Slow French Open start for Nadal
Slow French Open start for Nadal
PARIS — Rafael Nadal knows this story well. All too well. Saw it up close the previous time he played in a major tournament.
Early round, main stadium, unknown opponent taking risky swings and putting everything in. At Wimbledon nearly a year ago, it was 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol who took it to Nadal and beat him in the second round. At the French Open on Monday, in Nadal’s return to Grand Slam action after missing seven months with knee trouble, it was 59th-ranked Daniel Brands in the guest-star role.
Nadal already owns a record seven French Open titles, including the past three. His bid to become the only man with eight championships at any of tennis’ quartet of most important tournaments got off to a slow start, before he restored order by coming back to beat a faltering Brands 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.
There was no such struggle for the tournament’s other defending champion, Maria Sharapova, who needed all of 54 minutes to overpower 42nd-ranked Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan 6-2, 6-1.
Incoming Rutgers AD has no plans to resign
NEWARK, N.J. — Julie Hermann is not resigning as Rutgers’ incoming athletic director following a report that 16 years ago she humiliated and emotionally abused players while coaching the women’s volleyball team at Tennessee. And the university is standing behind her.
“I never considered withdrawing because I feel very qualified to lead Rutgers into the future and into the transition into the Big Ten,” Hermann said Monday during a conference call in response to a report in the Star-Ledger of Newark. “And I do feel the support of the Rutgers community.”
Embattled Rutgers President Robert Barchi said in a statement the university looks forward to her running the athletic department. He added that she was the best of the 63 candidates interviewed for the job of succeeding Tim Pernetti.
Blackhawks beat Red Wings to force Game 7
DETROIT — The Chicago Blackhawks extended their season for at least one more game, scoring three goals in the first half of the third period to beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in Game 6 of their second-round series on Monday night.
Bryan Bickell had the go-ahead score early in the third and NHL’s top-seeded team earned a shot to advance to the Western Conference finals after trailing the second round-series 3-1 and beginning the third period of Game 6 down by a goal.
Sources: Bobcats hire Clifford as coach
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats have hired Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford to become their new coach.
Two people familiar with the situation said Monday that Clifford had agreed to a three-year contact. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made public.
Clifford replaces Mike Dunlap, who was fired after going 21-61 in his only season as coach.
Clifford has worked as an assistant in New York, Houston, Orlando and Los Angeles, but has never been a head coach at the NBA level. He has worked under both Jeff and Stan Van Gundy.
He becomes the sixth coach of the Bobcats since 2006-07.
The Bobcats made the move to hire Clifford on Monday, one day before he was slated for a second interview with the Milwaukee Bucks for their coaching vacancy.
By wire sources