Gauff sets up Osaka showdown in Australia
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA >> Plenty was going badly for Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open.
The double-faults kept coming Wednesday, nine in all. The deficits, too: First, she dropped the opening set against 74th-ranked Sorana Cirstea. Then, after forcing a third, Gauff fell behind by a break, ceding 14 of 16 points with a series of mistakes. Later, after getting even at 3-all, Gauff was a mere two points from a loss.
None of that mattered. As she keeps showing, over and over, Gauff is not a typical 15-year-old. Not a typical tennis player, either. And by getting past Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a little more than two hours thanks to a more aggressive approach in the late going, she now has set up yet another Grand Slam showdown against Naomi Osaka.
Less than five months after their memorable meeting at the U.S. Open — Osaka won that one in straight sets, then consoled a crying Gauff on court and encouraged her to address the spectators — the two will face each other again. Like that time, Osaka is the major’s reigning champion and Gauff is making her debut at the tournament.
Baseball
METS PICK ROJAS TO REPLACE BELTRÁN AS MANAGER >> The New York Mets are finalizing a multiyear agreement with quality control coach Luis Rojas to make him the team’s new manager, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said.
Rojas would replace Carlos Beltrán, who left the team last week before managing a single game as part of the fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
WALKER’S HALL PLAQUE TO FEATURE ROCKIES CAP, NOT EXPOS >> Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown will have a Colorado Rockies cap, not a Montreal Expos hat.
Born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Walker made his big league debut with the Expos in August 1989 and signed with the Rockies ahead of the 1995 season. He was traded to St. Louis in August 2004 and retired after the 2005 season.
Football
MANNING RETIRES AFTER 16 SEASONS, 2 SUPER BOWLS >> Eli Manning, who led the New York Giants to two Super Bowls in a 16-year career that saw him set almost every team passing record, has retired.
The recently turned 39-year-old’s future had been in doubt since the end of the season. Manning’s contract with the Giants expired after the 4-12 season and there was little chance he would be returning after losing his long-time starting job to rookie Daniel Jones. JAGUARS HIRE FORMER REDSKINS COACH GRUDEN AS OC >> The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired former Washington coach Jay Gruden as their offensive coordinator.
Gruden replaces John DeFilippo, who was fired earlier this month after just one season. The Redskins fired Gruden in early October following an 0-5 start. Gruden was 3549-1 in five-plus seasons in Washington and reached the playoffs once.
College basketball
KANSAS SUSPENDS DE SOUSA INDEFINITELY FOR BRAWL >> No. 3 Kansas suspended forward Silvio De Sousa indefinitely for his role in the Jayhawks’ brawl with Kansas State near the end of their game.
De Sousa was the main instigator on the Kansas side, but he may not be the only one facing punishment. Several other players that left the bench and were involved in an ugly fracas that spilled into disability seating behind one of the baskets in Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.