The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Indian Wells tourney begins minus stars Djokovic, Nadal
Brandon Nakashima took advantage of two double-faults by John Isner in an error-filled game to collect the match’s only service break and went on to reach the second round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with a 7-6 (7), 6-3 victory in the all-american contest Wednesday.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in the stands as play got started at the year’s first Masters 1000 event, a combined tournament for women and men.
Nakashima, a 21-year-old from San Diego, saved one set point for 2018 Wimbledon semifinalist Isner, who is 37, en route to grabbing the opening tiebreaker. And Nakashima, who won the ATP Next Gen Finals last year, broke to lead 4-2 in the second set after nearly 11/2 hours of play, taking his four points in that game via that pair of double-faults, one forehand by Isner that found the net tape and didn’t make it over, and another that sailed long.
In all, Isner, the 2012 runner-up at Indian Wells, double-faulted seven times, part of his total of 25 unforced errors — 18 more than Nakashima. Next up for the 48th-ranked Nakashima is the tough task of facing 2022 U.S. Open champion and former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, who is on a 14-match winning streak and won the past three tournaments he entered.
That run of success includes a win over Novak Djokovic, the 22-time Grand Slam champion not in the field at Indian Wells because he can’t travel to the United States as a foreign citizen not vaccinated against COVID-19. The player Djokovic shares the record with for most majors won by a man, Rafael Nadal, also isn’t in the desert; he has been sidelined since injuring his left hip flexor at the Australian Open.
Medvedev, like other seeded players, received a first-round bye.
Gael Monfils — a 36-yearold two-time Grand Slam semifinalist — lost 6-3, 6-1 to Jordan Thompson in the Frenchman’s first match since being sidelined by a right foot injury he sustained last August.
Marcos Giron, who won an NCAA singles title for UCLA, eliminated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3, 7-5. Wild-card entry Wu Yibing, whose title at Dallas last month made him the first Chinese player to win an ATP singles trophy, pulled out a 6-7 (6), 6-0, 7-6 (3) win against Jaume Munar. Qualifier Taro Daniel beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 7-5 to set up a meeting with 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini; qualifier Cristian Garin defeated Daniel Galan 6-4, 6-2; and Australian Open quarterfinalist Jiri Lehecka eliminated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (4), 7-5.
Among Day 1 women’s matches, Evgeniya Rodina, a 34-year-old who is ranked 427th and had played just one tour-level match in 2023, ousted 68th-ranked
Alizé Cornet 6-2, 7-5; 67thranked Wang Xinyu beat 37th-ranked Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-1, wild-card entry Dayana Yastremska defeated Anna Bondar 6-3, 6-4 and Shelby Rogers was a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 winner in an all-american matchup against wildcard entry Katie Volynets.
MLB Montas wasn’t fully healthy when traded
Frankie Montas said Wednesday that his shoulder wasn’t fully healthy when he was acquired by the New York Yankees at the trade deadline last season, but the right-handed starter said he tried to “push through” after joining his new team.
Montas, who went 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight starts after being obtained from Oakland, is recovering from shoulder surgery that will keep him from throwing until at least late May.
“I was trying to push through,” Montas told reporters in his first comments since surgery two weeks earlier. “I got traded to a new team and wanted to show what I could do. Things didn’t go the way I was expecting.”
The Yankees placed Montas on the injured list in late September after his second cortisone injection of the year, knocking him out of the AL Division Series. He was on the roster for the AL Championship Series, but pitched only one inning in the opener against Houston.
Montas said he kept experiencing discomfort when trying to begin a throwing program during the offseason. While he tried to avoid surgery, he said that was the best option, and that he is confident that he will pitch this season for the Yankees.
“Trust me, I’m one of the guys that wants to be out there pitching right now and showing what I can do,” he said. “But things didn’t work out that way, so just trying to rehab and come back so I can help with whatever they want me to do.”
After Montas had surgery Feb. 21, Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the procedure as the pitcher having his labrum cleaned up without any repairs being needed on his rotator cuff. Boone said everything went according to plan.
New York acquired Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Athletics on Aug. 1 in exchange for four prospects.
Montas, who could become a free agent after this season, made 19 starts for the A’s last year before getting traded. He was 4-9 with a 3.18 ERA over 104 1/3 innings.
Juan Soto ran sprints in the outfield and took some big swings in batting practice at the San Diego Padres spring training complex after the early workout to test a left calf that kept him in Arizona.
Soto, who has been dealing with calf tightness, could still join the Dominican Republic team in Miami before it begins group play in the World Baseball
Classic on Saturday against Venezuela.
Padres manager Bob Melvin said the team increased the progression of Soto’s work, and that he could play in a “B” game today.
“If he plays in that, hopefully we can get him cleared ... and optimistic for potentially getting him on the road Friday,” Melvin said.
NFL Jaguars release cornerback Griffin
The Jacksonville Jaguars cut high-priced cornerback Shaquill Griffin, a move that will save the team $13.1 million against the salary cap.
Griffin tweaked his back early last season and was essentially benched before going on injured reserve. He was scheduled to count $17.1 million against the cap next season.
The 27-year-old Griffin should have plenty of options to land elsewhere. He has started 72 games over six seasons with Seattle and Jacksonville. He had six interceptions for the Seahawks before signing a three-year, $40 million contract with the Jaguars in free agency in 2021.
SOCCER PSG ousted by Bayern in Champions last 16
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé will have to wait another year for a chance to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-germain.
Bayern Munich contained the World Cup stars and beat PSG 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals 3-0 on aggregate.
After former PSG forward Kingsley Coman scored in the round-of-16 first leg on Feb. 14, Eric Maxim Choupomoting — another former PSG player — doubled the advantage in the second leg before Serge Gnabry finished off the scoring in the 89th minute at Allianz Stadium in Munich.
Choupo-moting scored in the 61st minute to put Bayern on course for the quarterfinals and send PSG out of the Champions League in the last 16 for the second year running.
COLLECTIBLES Man charged with selling fake cards
An 82-year-old Colorado man was charged with selling and trading fake Michael Jordan basketball cards in a scheme that prosecutors said resulted in him making more than $800,000 over four years.
Mayo Gilbert Mcneil was arrested in Denver, where he lives, after a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office.
Mcneil was accused of making numerous fraudulent deals beginning in 2015, including the 2019 sale of a counterfeit card to a victim in Manhasset, New York, for $4,500, and a 2017 deal in which he traded two counterfeit cards for two authentic Tom Brady football cards.