AP Scorecard

May 24, 2024

Chris Evert thinks Iga Swiatek could surpass her record of 7 French Open titles

PARIS (AP) — Hall of Famer Chris Evert tells the AP she thinks Iga Swiatek could surpass her record of seven French Open titles. Evert says Swiatek’s tennis skills and mental strength set apart the 22-year-old from Poland right now on red clay. Swiatek has been No. 1 in the WTA rankings for most of the past two years and will seek her fourth championship at Roland Garros — and fifth Grand Slam trophy overall — when play begins at the clay-court major tournament Sunday. Swiatek will try to become the first woman to win three consecutive French Opens since Justine Henin from 2005 to 2007.

Djokovic loses Geneva semi and goes to French Open with no titles in 2024

GENEVA (AP) — Novak Djokovic will defend his French Open title in Paris still without a trophy this season after losing in the Geneva Open semifinals. The 44th-ranked Tomas Machac beat Djokovic 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 on Friday. Main draw play at Roland Garros starts on Sunday. Djokovic’s record in 2024 drops to 14-6 overall and 0-3 in semifinals. Machac took his first match-point chance which came on Djokovic’s serve. The top-ranked Serb pushed a backhand long.

Pacers trying to regroup after star Tyrese Haliburton leaves Game 2 with hamstring, chest injuries

BOSTON (AP) — Indiana All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton left in the third quarter because of left hamstring soreness and a chest injury in the Pacers’ 126-110 loss to Boston on Thursday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Haliburton winced at times when running up the court early in the third quarter. He was ruled out with just under nine minutes to play in the game. Haliburton went 4 for 8 from the field and finished with 10 points in 28 minutes. He played just eight minutes in the third quarter, scoring two points. Coach Rick Carlisle said it was the same hamstring that caused Haliburton to miss 10 games in January. He’ll be evaluated Friday.

With college athletes on cusp of revenue-sharing, there are Title IX questions that must be answered

The athlete pay system looming for college sports will bring questions about Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination for schools that receive federal funds. Schools will have to decide if they are going to direct millions of dollars in payments to their own athletes in the years ahead. If they do, experts like University of Illinois labor and sports law professor Michael LeRoy say Title IX equity rules will apply.

For Jewish soccer club on the verge of reaching German Cup again, there is fear as well as pride

BERLIN (AP) — When Makkabi Berlin became the first Jewish club to ever play in the German Cup last year, it was a moment of pure joy and pride for a team founded by Holocaust survivors. A year later, Makkabi is on the verge of the same achievement again, but the emotions are vastly different this time in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The excitement has been tempered by fear and concerns that players and club members may be targeted for the Star of David on the team’s shirt. Antisemitic incidents have increased drastically in Berlin since the Oct. 7. attacks by Hamas in Israel were followed by seven months of brutal war in Gaza.

Fueled by postseason failures, the Phillies are riding high with the best record in baseball

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies are 37-14 and lead the NL East by six games over the Atlanta Braves as they prepare to open a six-game trip Friday in Colorado. They are 21-8 at home and 17-3 in May. The Phillies opened with the best 50-game start in baseball since the 2001 Seattle Mariners, and they already have swept seven series, the most recent being a three-gamer over the World Series champion Texas Rangers. Phillies starters have pitched at least seven innings in 18 starts, the most in baseball.

Leeds and Southampton seek immediate return to Premier League in soccer’s richest one-off game

Leeds has a U.S. ownership group that contains a couple of major-winning golfers. Southampton is run by a Serbian media mogul. Both clubs are seeking a return to the Premier League after just one season away. Their meeting in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday is hardly one for the romantics but still retains an interesting narrative. Not least because it remains the richest one-off match in soccer. A guaranteed revenue uplift of 140 million pounds ($180 million) is on offer according to soccer finance experts at Deloitte. The teams were separated by just three points by the end of the regular season. Leeds finished in third place and Southampton was fourth.

Barcelona parts ways with Xavi one month after coach reversed decision to step down

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona says coach Xavi Hernández is leaving the club at the end of the season. The club made the announcement on Friday after a meeting between club president Joan Laporta, Xavi and other senior figures at the team training ground. The club says Laporta “has informed Xavi Hernández that he will not be continuing as first team coach in the 2024-25 season.” Xavi’s last game in charge will be on Sunday at Sevilla on the final day of the league. The decision comes one month after Xavi reversed his decision in January to not fulfil the final season of his contract.

Barcelona seeks its first win against Lyon in Women’s Champions League final

BILBAO, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has to find a way to get past the most successful club in women’s soccer if it wants to build on its recent dominance. Barcelona will play in its fourth straight Women’s Champions League final on Saturday in Bilbao against record eight-time champion Lyon, the nemesis it has never been able to beat. The titleholder from Spain has a shot at a statement victory by finally overcoming the storied French club and winning its third European title in four seasons. Lyon will be hoping to reclaim the trophy after not getting out of the quarterfinals last season.

Cavaliers embark on search for next coach, ‘different voice’ in aftermath of J.B. Bickerstaff firing

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t do anything wrong to deserve being fired by the Cavs. A day after Bickerstaff was canned despite winning 99 games the past two seasons and taking the Cavs into the second round of the NBA playoffs despite numerous injuries in 2024, president of basketball operations Koby Altman tried to explain the reasons behind the shocking dismissal. Altman said the team needs a “different voice” to chase a championship. The Cavs were eliminated in the second round by the Boston Celtics. They played the last two games of the series without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who can sign a contract extension with Cleveland this summer.