Nadal’s draw is tough
PARIS — Unfortunately for Rafael Nadal, the French Open draw didn’t make things easy. Fortunately for Nadal, he is back in top form as he starts his quest for a 10th title in the clay-court major. On Friday, the 14-time Grand Slam champion was drawn in the same half of the bracket as 2016 French Open champion Novak Djokovic, Milos Raonic
and up-and-coming star Dominic Thiem. Before any of those potential showdowns, however, the fourth-seeded Nadal will also need to deal with the talented and unpredictable Benoit Paire in the first round. The tournament starts Sunday at Roland Garros. “I know I need to be ready since the beginning, because I have a tough opponent in the first round. So I am focused on trying to work the right way,” said the 30-year-old Nadal, who has a career record of 72-2 at the French Open but retired from the tournament last year before his third-round match because of a wrist injury. This season, he has been the dominant player on clay, winning 17 straight matches on his favorite surface and three consecutive titles before Thiem halted his run last week at the Italian Open. In Paris, Nadal could face Djokovic or Thiem in the semifinals. In the women’s draw, without Maria Sharapova or Serena Williams, the tournament appears wide open. One intriguing first-round match pits 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza against 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone. Topranked Angelique Kerber will start by facing 40th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova, third-seeded Simona Halep will be up against Jana Cepelova if her right ankle injury does not prevent her from playing and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will begin her comeback less than six months after she was stabbed during an attack at home in the Czech Republic.
FOOTBALL
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Chip Kelly is getting back into the college football business, this time without a headset. The former Oregon coach is joining ESPN as a studio analyst next season. The network announced Friday it has signed him to a multiyear deal. Kelly will primarily be part of Saturday pregame, halftime and wrapup shows on ESPN2. He’ll also provide NFL analysis on Sundays during “SportsCenter.” The 53-year-old Kelly spent the past four seasons in the NFL, coaching the Philadelphia Eagles for three years and the San Francisco 49ers for one. ›
SAN FRANCISCO — A lawsuit accusing the NFL and team owners of conspiring to suppress wages for cheerleaders lacks evidence to support that claim, a federal judge said. U.S. District Judge William Alsup dismissed the lawsuit by a former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader. The suit sought class-action status on behalf of all NFL cheerleaders. Alsup gave the former 49ers cheerleader — identified in the lawsuit only as “Kelsey K” — an opportunity to amend her lawsuit and refile it by June 15. Her attorney, Drexel Bradshaw, said he plans to do that, saying he has uncovered “significant facts” he thinks will lead the judge to allow the lawsuit to proceed.
BASKETBALL
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OMAHA, Neb. — Seven people who threatened referee
John Higgins after an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game this year have been identified. Information on them will be referred to authorities in their jurisdictions and to the FBI’s Omaha field office, a Nebraska prosecutor said Friday. Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the identities were found after a lengthy investigation after Kentucky’s 75-73 loss to North Carolina in the South Region final in Memphis on March 26. Polikov did not release the names.