Georgia’s projected starting quarterback opts out of season
Jamie Newman, the Wake Forest transfer who was projected to start at quarterback for fourth-ranked Georgia, is opting out of the season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft.
Newman announced his decision on his Twitter account Wednesday. He said his decision was influenced by “the uncertainties of this year amid a global pandemic.”
Coach Kirby Smart said Newman would “remain in good standing with the team.”
Pironkova returns after long layoff, pulls US Open upset
Tsvetana Pironkova smacked an ace on match point, part of the balancing act she made look easy from start to finish Thursday.
The shot punctuated a 7-5, 6-3 upset win over No. 10-seeded Garbine Maguruza in the second round of the U.S. Open in New York, Pironkova’s first tournament after a three-year break to give birth to her son, Alexander.
A 32-year-old Bulgarian, Pironkova gave birth to Alexander in April 2018. She is playing in her 12th Open but her first since 2016, and it’s her first tournament since Wimbledon in 2017.
Also in Thursday’s early action, reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin advanced to the third round by beating unseeded Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3.
Fournette reportedly joining Brady with Buccaneers
Running back Leonard Fournette intends to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are stockpiling playmakers to help Tom Brady be successful with his new team.
Fournette tweeted an image of himself carrying a football and wearing a Bucs jersey and helmet — along with a pen-signing emoji and the message #Gobucs— on Wednesday night. The former LSU star, drafted fourth overall in 2017, was released Monday by the Jacksonville Jaguars and became a free agent after clearing waivers.
Lutsenko gets first Tour stage win of his career
Kazakh rider Alexey Lutsenko won his first stage in his fifth Tour de France with a solo effort up Mont Aigoual on Thursday.
The Tour’s top contenders were still racing far behind the 27-year-old Lutsenko on the mountain when he crossed the line at the top with towering views of southern France.
Among the overall contenders, there were no changes at the top. Briton Adam Yates kept the race leader’s yellow jersey, still three seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic from Slovenia. Another Slovene, Tadej Pogacar, is still third, seven seconds behind Yates.
Atlanta selling Martinez to Saudi Arabian team for $18M
Atlanta United is in the process of selling midfielder Pity Martinez to a Saudi Arabian club, as the former South American player of the year failed to meet expectations during his time in Major League Soccer.
United reportedly will receive an $18 million transfer fee from Al-nassr FC for Martinez. That would be a small profit on what Atlanta paid to bring him from Argentina’s powerhouse River Plate club before the 2019 season.
The 27-year-old Martinez arrived in Atlanta to great fanfare shortly after leading River Plate to the 2018 Copa Libertadores title. But in 39 MLS appearances, Martinez had just seven goals.
Salt Lake, Sounders play to tie; Cincinnati earns point
Pablo Ruiz scored his first MLS goal, Justen Glad also scored and Real Salt Lake tied the Seattle Sounders 2-2 on Wednesday night.
Real Salt Lake played for the first time since owner owner Dell Loy Hansen decided to sell his soccer teams in the wake of reports that he made racist comments. Hansen’s Utah Soccer Holdings includes his MLS club, the Utah Royals of the National Women’s
Soccer League and the United Soccer League’s Real Monarchs.
In other MLS games on Wednesday: Bobby Shuttleworth made three saves for Chicago in the scoreless tie with host FC Cincinnati. Chicago’s Ignacio Aliseda had an apparent goal waved off midway through the second half because of a handball on Boris Sekulic.
Ariel Lassiter scored two second-half goals and the Houston Dynamo blanked Minnesota United 3-0 to stretch its unbeaten streak to four.
Eric Sorga scored in stoppage time, Chris Seitz had four saves and D.C. United beat the New York Red Bulls 1-0 to snap a six-game winless streak.
Benji Michel scored his first goal of the season, Pedro Gallese had three saves and Orlando City tied Nashville SC 1-1.
Khiry Shelton scored a late first-half goal to help Sporting Kansas City tie FC Dallas 1-1. Franco Jara scored in the ninth minute for Dallas.
Brad Guzan had three saves in Atlanta United’s 0-0 draw with Inter Miami, which has been shut out four times.
Diego Rossi continued his torrid start to the season with two goals, Bradley Wright-phillips added another, and Los Angeles FC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 5-1. Rossi now has nine goals to lead MLS this season.
Cristian Pavon scored his fifth goal of the season and the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Portland Timbers 3-2 for its third consecutive victory.
Preakness, the last of revamped Triple Crown, won’t allow fans
The Preakness Stakes will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Oct. 3 without fans, making it a spectator-free sweep of the three Triple Crown races this year because of the global pandemic.
The Maryland Jockey Club and the Stronach Group, which owns and manages Pimlico, made the announcement Wednesday that fans wouldn’t be allowed in for the Preakness.
The Preakness follows the lead of the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby in not allowing fans to attend. With the races being run out of order, the Belmont took place June 20 in New York without fans, and the Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday.
From wire reports