US OPEN
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for a 10th consecutive appearance — she wasnt there last year because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament — by picking her level up after a lull and using 18 aces to beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
Next for the 36-year-old American comes a quarterfinal against 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who beat Williams in the U.S. Open semifinals that year. Pliskova advanced by beating No. 18 Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-4.
The other quarterfinal on the top half of the draw will be defending champion Sloane Stephens of the U.S. against No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
The defending mens champion Rafael Nadal reached his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal of the season, and 36th of his career, by getting past Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4, while No. 11 John Isner of the U.S. made it that far at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2011. Isner defeated No. 25 Milos Raonic of Canada 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and now faces 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro who pounded 18 forehand winners in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 20 Borna Coric.
NFL
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Armed with a record extension after a blockbuster trade, Khalil Mack is looking forward to a fresh start with the Chicago Bears.
The two-time All-Pro said he is “glad Im here” and “blessed” after a contract holdout with the Oakland Raiders ended with the star pass rusher getting dealt in a massive move on Saturday.
Mack held out for the entire offseason and preseason trying to secure a long-term deal rather than play under the final year of his rookie contract that would have earned him $13.8 million.
The Bears paid a big price, giving him a six-year, $141 million extension that guarantees $90 million. That made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, a day after the Rams Aaron Donald agreed to a six-year, $135 million deal, with $87 million guaranteed.
Chicago sent Oakland first-round selections in 2019 and 2020, a sixth-rounder next year and a third-rounder in 2020. The Bears got a second-round selection in 2020 and a conditional fifth-rounder that year.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway cut ties with his biggest draft bust Sunday when he waived quarterback Paxton Lynch less than 24 hours after including him on the Denver Broncos 53-man roster.
In another move, the Broncos placed safety Sua Cravens on IR with an injured left knee and re-signed Isaiah McKenzie, the speedy returner/receiver who was among the teams cuts a day earlier.
Lynch was jettisoned after the Broncos were awarded fellow third-year quarterback Kevin Hogan off waivers from Washington.
Elway once viewed the athletic but raw Lynch as a future franchise quarterback, moving up in the 2016 NFL draft to select the University of Memphis star with the 26th overall pick in the first round.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nick Brossette and Joe Burrow waited a long time for their chance to be impact players. They helped No. 25 LSU make a strong opening statement.
Brossette ran for 125 yards with his first two career touchdowns and grad transfer quarterback Burrow, who appeared in 10 games the past two seasons at Ohio State, won his first college start as the Tigers beat No. 8 Miami 33-17 on Sunday night.
Once the game started, the Hurricanes never really backed the bravado they showed in a feisty exchange of words and some shoving between the teams during warmups about 75 minutes before kickoff.
LSU led 27-3 by halftime after Jacob Phillips returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has told teams that its OK for pitchers to use the kind of scouting cards that umpire Joe West confiscated from Philadelphia reliever Austin Davis on the mound this weekend.
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Sunday that hed been informed the cards were legal. They are, provided they dont delay games, MLB told clubs in clarifying the policy.
It has become common in the age of advanced baseball analytics to see outfielders and infielders pulling info cards from their pockets to check on proper positioning. But the sight of a pitcher doing it on the mound caught a lot of attention at Citizens Bank Park.
The unusual situation occurred Saturday night in the eighth inning of the Chicago Cubs 7-1 win at Philadelphia.
GOLF
NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Abraham Ancer of Mexico opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead over a familiar figure going into the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship.
It wasnt Tiger Woods, but the guy playing with him — Bryson DeChambeau, who is coming off a four-shot victory in the first FedEx Cup playoff event and shot 63 while playing with Woods for the first time in a tournament. DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton (69) were one shot behind.
It figures to be another frantic Labor Day finish on the TPC Boston.
Ancer, at No. 92 in the FedEx Cup just hopeful of getting into the top 70 to advance to the playoff event next week outside Philadelphia, was at 13-under 200. A victory would assure a trip to the Tour Championship and a spot in the Masters.
