Below is a summary of breaking sports news.
Tennis-Halep fends off Gauff, Haddad Maia stuns Bencic at Canadian Open
Romania’s Simona Halep fended off a late rally from Coco Gauff and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia scored another three-set surprise as both reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open on Friday. Two-time champions Halep secured a nervous 6-4, 7-6(2) win on Friday to move into the last four for the fifth time.
Deshaun Watson apologizes to ‘women I’ve influenced’
Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who previously claimed he had “no regrets” for his actions during massage sessions that led to allegations of sexual assault and other inappropriate activities, apologized Friday to the women involved. Watson, who was starting his first season with the Cleveland Browns, was interviewed during the team’s pregame show ahead of their exhibition game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He said he was “really sorry for all the women I influenced in this situation.”
Baseball Padres All-Star Tatis Suspended 80 Games Over Prohibited Substances
San Diego Padres All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug clostebol, Major League Baseball said Friday. Tatis, who signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the Padres last year, has missed the entire current season as he recovers from a broken left wrist.
NFL Preseason Recap: QB Deshaun Watson falls silent on Browns debut
Quarterback Deshaun Watson made a stunning debut for his new team as the Cleveland Browns defeated the host Jacksonville Jaguars 24-13 in a preseason meeting Friday night. Watson, who publicly apologized to the women who accused him of sexual assault and harassment in a pre-game interview that aired before the game, completed just one in five passes for seven yards.
Motorsport’s US GP promoter is hoping the F1 title fight extends beyond Austin
US Grand Prix promoter Bobby Epstein has twice watched the Formula One title be held at his Austin track, but this year he is hoping the fight will last longer. Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen has nine races to go over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 80 points.
Soccer Judge Approves $24M Settlement Between USWNT Players, US Soccer
A federal judge in California has tentatively approved a $24 million settlement between the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) and governing body US Soccer in a year-long dispute over equal pay for women athletes. US Central District Judge Gary Klausner granted a motion Thursday to approve the landmark settlement filed by the players and scheduled a hearing for December 5 at which he is expected to finally approve the settlement.
Boxing-Fury announces retirement days after challenging Chisora
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on Friday said he should “walk away” from boxing, two days after insisting he was returning to the sport to complete a trilogy against compatriot Derek Chisora. Fury said in April after beating Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium that he had promised his wife he would retire before then expressing his interest in fighting Anthony Joshua in England provided the fight was free to watch and join to participate.
Football Barca register four signings after the last ‘economic lever’ was triggered
Barcelona have registered four of their newly signed players ahead of their opening game of the season at home against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, a LaLiga source told Reuters. Midfielder Franck Kessie, defender Andreas Christensen and strikers Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha are now available against Rayo Vallecano, although Jules Kounde still needs a clearance.
Tennis-Kyrgio’s winning streak ended by Hurkacz in Canada, Ruud saunters into semifinals
Nick Kyrgios’ nine-game winning streak ended in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Masters when eighth-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz shot to a 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-1 win on Friday. Kyrgios was enjoying excellent form and suffered his first defeat since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Football Benzema, Ronaldo and Haaland nominated for Ballon d’Or, Messi absent
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema is among 30 nominees shortlisted for the prestigious men’s Ballon d’Or, organizers told France Football magazine on Friday.
The France international had an incredible season for Real Madrid, scoring 44 goals in 46 games and helping them win the Champions League and LaLiga.
(With agency contributions.)