Gauff gets her French Open rematch with No. 1 Swiatek
Coco Gauff could have hoped for the easy way out. Ever since the French Open bracket determined that the 19-year-old Floridian might end up in a quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek, perhaps it would have been understandable if Gauff wished to avoid that particular matchup.
After all, Gauff lost to Swiatek in the final at Roland Garros a year ago. And, after all, Swiatek owns a 6-0 head-to-head lead over their still-nascent careers. But, at least in part because of what happened on June 4, 2022, and at least in part because she knows Swiatek sets the bar in women's tennis these days, Gauff was thinking about, even wishing for, a rematch on June 7, 2023.
That is what will happen on Wednesday in Paris: No. 1 Swiatek vs. No. 6 Gauff for a berth in the semifinals. In Monday's fourth round, Gauff put aside a bloody knee from a fall to produce a 7-5, 6-2 victory over 100thranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, before Swiatek moved on when her opponent, 66th-ranked Lesia Tsurenko, stopped playing because she was sick and had problems breathing while trailing 5-1 in the first set.
Before Swiatek and Tsurenko were done with their match, the question was put to Gauff: Would you rather deal with the difficulty of facing Swiatek again or face pretty much anyone else?
Her answer sounded both honest and revelatory.
“Since last year, I have been wanting to play her — especially at this tournament. I figured that it was going to happen, because I figured I was going to do well and she was going to do well,” Gauff said. “But I'm the type of mentality: If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. I think also if you want to improve, you have to play the best.”
The other quarterfinal on that half of the women's draw will be No. 7 Ons Jabeur vs. No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The men's quarterfinals will feature a redo of a contentious matchup last year in that round, No. 4 Casper Ruud against No. 6 Holger Rune, along with No. 22 Alexander Zverev against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Ruud defeated Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5.
College football
LYNCH, GERHART ON HALL OF FAME BALLOT >> Former Cal star running back Marshawn Lynch (2006) and linebacker Ron Rivera (1983) are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame this year.
Also on the 78-player ballot are exStanford running back Toby Gerhart (2009), former Cal defensive back Daymeion Hughes (2006), ex-Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey from Miramonte High in Orinda and onetime 49ers quarterback Alex Smith of Utah (2004).
Former San Jose State coach Darryl Rogers (1973-75), who also coached at Cal State Hayward (1965) is among the nine coaching candidates in contention for induction.
Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among those on the ballot for the first time this year.
The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be chosen by the National Football Foundation's Honors Court and announced in January. Induction is the following December.
College baseball
SANTA CLARA ELIMINATED BY ARKANSAS >> The three runs Santa Clara scored in the sixth inning was all the offense they could muster in a season-ending, 6-3 loss to Arkansas at the Fayetteville Regional.
Santa Clara, trailing 4-0, got a twoRBI double from catcher Eamonn Lance, who later scored on an Arkansas throwing error to cut the Razorbacks' lead to one.
But the Broncos were unable to add any more runs.
Thomas Ferroggiaro also had an RBI for Santa Clara, which was coming off a 9-3 win over Arizona on Saturday in another elimination game.
The Broncos, who won the West Coast Conference tournament championship, finished the season at 3620, a marked improvement over the 24-29 record they had last year.
Women's basketball
BRINK LEADS USA TO FIBA GOLD >> Stanford's Cameron Brink was named the MVP after leading the USA women to the FIBA 3-on-3 women's basketball title.
Brink earned MVP honors after grabbing 39 rebounds and blocking 10 shots while finishing as USA's second-leading scorer behind LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith.
NFL
COLTS PLAYER BEING INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE GAMBLING >> The Indianapolis Colts said they are aware the NFL has opened a gambling investigation into one of the team's players but would not discuss any additional details.
The confirmation came shortly after reports of a possible infraction of the league's gambling policies first surfaced. The player under investigation has not been publicly disclosed. BILLS SIGN EX-RAMS LB FLOYD >> The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement to sign linebacker Leonard Floyd to a one-year contract, reuniting the player with fellow edge rusher, Von Miller, multiple sources reported.
Floyd, 30, is entering his eighth NFL season after spending the past three with the Rams, with whom he won a Super Bowl two years ago while playing on the opposite side of the line as Miller — the NFL's active leader in sacks.
Soccer
BARCELONA HOPING FOR MESSI RETURN >> Barcelona has not given up hope of seeing Lionel Messi returning to the club despite increasing speculation about a pending move to Saudi Arabia, and his father said that his son prefers to go back to the Catalan club.
PSG announced this past weekend that Messi will not stay at the club for another season, and the player was reportedly mulling lucrative offers from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Inter Miami in the United States.