Weekend Sports in Brief

September 5, 2022 GMT

TENNIS

NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time by coming back in each set to beat Zhang Shuai of China 7-5, 7-5 in front of a partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

The 18-year-old Floridian, the runner-up at the French Open in June, trailed 5-4 in the opening set, then 5-3 in the second, which she was a point from losing. Gauff improved to 4-0 in Ashe this year.

She became the youngest American to make it this far at the U.S. Open since Melanie Oudin was 17 in 2009. Gauff meets No. 17 Caroline Garcia of France on Tuesday.

Later Sunday, Nick Kyrgios eliminated defending champion and No. 1-ranked Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The 23rd-seeded Kyrgios will play No. 27 seed Karen Khachanov on Tuesday, when the other’s men’s quarterfinal on the top half of the bracket is 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud against 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini.

NEW YORK (AP) — A professional tennis player from France who reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 last year has accused her former coach of rape and sexual assault.

The French Tennis Federation said in a statement Saturday that it is “standing by” Fiona Ferro, a 25-year-old who lost in qualifying at the U.S. Open last week, “in the proceedings she has initiated against her former coach, Pierre Bouteyre.”

The federation added that it “is examining the possibility of filing a civil lawsuit in this case.”

Ferro wrote on social media about her accusation against Bouteyre and said, “I did not consent.”

“I have full confidence in the justice system of my country and confirm that I do not wish to make any other statement on the criminal investigation,” Ferro said.

The Associated Press typically does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, which Ferro has done.

AUTO RACING

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Erik Jones took the lead when Kyle Busch’s engine blew up, then pulled away from Denny Hamlin after a final restart 20 laps from the end to win the opening NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.

Hamlin, seeded sixth in the playoffs, closed in on Jones’ back bumper on the final lap, but couldn’t make the winning pass. Jones went on to his second career win at Darlington and third NASCAR victory.

It was also the 200th win by the iconic No. 43 car, with most tied to Hall of Famer Richard Petty.

Jones became the first non-playoff driver to win the opener in NASCAR’s 10-race run to a title. And he did it as many of the top seeds had breakdowns and wrecks.

Hamlin was second followed by three more playoff chasers in Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Christopher Bell. Michael McDowell was sixth, then Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Bubba Wallace

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Scott McLaughlin led a Team Penske rout at Portland International Raceway by scoring his third victory of the season in a 1-2 finish that moved Will Power one race closer to the IndyCar championship.

McLaughlin led 104 of the 110 laps Sunday to pick up his third victory of the season. He trails only Penske teammate Josef Newgarden (five) in most series wins, but an inconsistent season has the New Zealander clinging to any title chances.

McLaughlin goes to next Sunday’s season finale at Laguna Seca in California ranked fifth in the standings, 41 points behind Power but still mathematically in the hunt.

Either way, IndyCar goes to its finale locked in the tightest championship battle in 19 years. The 41 points that separate McLaughlin in fifth to leader Power is the closest since 30 points separated the top five in 2003, when the series was still called the Indy Racing League.

GOLF

BOLTON, Mass. (AP) — Dustin Johnson gave LIV Golf its first big moment Sunday when he made a 35-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston for his first victory in 19 months.

Johnson’s putt on the par-5 18th was going so fast it might have rolled some 6 feet past the hole. But it hit the back of the cup and dropped down near the front of the cup to beat Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri.

The win was worth $4 million for Johnson, who closed with a 5-under 65. With his team winning again, he now has made $9,962,500 in four events.

The first playoff in four LIV Golf events capped an otherwise sloppy finish by so many others who had a chance.

SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Gaby Lopez rallied from four shots behind and closed with three straight birdies for a 8-under 63 and a one-shot victory in the Dana Open.

Lopez finished her big run with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th at Highland Meadow, setting off a series of fist pumps, knowing it would keep her one shot ahead of Megan Khang.

The 28-year-old Mexican player picked up her third career LPGA Tour victory, and her first since the Tournament of Champions to start the 2020 season.

Khang, who shot 29 on the front on a rain-softened course, closed with a 64. Caroline Masson birdied her last two holes for a 68 and finished alone in third.

NEWBURGH, Ind. (AP) — Justin Suh already had his PGA Tour card locked up and finished the season by closing with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship that came with a few extra perks.

Suh finished atop the standings in points from the regular season and the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, meaning the former University of Southern California star is fully exempt on the PGA Tour next year and earned a spot in the U.S. Open and The Players Championship.

Austin Eckroat, who played his senior at Oklahoma, needed a big finish to have any chance of getting one of the 25 cards available from the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. He delivered in a big way with a 68 to finish second behind Suh.

FARSO, Denmark (AP) — Oliver Wilson of England holed two birdie putts from around 65 feet on the back nine to win the Made in HimmerLand and end a victory drought of almost eight years.

Wilson, ranked No. 745, rolled in the long putts on No. 13 and then on No. 17 to take the outright lead. He held his nerve to par the last hole, hitting his drive off a small mound of turf instead of a tee, to close with a 4-under 67 and finish a shot ahead of Ewen Ferguson of Scotland.

BOXING

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andy Ruiz knocked down Luis Ortiz three times on the way to a victory by unanimous decision Sunday night, taking a key step toward a chance to become a heavyweight world champion again.

Former three-division world champion Abner Mares also fought to a majority draw with Miguel Flores in Mares’ return from a four-year ring absence on the pay-per-view undercard. Lightweight Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz then stopped Eduardo Ramirez in the second round with two vicious knockdowns.

In the main event, Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) had all of the big moments while grinding out a decision over Ortiz (33-3), a two-time world title challenger. The Southern California native knocked down the 43-year-old Ortiz twice in the second round and again in the seventh, but his Cuban opponent punched more accurately during long stretches of relative inactivity for both fighters.

The judges scored the bout 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112 for Ruiz. The Associated Press also had Ruiz 114-111, with the knockdowns making the difference.

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