7/01 Sports Brief

Coco Gauff is out in the first round of Wimbledon with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 loss to Dayana Yastremska

LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff has become just the third woman in the Open era to lose in the first round at Wimbledon right after winning the championship at the French Open. Gauff was eliminated 7-6 (3), 6-1 by unseeded Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. The No. 2-ranked Gauff made mistake after mistake at No. 1 Court, finishing with just six winners and a total of 29 unforced errors that included nine double-faults. It was just a little more than three weeks ago that Gauff was celebrating her second Grand Slam title by getting past No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Roland-Garros.

UPenn to update swimming records set by Lia Thomas, settling with feds on transgender athletes case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania says it will update records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. The college says it also will apologize to female athletes it says were “disadvantaged” by Thomas’ participation on the women’s swimming team. The moves were part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case that found the school violated the rights of female athletes. Thomas, a transgender swimmer who last competed for the Ivy League school in Philadelphia in 2022, was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.

Clayton Kershaw’s push for 3,000 strikeouts a reminder that longevity on the mound is fading fast

Clayton Kershaw is on the brink of a major milestone, needing just three strikeouts to reach 3,000 for his career. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher is expected to achieve this feat Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium against the Chicago White Sox. A three-time Cy Young winner, Kershaw would become only the 20th pitcher in MLB history to hit that mark. At 37, Kershaw continues to impress despite declining velocity, showcasing his experience and determination. As baseball evolves, milestones like 3,000 strikeouts may become rarer, making Kershaw’s achievement a celebration of traditional pitching greatness.

Missing Clark, Fever soar past Lynx 74-59 to win WNBA Commissioner’s Cup

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Natasha Howard had 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists as the Indiana Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final. The Fever were missing All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined since June 24 with a strained groin. That didn’t slow down the Fever, who overcame an early 13-point deficit with balanced scoring and a stout defensive performance against the team with the best record in the league. Minnesota had its worst offensive performance of the season, shooting 34.9% from the floor and making 4-of-16 3-pointers after averaging 9.4 3-pointers this season.

Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic says a doctor’s ‘miracle pills’ helped his stomach during his win

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic has been visited twice by a doctor for a stomach issue and given what he called “miracle pills” during a 6-1, 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Alexandre Muller in Wimbledon’s first round. Djokovic needed a break while trailing 2-1 in the third set at Centre Court on Tuesday night and was seen again later in that set. He said went from feeling his absolute best for 1 1/2 sets to feeling his absolute worst for about 45 minutes. Djokovic has won seven of his 24 Grand Slam trophies at the All England Club. He will face Dan Evans of Britain in the second round.

NCAA’s House settlement era begins, shaking up college athletics as some schools opt out

The NCAA’s House settlement era has launched, with athletic programs across the country free to start paying millions to their athletes in the biggest change in the history of college athletics. It’s the death of the NCAA’s longstanding amateur model, certain to cause headaches and disputes among powerhouse and small-time programs alike. Scattered among them, however, is a handful of schools that have decided to wait it out at least a year and see how things develop, including legal risks and Title IX concerns. Call them the opt-outs. The deadline for schools to opt out was Monday.

Popular unicycle performer Red Panda injured at halftime of WNBA game

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The popular halftime show performer who goes by Red Panda fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during intermission of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, unable to finish her show. There was no immediate word on the extent of her injuries. She was helped off the floor by wheelchair. Red Panda, whose name is Rong Niu, is Chinese American and her act is composed of her riding on her custom-built unicycle, which stretches about 8 feet above the court, and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.

Giants exercise contract option on manager Bob Melvin for the 2026 season

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are showing their confidence in manager Bob Melvin, exercising his contract option for the 2026 season. San Francisco was 45-40 and in third place in the NL West heading into the second game of a four-game set at Arizona on Tuesday night. The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.

Guirassy scores twice and Dortmund advances at Club World Cup with 2-1 win over feisty Monterrey

ATLANTA (AP) — Serhou Guirassy scored a pair of first-half goals, both assisted by Karim Adeyemi, and Borussia Dortmund held off Monterrey 2-1 in the final round of 16 game at the Club World Cup. Guirassy drove a shot just inside the left post in the 14th minute, then sent another past Monterrey keeper Esteban Andrada in the 24th when left unmarked from 15 yards at the top of the penalty area. Both times, it was Adeyemi delivering the pass that set up Guirassy, a native of France who plays for Guinea’s national team. The 29-year-old striker has three goals in four tournament games. Dortmund faces Real Madrid on Saturday at East Rutherford, New Jersey.