Ten players were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Woods had to settle for a 69 that left him in a tie for 16th, six shots behind.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Marina Alex rallied to win the Cambia Portland Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 for a four-stroke victory over Georgia Hall.
Alex birdied the final five holes in a front-nine 30 to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater. She made her only bogey of the day on the par-4 18th, leaving her at 19-under 269.
The 28-year-old former Vanderbilt star gave caddie Travis Wilson his second straight victory in the event. Wilson is teamming with Alex with regular boss Stacy Lewis preparing for the birth of her first child.
Alex matched the course record with a 62 on Thursday, then shot 71-71 to begin the final round six strokes behind Womens British Open champion Hall.
Hall had a 75. The 22-year-old Englishwoman played the front nine in 2 over, with bogeys on the par-4 first and par-5 seventh.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Scott McCarron had a one-hop ace on the par-3 14th and closed with a birdieto successfully defend his Shaw Charity Classic title.
McCarron shot a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Scott Parel, Joe Durant and Kirk Triplett at Canyon Meadows. The 53-year-old McCarron has seven PGA Tour Champions victories, also winning in Madison, Wisconsin, in June, after winning three times on the PGA Tour.
AUTO RACING
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Brad Keselowski provided perhaps the biggest throwback at the Southern 500 — giving Team Penske its first victory at Darlington Raceway in 43 years. 012 NASCAR champion.
Keselowski beat leader Kyle Larson out of the pits with 22 laps to go, then pulled away on the restart to sweep the weekend at Darlington.
Keselowski took the Xfinity race Saturday when leaders Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick wrecked late. This time, Keselowski and his crew took advantage on the final caution to move in front with a fast pit stop.
Keselowski then did the rest as he opened a 1 1/2-second lead down the stretch.
It was Keselowskis first victory of the season — the 25th of his career — and the first time a Team Penske driver has won at Darlington since Bobby Allison in the 1975 Southern 500.
US OPEN
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for a 10th consecutive appearance — she wasnt there last year because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament — by picking her level up after a lull and using 18 aces to beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
Next for the 36-year-old American comes a quarterfinal against 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who beat Williams in the U.S. Open semifinals that year. Pliskova advanced by beating No. 18 Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-4.
The other quarterfinal on the top half of the draw will be defending champion Sloane Stephens of the U.S. against No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
The defending mens champion Rafael Nadal reached his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal of the season, and 36th of his career, by getting past Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4, while No. 11 John Isner of the U.S. made it that far at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2011. Isner defeated No. 25 Milos Raonic of Canada 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and now faces 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro who pounded 18 forehand winners in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 20 Borna Coric.
NFL
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Armed with a record extension after a blockbuster trade, Khalil Mack is looking forward to a fresh start with the Chicago Bears.
The two-time All-Pro said he is “glad Im here” and “blessed” after a contract holdout with the Oakland Raiders ended with the star pass rusher getting dealt in a massive move on Saturday.
Mack held out for the entire offseason and preseason trying to secure a long-term deal rather than play under the final year of his rookie contract that would have earned him $13.8 million.
The Bears paid a big price, giving him a six-year, $141 million extension that guarantees $90 million. That made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, a day after the Rams Aaron Donald agreed to a six-year, $135 million deal, with $87 million guaranteed.
Chicago sent Oakland first-round selections in 2019 and 2020, a sixth-rounder next year and a third-rounder in 2020. The Bears got a second-round selection in 2020 and a conditional fifth-rounder that year.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — John Elway cut ties with his biggest draft bust Sunday when he waived quarterback Paxton Lynch less than 24 hours after including him on the Denver Broncos 53-man roster.
In another move, the Broncos placed safety Sua Cravens on IR with an injured left knee and re-signed Isaiah McKenzie, the speedy returner/receiver who was among the teams cuts a day earlier.
Lynch was jettisoned after the Broncos were awarded fellow third-year quarterback Kevin Hogan off waivers from Washington.
