Former champ Osaka reaches women’s final at U.S. Open
Naomi Osaka reached the U.S. Open final for the second time in three years, pulling away to beat Jennifer Brady 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 in the first semifinal in New York.
The 2018 champion will meet Serena Williams or Victoria Azarenka on Saturday. If it’s Williams, it would be a rematch of the final from two years ago, when Osaka won her first major title.
Osaka finally surged ahead midway through the last set with the only service break she would get Thursday night — and only she would need — to beat Brady 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3, returning to the final at Flushing Meadows two years after winning the championship.
The match was played with the retractable cover at Arthur Ashe Stadium shut, and rain loudly pelted the roof. That also created an indoor environment conducive to the clean hitting both women produced, the thud of racket-on-ball echoing off thousands of empty blue seats at a tournament closed to spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It means a lot for me. I kind of consider New York my second home,” said Osaka, who was born in Japan and moved to the United States as a child. “I kind of love the atmosphere, even though there’s no people here. I feel like this court kind of suits me well.”
Suited both players just fine for most of the highquality semifinal.
Osaka served at up to 120 mph; Brady reached 117 mph. And they pounded the ball once it was in play, too, particularly off the forehand side.
“I just felt like I was sticking it out. It felt like we were trading serves,” Osaka said. “I tried to adjust a little bit on her serve in the third set so maybe that helped.”
They combined for 70 winners — 35 apiece — to just 42 unforced errors, each as good as the other, and it took a bit of luck to swing things after 1 hour, 45 minutes.
That’s when, at 2-1 in the third set, Osaka earned her first break point with a backhand that clipped the net tape and trickled over. She was able to convert the chance when she hit a deep return of a 110 mph serve, and Brady’s backhand in response was called long -although a television replay showed it actually caught
a piece of the back of the baseline.
Brady did not challenge the ruling.
NHL
QUICK SCORE IN OT LIFTS STARS OVER KNIGHTS >> Alexander Radulov scored 31 seconds into overtime on a wrister from the middle of the right circle, and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference final.
Radulov’s third career overtime goal was the only shot in the extra time.
Anton Khudobin had 40 saves, including 16 in the third after giving up two goals earlier in the period.
Vegas tied the game at 2 with 7:14 left in regulation on Alex Tuch’s goal that was challenged by the Stars, who felt there was interference against Khudobin.
Game 4 is Saturday in Edmont, Alberta. LIGHTNING’S KILLORN SUSPENDED ONE GAME FOR BOARDING >> Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn was suspended for tonight’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Islanders because of a boarding incident in Game 2.
Killorn received a major penalty and game misconduct during Tampa Bay’s 2-1 win on Wednesday. Video of the play shows Killorn tracking unsuspecting Brock Nelson of the Islanders and delivering a shot that sent Nelson into the boards and glass at 5:51 in the first period.
The Lightning holds a 2-0 lead in the best-ofseven series.
Golf
FINAL BIRDIE GIVES NELLY KORDA A 1-SHOT LEAD IN LPGA MAJOR >> Nelly Korda’s final hole birdie gave her a first-round 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the ANA Inspiration, the LPGA major normally played in March or April in Rancho Mirage.
Two-time major champion In Gee Chun trailed
by a shot with a 67 and is joined tied for second by Madelene Sagstrom.
Danielle Kang, projected to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory at Mission Hills, and Brooke Henderson of Canada were among those two shots behind.
Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 player and defending champion at the ANA Inspiration, is home in South Korea has not played an LPGA event this year. KNOX SHOOTS 63 TO TAKE LEAD AT SILVERADO >> Russell Knox shot a 9-under 63 to take the first-round lead in the Safeway Open, the first event of the new PGA Toiur season.
After missing the FedExCup playoffs by two spots to close last season, Knox had seven birdies and eagled the 550-yard, par-5 fifth hole at Silverado Resort in Napa. Sam Burns, Cameron Percy and Bo Hoag were a stroke back. Two-time Safeway Open champ Brendan Steele joined Pat Perez at 65.
Phil Mickelson opened with 71.
College football
STANFORD’S LITTLE DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT >> Senior left tackle Walker Little announced that he will forego an upcoming season with Stanford to begin preparing for the 2021 NFL draft. Little will graduate from in December with a degree in communication.
Little, who was a Freshman All-American in 2017 and All-Pac-12 first team in 2018, suffered an injury in the season opener last year against Northwestern and missed the rest of the season.
Motorsports
WALLACE LEAVING RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS >> Bubba Wallace, loaded with several new sponsors he personally signed, will leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of the season.
Wallace, who has driven Petty’s iconic No. 43 the last three season, told the team Thursday he would not sign a contract extension.
Wallace, who is 26, has a career-best five top-10 finishes this season and is ranked a career-best 23rd in the Cup Series standings. Wallace did not make the playoffs in any of his three Cup seasons and is winless at NASCAR’s top level.
Tour de France
ROOKIE HIRSCHI WINS LONGEST STAGE >> Tour de France rookie Marc Hirschi won the longest stage of this year’s race with a bold solo breakaway on a previously unused sharp ascent. The Swiss rider powered away on the Suc au May climb, new to the 117-year-old Tour. He extended his lead by racing with hair-raising speed down the other side and held off pursuers over the last 25 kilometers (15 miles) to win Stage 12 by a comfortable margin in Sarran.
The Tour’s top contenders, including yellow-jersey wearer Primoz Roglic, were more than two minutes behind when Hirschi finished the 218-kilometer (135mile) stage into the Massif Central. French rider Pierre Rolland placed second, 47 seconds behind. Hirschi covered the distance in just under 5 hours, 9 minutes.
Roglic kept the overall lead, still 21 seconds ahead of Egan Bernal. French rider Guillaume Martin remained third overall.
WNBA
ACES TOP LYNX, STAY IN HUNT FOR TOP SEED >> Angel McCoughtry totaled 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and the Las Vegas Aces used a big second half to pull away from the Minnesota Lynx 104-89 in Bradenton, Florida.
The win keeps the Aces (16-4) in contention for the top overall seed in the playoffs.