.

But since coming back in early April, Nadal has not even dropped a set in five straight wins, including two in singles for Spain in the Davis Cup. He needs to win this tournament to keep his No. 1 ranking, or it will go back to Roger Federer.

The way he dismantled Thiem, it appears little can stop him from doing so.

“The Davis Cup probably helped to come here with better rhythm, better confidence,” Nadal said. “But, of course, things are going much better than what I thought two weeks, three weeks ago. That’s the truth.”

Nadal will next face Grigor Dimitrov, who may prefer not to think too much about their head-to-head rivalry: 10-1 to Nadal.

The fourth-seeded Bulgarian beat No. 6 David Goffin 6-4, 7-6 (5) in an errorstrewn match.

Goffin led 4-0 in the second set but the Belgian missed three set points at 5-4.

It was a wasteful sort of day under a blazing Mediterranean sun.

Kei Nishikori needed four match points to beat second-seeded Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-3.

Nishikori served for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Cilic saved three match points and then won the tiebreaker in style.

But the big-serving Croat faded in the third set as the heat lessened.

Nishikori plays No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who beat Richard Gasquet 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

The sun had long gone when their match finished at nearly 9 p.m., delaying Zverev’s birthday party.

U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens will open play for the U.S. against Pauline Parmentier of France in the Fed Cup semifinals in Aix-en-Provence, France.

France No. 1 Kristina Mladenovic and CoCo Vandeweghe will follow on Saturday in the second singles at the new 6,700-capacity Arena Pays d’Aix.

Mladenovic and Amandine Hesse are set to face Madison Keys and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the doubles on Sunday following the reverse singles.