Tuesday Sports in Brief

August 17, 2022 GMT

TENNIS

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Serena Williams fell to 0-2 in matches since announcing “the countdown has begun” on her career, losing 6-4, 6-0 to U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday night.

The 40-year-old Williams said last week in a Vogue magazine essay and an Instagram post that her career was winding down, although she did not explicitly say the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 29 in New York, would be her last tournament.

The Cincinnati event was the second U.S. Open tuneup for Williams, and the next time she takes the court will be at Flushing Meadows. She lost to Belinda Bencic in straight sets last week in Toronto. A day before the announcement, Williams beat Nuria Parrizas-Diaz for her first match win since the 2021 French Open.

GOLF

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The PGA Tour is in Delaware for the first time and the buzz still surrounded Tiger Woods, even if he didn’t have clubs and wasn’t even at the golf course.

Woods flew to Wilmington on Tuesday afternoon for a private meeting of top players to discuss the threat of Saudi-funded LIV Golf, according to two people aware of the plans at the BMW Championship.

They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the privacy of the meeting. One person invited to the meeting said it was to get on the same page against LIV Golf, along with taking more ownership in the direction of the PGA Tour.

That meeting led to a previously scheduled Player Advisory Council meeting being moved back an hour or so to later Tuesday afternoon. Woods flew from his home in Florida with Rickie Fowler, who didn’t qualifying for the second FedEx Cup playoff event.

The meeting was held away from Wilmington Country Club at a hotel, according to another person aware of the details. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was not invited.

— By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson.

MLB

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have replaced a planned Fernando Tatis Jr. bobblehead night with a Juan Soto T-shirt giveaway after the superstar shortstop was banned 80 games Friday following a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.

Tatis, a 23-year-old sensation and one of the brightest stars in all of Major League Baseball, was on the cusp of returning to the Padres from a broken wrist that had sidelined him all season. He was on track to rejoin the team well before the Sept. 7 bobblehead night — until the positive test.

Instead, the Padres will offer fans shirts in the club’s City Connect color scheme with Soto’s name and No. 22 on the back before they play the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team announced the change Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro was suspended for one game by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for having a cellphone in his back pocket during a game last week.

The penalty, which included an undisclosed fine, had been set to take effect Tuesday night when the Pirates hosted Boston. The 23-year-old Castro appealed and can play until the process is complete.

“I just really want MLB to hear my version of the story and make sure they understand my heart behind everything,” Castro said through an interpreter before the game against the Red Sox.

Castro’s phone flew from his pocket when he made a head-first dive into third base at Arizona on Aug. 9.

NBA

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA will be off on Election Day.

The league’s schedule for the coming season will have all 30 teams playing on Nov. 7, the night before the midterm elections. The NBA is hoping teams use that night as an opportunity to encourage fans to get out and vote, plus amplify the need for civic engagement.

But on Nov. 8, which is Election Day, no NBA teams have games scheduled. Teams are being encouraged to share election information — such as registration deadlines — with their fan bases in the weeks leading up to Nov. 8.

WNBA

NEW YORK (AP) — Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart is the first two-time winner of The Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year award.

The Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson was voted AP Defensive Player of Year for first time and Atlanta’s Tanisha Wright becomes the first former player to be named coach of the year.

Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard earned rookie of year honors. Comeback Player of the Year went to the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, joined by teammate Brionna Jones as the unanimous Sixth Woman of the Year.

The Aces’ Jackie Young was chosen the most improved player by a 10-member media panel that covers the league.

SOCCER

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court is expected to take up a government plea to settle issues that led to the national soccer federation’s suspension by FIFA and the possible loss of its hosting rights for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in October.

The FIFA suspension follows the Supreme Court’s appointment of a three-member Committee of Administrators to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation and to conduct elections for new office bearers by the end of August under a new constitution.

“I request that the AIFF matters pending before the court be urgently heard,” top government law officer Tushar Mehta told Supreme Court Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna on Tuesday, according to the Press Trust of India.

The justices agreed to take up the matter Wednesday.

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