Sep 7, 2020 4 min read

Williams moves on in U.S. Open

Her breathing loud enough to hear in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium, her third-set deficit a point from growing to 3-1 against someone who beat her less than two weeks earlier, Serena Williams scrambled to extend a 13-stroke exchange until her opponent netted a forehand.

“Keep fighting!” Williams exhorted herself.

Locked in a tough fourth-round match Monday, and without the benefit of a pro-American audience, Williams provided her own encouragement along the way to coming back and beating 15th-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, reaching the quarterfinals in a 12th consecutive appearance at Flushing Meadows.

Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev is into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, where he finished as runner-up last year to champion Rafael Nadal.

Medvedev was in control from the outset of a 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 victory over American Frances Tiafoe, ranked No. 82 in the world. The Russian needed only an hour and 38 minutes as he maintained his streak of winning every set so far in the tournament.

Correction

Chartiers-Houston’s season-opening football game Friday against Yough will be played on the Cougars’ home field in Herminie. The game was scheduled last week when Yough’s season opener against Elizabeth Forward was canceled, leaving the Cougars with an open date. Chartiers-Houston also had an open date for Friday. The game has been listed on some websites as a C-H home game, but Bucs athletic director Kurt Kesneck confirmed it will be played at Yough.

Southern Mississippi coach quits

Southern Mississippi coach Jay Hopson said Monday that he has stepped down and co-offensive coordinator Scotty Walden will take over as interim coach.

The school announced the coaching change Monday afternoon in a news release, ending Hopson’s tenure one game into his fifth season. The Golden Eagles lost at home to South Alabama in Thursday’s season opener.

Hopson went 28-23 and reached three bowl games since taking over before the 2016 season. He was also an assistant for Southern Miss from 2001-03 and 2005-07.

Hall of Famer Brock dead at 81

Hall of Fame outfielder Lou Brock, one of baseball’s signature leadoff hitters and base stealers who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win three pennants and two World Series in the 1960s, has died. He was 81.

Dick Zitzmann, Brock’s longtime agent and friend, confirmed Brock’s death Sunday, but he said he couldn’t provide any details. The Cardinals and Cubs also observed a moment of silence in the outfielder’s memory before their game at Wrigley Field.

Brock lost a leg from diabetes in recent years and was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.

“Lou Brock was one of the most revered members of the St. Louis Cardinals organization and one of the very best to ever wear the Birds on the Bat,” Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a release.

“He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”

The man later nicknamed the Running Redbird and the Base Burglar arrived in St. Louis in June 1964, swapped from the Cubs for pitcher Ernie Broglio in what became one of baseball’s most lopsided trades.

Brock stole 938 bases in his career, including 118 in 1974 – both of those were big league records until they were broken by Rickey Henderson.

Milestone win for Burke at Meadows

Dune Hill’s victory in the seventh race Monday at The Meadows gave trainer Ron Burke his 11,000th career win.