Serena Williams cruises in French Open
began her bid for her 22nd Grand Slam title, which would equal Open-era record, with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over 77th-ranked
of Slovakia on Tuesday at the French Open. Williams’ older sister, No. 9 also won in straight sets, defeating 82nd-ranked 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).
No. 3 lost to 58th-ranked 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. No. 5 bowed out in the first round because of an injured right knee while trailing 4-0 in the third set against 118th-ranked
For the men, No. 1 seed defeated 95thranked 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, and nine-time French Open champion beat 100th-ranked 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. No. 2 was never at peace during his match, which was suspended because of darkness Monday in the fourth set. Murray lost the opening two sets against 37-year-old a qualifier from the Czech Republic, then twice was two points from losing while serving down 5-4 in the fifth on Tuesday. In the end, though, Murray eked out a 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 win.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kentucky will host Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28. Other matchups include Texas at Georgia, Baylor at Ole Miss, Texas A&M at West Virginia, Florida at Oklahoma, Iowa State at Vanderbilt, Kansas State at Tennessee, Arkansas at Oklahoma State, Auburn at TCU and LSU at Texas Tech.
Duke will host Michigan State and North Carolina will visit Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge from Nov. 28-30. Other games include Minnesota at Florida State, Wake Forest at Northwestern, Syracuse at Wisconsin, Pittsburgh at Maryland, Iowa at Notre Dame, Georgia Tech at Penn State, North Carolina State at Illinois, Purdue at Louisville, Virginia Tech at Michigan, Ohio State at Virginia, Rutgers at Miami and Nebraska at Clemson.
UConn center and guard have withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to school . ... Vanderbilt hired of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever as its women’s basketball coach.
HORSE RACING
Kentucky Derby winner won’t run in the Belmont Stakes after developing a fever and having an elevated white blood cell count, trainer said.
Upon their return from Canada, the Cavaliers had nothing to declare at U.S. Customs.
Their lead in the Eastern Conference finals had already been confiscated.
Cleveland was stripped of its 2-0 advantage during a long weekend in Toronto, where the growingconfident-by-the-shot Raptors, propelled by a crowd and city that believes they can make the NBA Finals, won two straight games.
“They flipped the script on us,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.
After being throttled by a combined 50 points in Games 1 and 2, the Raptors turned the series into a best-of-three, winner-take-all slugfest.
Unable to stop Toronto All-Star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan from scoring or keep Raptors super sub Bismack Biyombo off the boards, the Cavs have put themselves in a predicament.
Gone is their margin for error, some of their swagger and any aura of invincibility that surrounded them after reeling off 10 straight wins to open the postseason.
As the teams prepared for Game 5 tonight (7:30 p.m., ESPN), the pressure has swung back on superstar LeBron James and the Cavs, who spent Tuesday in film sessions breaking down went wrong in Toronto. There was plenty to process from Monday’s 105-99 loss.
Cleveland came out flat, falling behind by 16 in the first half and relying too much on its 3-point shooting, which has gone as cold as a Saskatchewan winter.
The Cavs fought their way back using a smaller lineup that didn’t include the suddenly struggling Kevin Love, but costly defensive lapses and terrific shot-making by Lowry and DeRozan helped the Raptors even the series.
No offense to rapper Drake and Toronto’s rowdy fans, but Lue was happy to escape “We The North.”
“Now it’s our chance to come back, get some home-cooked meals and have a chance to play in front of our home crowd,” he said.
James, who logged 46 minutes in Game 4, did not speak to the media on Tuesday.
Lue has carefully administered the four-time MVPs minutes during the second half of the regular season and playoffs, hoping to keep James as fresh as possible. James pushed himself harder in Game 4, and Lue said that was the plan.
“We talked about it before the game and the night before how his body felt and wanting to play more minutes because we knew it was a big game for us, but it didn’t work out,” Lue said.
James scored 29 points on 11-of16 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists in Game 4. But he was more passive in the fourth quarter, attempting just one shot in the final 5:28. Again, Lue said that was by design as the Cavs took what the Raptors’ defense gave them.
Love has lost his shooting touch at the worst time possible. After going 1-for-9 in Game 3, Cleveland’s big man was 4-of-14 in Game 4, and Lue left him on the bench in the fourth, playing Channing Frye instead.
Love’s confidence appears shaken, but Lue insists there’s nothing
CONFERENCE FINALS
wrong that can’t be fixed by the ball falling through the net.
“He’s just missed shots. That’s part of the game,” Lue said.
The Raptors have been daring the Cavs to launch from behind the arc. Without center Jonas Valanciunas, who could return in Game 5 from a sprained right ankle, Toronto gave up 106 inside points in the first two games before adjusting in Games 3 and 4 by packing the paint and forcing Cleveland to rely on its outside attack.
It was a risky move by coach Dwane Casey and his staff, but the strategy paid off and helped Toronto reverse the series.
After being counted out by many, the Raptors have a chance.
“It’s a feel,” Casey said. “It’s a rhythm. It’s confidence. But I will say this: It’s going to be a different animal back in Cleveland.”