Aug 25, 2020 2 min read

In tennis

Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, pulled out of the U.S. Open on Monday, citing a change of schedule.

She is the latest woman with a Grand Slam title or high ranking to withdraw from the tournament that begins next week amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Six of the top eight women in the WTA rankings already were out, including No. 1 Ash Barty, the reigning champion at Roland Garros, and No. 6 Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 winner at Flushing Meadows.

Also pulling out Monday was Carla Suarez Navarro, who was fined $40,000 of her $58,000 prize money at the U.S. Open last year for what was deemed a lack of effort.

Bands allowed at W.Va. high school gamesWest Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Tuesday that marching bands will be allowed to perform at public school football games amid the coronavirus pandemic, reversing a governing body’s ruling from a day earlier.

The Republican governor said the Secondary School Activities Commission’s earlier decision was made without his input.

Justice said he directed medical experts to work with the SSAC and the state Department of Education to “go back to the drawing board to find a safe way for our marching bands to do what they love to do: perform.”

The plan will require band members to maintain social distances while performing in stadiums on game days. Their families will be allowed to watch their performances.

Wake transfer eligible

New Wake Forest basketball coach Steve Forbes says Virginia Tech transfer Isaiah Wilkins will be immediately eligible this season.

Wilkins is a Winston-Salem native who played two seasons for the Hokies before deciding to transfer to the hometown Demon Deacons. The 6-4 guard averaged 4.5 points over his two seasons.

Transfers typically sit a year at their new school, though Wake Forest had been seeking an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility for both Wilkins and Daivien Williamson – who played for Forbes at his former East Tennessee State program.