Boxer Spence is injured in rollover crash in Dallas
Welterweight boxing champion Errol Spence crashed a speeding Ferrari in Dallas early Thursday and was badly injured but is expected to survive, police said.
The crash happened just before 3 a.m., when Spence’s Ferrari crossed a median into oncoming traffic and flipped over several times, ejecting Spence, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, police said. Spence was taken to a hospital and placed in the intensive care unit.
“His injuries are not lifethreatening. His parents are with him at the hospital,” Tim Smith, a spokesman for Spence’s promoter, Premier Boxing Champions, told the Associated Press.
Police said they’re still investigating the cause of the crash, but noted the Ferrari was speeding at the time.
Last month, the 2012 U.S. Olympian added the WBC welterweight title to his IBF crown with a splitdecision victory over Shawn Porter in Los Angeles.
Spence, who is 260 with 21 knockouts, has captured fans with a series of crisp victories in recent years. He won the IBF title in 2017 by stopping Kell Brook in England, and he defended it three times, culminating in a thrashing of Mikey Garcia in March.
Cook, Gooch share lead in Houston
Austin Cook and Talor Gooch shot 8underpar 64s Thursday to take the lead after the first round of the PGA Tour’s Houston Open.
Cook, who tied for 11th as a Monday qualifier in 2015 when the tournament was played the week before the Masters — its calendar slot until 2018 — shot a careerbest 29 on the front side. The 28yearold golfer from Arkansas returned to the clubhouse having hit every one of the 18 greens in regulation, another career first.
“It’s definitely nice to get out and have a great round in the first round,” Cook said, before expressing frustration with his recent missed cuts lately because of “iffy ballstriking” on his part and far too many low scores around him. “A few of (the missed cuts) were by one shot.
Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland matched his careerbest score on the European Tour with a 7under 64 to take a onestroke lead after the first round of the Italian Open in Rome. Tennis: Roger Federer saved five set points in the first set as he scrambled to a 76 (7), 64 win over 13thseeded David Goffin and advanced to the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Federer will play fifthseeded Alexander Zverev, who beat Andrey Rublev 60, 76 (4).
Earlier, John Isner served his 1,000th ace of the season but it wasn’t enough to stop defending champion Novak Djokovic from advancing with a 75, 63 win. Djokovic will play sixthseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated Hubert Hurkacz 75, 36, 76 (5). Volleyball: Because of the regional power shutoff, which has affected Berkeley, Cal has moved its Friday match against Arizona State to Stanford. Play begins at 5 p.m.
A separate ticket will be required for those wishing to see the StanfordArizona match, which begins at 8 p.m.