Elway once viewed the athletic but raw Lynch as a future franchise quarterback, moving up in the 2016 NFL draft to select the University of Memphis star with the 26th overall pick in the first round.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nick Brossette and Joe Burrow waited a long time for their chance to be impact players. They helped No. 25 LSU make a strong opening statement.
Brossette ran for 125 yards with his first two career touchdowns and grad transfer quarterback Burrow, who appeared in 10 games the past two seasons at Ohio State, won his first college start as the Tigers beat No. 8 Miami 33-17 on Sunday night.
Once the game started, the Hurricanes never really backed the bravado they showed in a feisty exchange of words and some shoving between the teams during warmups about 75 minutes before kickoff.
LSU led 27-3 by halftime after Jacob Phillips returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has told teams that its OK for pitchers to use the kind of scouting cards that umpire Joe West confiscated from Philadelphia reliever Austin Davis on the mound this weekend.
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Sunday that hed been informed the cards were legal. They are, provided they dont delay games, MLB told clubs in clarifying the policy.
It has become common in the age of advanced baseball analytics to see outfielders and infielders pulling info cards from their pockets to check on proper positioning. But the sight of a pitcher doing it on the mound caught a lot of attention at Citizens Bank Park.
The unusual situation occurred Saturday night in the eighth inning of the Chicago Cubs 7-1 win at Philadelphia.
GOLF
NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Abraham Ancer of Mexico opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead over a familiar figure going into the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship.
It wasnt Tiger Woods, but the guy playing with him — Bryson DeChambeau, who is coming off a four-shot victory in the first FedEx Cup playoff event and shot 63 while playing with Woods for the first time in a tournament. DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton (69) were one shot behind.
It figures to be another frantic Labor Day finish on the TPC Boston.
Ancer, at No. 92 in the FedEx Cup just hopeful of getting into the top 70 to advance to the playoff event next week outside Philadelphia, was at 13-under 200. A victory would assure a trip to the Tour Championship and a spot in the Masters.
Ten players were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Woods had to settle for a 69 that left him in a tie for 16th, six shots behind.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Marina Alex rallied to win the Cambia Portland Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 for a four-stroke victory over Georgia Hall.
Alex birdied the final five holes in a front-nine 30 to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater. She made her only bogey of the day on the par-4 18th, leaving her at 19-under 269.
The 28-year-old former Vanderbilt star gave caddie Travis Wilson his second straight victory in the event. Wilson is teamming with Alex with regular boss Stacy Lewis preparing for the birth of her first child.
Alex matched the course record with a 62 on Thursday, then shot 71-71 to begin the final round six strokes behind Womens British Open champion Hall.
Hall had a 75. The 22-year-old Englishwoman played the front nine in 2 over, with bogeys on the par-4 first and par-5 seventh.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Scott McCarron had a one-hop ace on the par-3 14th and closed with a birdieto successfully defend his Shaw Charity Classic title.
McCarron shot a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Scott Parel, Joe Durant and Kirk Triplett at Canyon Meadows. The 53-year-old McCarron has seven PGA Tour Champions victories, also winning in Madison, Wisconsin, in June, after winning three times on the PGA Tour.
AUTO RACING
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Brad Keselowski provided perhaps the biggest throwback at the Southern 500 — giving Team Penske its first victory at Darlington Raceway in 43 years. 012 NASCAR champion.
Keselowski beat leader Kyle Larson out of the pits with 22 laps to go, then pulled away on the restart to sweep the weekend at Darlington.
Keselowski took the Xfinity race Saturday when leaders Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick wrecked late. This time, Keselowski and his crew took advantage on the final caution to move in front with a fast pit stop.
Keselowski then did the rest as he opened a 1 1/2-second lead down the stretch.
It was Keselowskis first victory of the season — the 25th of his career — and the first time a Team Penske driver has won at Darlington since Bobby Allison in the 1975 Southern 500.