Rublev rallies to enter semis of ATP Finals
Andrey Rublev rallied to beat second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and reach the final four of the ATP Finals on Friday in Turin, Italy.
Rublev won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals for the first time. He will face third-seeded Casper Ruud.
Novak Djokovic plays Taylor Fritz of the United States in the other semifinal. Djokovic, a five-time champion, will have to recover swiftly after a victory over Daniil Medvedev in a match that lasted more than three hours.
“On the physical side, I’m not worried because ... worry just depletes you of the vital energy you need,” Djokovic said. “If something happens tomorrow in a good or bad way, it happens, and I have to deal with it then.
“I’m going to do everything I possibly can today with my physio, with myself, with my team in order to get the good rest, the good recovery . ... I’ve had many cases in my life before where I managed to recover very quickly. Hopefully that’s going to be the case again.”
Djokovic is aiming to equal Roger Federer’s record six titles at the season-ending event. Djokovic’s last title was in 2015. NFL: Matthew Stafford has been cleared to return to the Los Angeles Rams’ lineup Sunday after missing one game.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback will play in New Orleans against the Saints, coach Sean McVay said.
Stafford went into the NFL’s concussion protocol Nov. 8 following a medical examination, and he missed the defending champions’ loss to Arizona last weekend.
• The Washington Commanders have agreed to return security deposits to former season-ticket holders and pay a $250,000 penalty in a settlement with the state of Maryland.
The team has 30 days to return fans’ deposits as part of the arrangement announced by Maryland Attorney Brian E. Frosh after he accused it of violating the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
“For many years, the Commanders kept money that was not theirs. It belongs to their customers,” Frosh said in a statement. “Today’s settlement will require the team to return the monies owed to consumers. The Commanders will pay a penalty, and they will be enjoined from engaging in similar practices in the future.”
Motor sports: Formula One is launching a racing series for female drivers that will start next year.
The series, to be known as the F1 Academy, will be subsidized by F1 and is likely to be a support series for one weekend of the F1 season.
F1 said it would contribute funding of $156,000 per car “and will require the drivers to cover the same amount, which represents a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series.”
They will represent teams which are involved in Formula Two or Formula Three.
There will be 15 cars on the grid for a 21-race season split across seven rounds. The series will aim to recruit “young talent currently in go-karting or other junior categories” in the hope they can later graduate to Formula Three as a next step, and eventually compete in F1.