Andy Murray eliminated in Montreal
Andy Murray eliminated in Montreal
MONTREAL — Wimbledon champion Andy Murray tumbled out of the Rogers Cup on Thursday, falling 6-4, 6-3 to Lavia’s Ernests Gulbis in the third round.
The second-seeded Murray, a two-time Rogers Cup champion, was playing his second match since his Wimbledon victory. The loss ended the Scot’s winning streak at 13 matches.
Top-seeded defending champion Novak Djokovic avoided an upset in the last match, rallying to beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal won his third round match, beating Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Nadal, the fourth-seeded Spanish star making his first tournament appearance since losing in the first round at Wimbledon, improved his ATP Tour-leading record to 45-3 — including 7-0 on hardcourts.
49ers sign cornerback Eric Wright
SAN FRANCISCO — Cornerback Eric Wright has joined the San Francisco 49ers after all.
The free agent defensive back signed a one-year contract Thursday and was placed on the non-football injury/illness list while he handles a personal matter, the 49ers said. San Francisco released cornerback Lowell Rose to clear room on the roster.
Wright had been traded to the reigning NFC champions last month for a conditional draft pick in 2014, but he failed his physical, nullifying the deal. Tampa Bay then released Wright.
San Francisco needed depth in the secondary after cornerback Chris Culliver was lost to a season-ending knee injury Aug. 1.
Wright was arrested in 2012 on felony DUI charges and was suspended for four games last season by the NFL for violating the performance enhancing drug policy in his first season with the Bucs. He finished with 37 tackles and one interception in 10 games, all starts.
Mercury fire Gaines as coach
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury fired coach and general manager Corey Gaines on Thursday after a five-year run that included a WNBA title but a disappointing 2013 season.
Former University of Arizona coach Russ Pennell will serve as interim coach and President and CEO Amber Cox will be interim GM.
Phoenix went into this season with high expectations after adding No. 1 overall draft pick Brittney Griner to a roster that featured star players Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor and Candice Dupree.
Phoenix won eight of nine games after a slow start to the season, but has lost seven of nine to fall 7 1-2 games behind Minnesota in the Western Conference at 10-11.
Florida quarterback Driskel practices for first time since surgery
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators received a welcome sight Thursday night when QB Jeff Driskel returned to practice for the first time since July 30 appendectomy.
Driskel entered the offseason as the team’s undisputed starter and assumed a stronger leadership role. But with preseason camp set to open in a few days after Driskel underwent emergency surgery that was expected to sideline him for up to two weeks.
The school announced Thursday night Driskel, a former Hagerty High standout, was back and working to shake off the rust.
“It’s going to take him a little bit of time to try to get in his rhythm,” offensive coordinator Brent Pease said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, suspended LB Antonio Morrison also has rejoined the Gators.
Serena Williams advances in Toronto
TORONTO — Top-seeded Serena Williams advanced to the Rogers Cup quarterfinals Thursday, beating 13th-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-0, 6-3.
Williams, coming off a tournament victory 2½ weeks ago in the Swedish Open, set up a match Friday against Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova.
“She wasn’t able to play her game as much as she wanted to,” Williams said. “When you play such a high-ranked player, you have to go in there with the mindset of do the best you can before they can step all over you and do well.”
Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli retired because of an abdominal injury early in the second set of her match against Rybarikova.
“Kind of excess of tiredness and exhaustion on my body they feel,” Bartoli said. “But it’s so large, the pain is so large and we can’t really say right now exactly (if) there is a tear at some point or if it’s just like a huge tightness.”
Morton wins third stage of Tour of Utah
PAYSON, Utah — Australia’s Lachlan Morton won the third stage of the Tour of Utah on Thursday to take a 22-second lead over Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet in the overall standings.
Morton, riding for Garmin-Sharp, completed the 119.5-mile stage from Richfield to Payson in 4 hours, 20 minutes, 21 seconds. Van Avermaet was second, 34 seconds back for BMC.
American Lucas Euser, riding for UnitedHealthcare, was third — also 34 seconds behind. Euser was third overall, 40 seconds behind Morton with three stages left.
“When you have an opportunity like that, especially as a young rider, you got to take it,” Morton said.
The fourth stage Friday is a five-lap, 33.8-mile ride in Salt Lake City.
Manziel family hires attorney with NCAA experience
Johnny Manziel’s family has hired an El Paso, Texas, attorney with experience in NCAA matters as the Heisman Trophy winner reportedly faces an investigation into whether he was paid to sign autographs.
The Manziel family said in a statement Thursday that Jim Darnell would be representing the Texas A&M quarterback.
ESPN has reported that Manziel is being examined for allegedly signing autographs for money before last January’s BCS title game between Alabama and Notre Dame. Such a deal would compromise Manziel’s status as an amateur.
The Manziels also say that, in compliance with NCAA regulations, Johnny Manziel and no other member of the family will comment publicly about the investigation.
Darnell says he has no prior relationship with the Manziels. He says he has worked on numerous NCAA cases, most notably representing Baylor when its basketball program was sanctioned in the early 2000s and former Southern California basketball coach Tim Floyd.
Beno Udrih headed to Knicks
The Knicks and point guard Beno Udrih have come to terms on a one-year contract.
The nine-year veteran is a good pickup this late in free agency and fills the Knicks need for a quality third point guard. Udrih will sign a one-year deal for the minimum of $1.272 million, a league source said.
Udrih has averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 assists for the Spurs, Kings, Bucks and Magic.
This move will give the Knicks 14 players under contract.
By wire sources