Fernandez, 18, beats Kerber at US Open
NEW YORK » Raising her right fist overhead to celebrate shot after shot, 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez demonstrated that her upset of defending champion Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open was certainly no fluke by beating another past title winner at Flushing Meadows.
With grit and guile, and a veteran’s poise in the face of a big deficit against a much more accomplished opponent, the unseeded Fernandez grabbed the last five games to beat 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the fourth round Sunday in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Just like against Osaka in Arthur Ashe Stadium two nights earlier, Fernandez dropped the opening set. Just like against Osaka, Fernandez trailed in the second set, too — this time, Kerber led by a break at 4-2.
But for the second match in a row on a big court, the 73rdranked Canadian got the crowd on her side, exulting each time she hit one of her on-the-run, impossible-angle groundstrokes. She’d pump a fist. She’d windmill her arms. And she got to do so repeatedly, ending up with a 45-28 edge in winners.
Fernandez is a left-hander who redirects opponent’s shots swiftly and seemingly with ease, sometimes dropping to a knee near the baseline to get the proper leverage. That’s a very similar style to the one Kerber used to reach No. 1 in the rankings and claim three Grand Slam titles.
College football
NO. 5 GEORGIA 10, NO. 3 CLEMSON 3
Christopher Smith returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and Georgia turned in a defensive effort for the ages Saturday, toppling Clemson.
The Bulldogs held the Tigers to 2 yards rushing and sacked D.J. Uiagalelei seven times to position themselves for a run at the College Football Playoffs.
UCLA 38, NO. 16 LSU 27 » Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Zach Charbonnet added 117 rushing yards and a score Saturday and UCLA beat LSU.
Thompson-Robinson completed 9 of 16 passes and had an interception. Tight end Greg Dulich had 117 yards receiving, including a 75-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter to tie it at 7.
NEVADA 2, CAL 17 » Carson Strong threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns to lead Nevada to a 22-17 victory over California on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
Strong connected on TDs to Romeo Doubs and Elijah Cooks for a happy homecoming to Northern California.
NO. 15 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 30, SAN JOSE STATE 7 » Drake London caught a career-high 12 passes for 137 yards, Greg Johnson returned a late interception 37 yards for a touchdown and Southern California pulled away to beat San Jose
State on Saturday.
Kedon Slovis passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns, with more than half of his completions finding their way to the dominant London. Slovis also hit Tahj Washington with a 29-yard touchdown pass in the first half, but the rest of USC’s passing game struggled until the Trojans’ final surge.
MLS
RAPIDS 1, EARTHQUAKES 0 » Dominique Badji came on in the 88th minute and scored moments later to lift Colorado past San Jose.
On the counter-attack, after a turnover by San Jose in its attacking third, Jonathan Lewis played a though ball to Nicolás Mezquida, who beat a defender before tapping a pass that led
Badji to the center of the area for a one-touch finish in the 89th minute.
The Rapids (12-4-5) are unbeaten, with five wins, in their last seven games.
The Earthquakes (6-8-8) had their 11-game unbeaten streak end.
Golf
CANTLAY WINS FEDEX CUP » Patrick Cantlay delivered the goods again, this time with a 6-iron instead of a putter.
“Patty Ice” was just as clutch with a $15 million shot that allowed him to hold off Jon Rahm and win the FedEx Cup.
In a tense duel with the world’s No. 1 player, Cantlay had a one-shot lead going to the par-5 18th hole at the Tour Championship when he hit 6-iron from 218 yards to just inside 12 feet that secured the biggest victory of his career.
Motor sports
VERSTAPPEN THRILLS HOME CROWD » Max Verstappen thrilled his home crowd by winning the Netherlands Grand Prix in style to reclaim the Formula One championship lead from Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull driver’s
leading seventh win of the season and 17th of his career moved him three points ahead of the defending champion, who finished second but softened the blow with a bonus point for fastest lap.
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was third.