Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
NCAA roundup: No. 1 Duke barely holds off UCF
RJ Barrett scored off a rebound with 12 seconds remaining, and Duke made a final defensive stand to pull out a 77-76 victory against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament's East Region second round Sunday in Columbia, S.C. Central Florida's BJ Taylor missed a runner in the final seconds, and a tip-in attempt by Aubrey Dawkins barely rolled off, allowing top-seeded Duke to advance. Duke (31-5) will meet Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.
Canadian teenager Andreescu retires in Miami fourth round
Bianca Andreescu's dominant recent impressive run ended at the Miami Open as the Canadian teenager who has taken the tennis world by storm retired with a shoulder injury while trailing 6-1 2-0 in her fourth-round clash with Estonia's Anett Kontaveit. The 18-year-old arrived in Miami fresh off her triumph at Indian Wells, where she became the first wildcard to win the prestigious event, but an overworked right shoulder ended any hopes of extending her 10-match winning streak.
Federer, Anderson advance to fourth round in Miami
Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-3 and Kevin Anderson's booming serve proved too much for Joao Sousa as both seeded players advanced to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday. Serb Krajinovic broke Federer to jump into an early 2-1 lead in the first set and it looked like an upset could be in the works against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Bears-Packers game to kick off NFL's 100th season
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will kick off the NFL's 100th season when they meet at Chicago's Soldier Field on Thursday night, Sept. 5, the NFL announced on Monday. The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will open their season on Sunday night Sept. 8 against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.
Marlins release SP Straily three days before opener
In somewhat of a surprise move, the Miami Marlins released veteran starting pitcher Dan Straily just three days before the start of the regular season, the team announced Monday. The 30-year-old right-hander was expected to be the most experienced member of the young Marlins' rotation this season, and had settled for a $5 million contract this season to avoid arbitration. But the team instead says it was impressed enough with the young arms this spring that it decided to go all-in with their inexperienced, but talented starters.
Defensive-minded Michigan, Texas Tech dig in for regional semifinal
Michigan vs. Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. First one to 50 wins? The No. 2 seed Wolverines and No. 3 seed Red Raiders meet Thursday night in the West Region in Anaheim, Calif., in what should be a bare-knuckled brawl. By any metric, these teams have had two of the best shut-down units all season; in fact, Texas Tech is No. 1 and Michigan is No. 2 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.
Top-seeded Virginia tops Oklahoma, back in Sweet 16
Top-seeded Virginia advanced to its third Sweet 16 in six seasons Sunday night with a 63-51 win over No. 9 seed Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region at Columbia, S.C. Virginia (31-3) will face No. 12 seed Oregon in Thursday night's regional semifinal in Louisville, Ky., after the Ducks pulled away from No. 13 seed UC Irvine on Sunday night.
Houston bounces Ohio State, to face Kentucky next
Guard Corey Davis Jr. led a balanced attack with 21 points, and backcourt mate Galen Robinson Jr. had 13 points, five assists and a career-high six steals to lift No. 3 Houston to the Sweet 16 with a 74-59 victory over No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday night in the second round of the Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Okla. Houston (33-3) will play No. 2 seed Kentucky (29-6) in the round of 16 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kentucky advanced with a 62-56 victory over No. 7 Wofford in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.
Report: Buccaneers expected to sign QB Gabbert
After being cut by the Tennessee Titans 10 days ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to sign quarterback Blaine Gabbert, according to a report Monday. According to The Athletic, Gabbert's experience with new Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians while both were with the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 season is a key factor in the mutual decision.
Gronk's agent: Return possible if Brady asks
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Sunday on Instagram, but his agent isn't convinced we've seen the last of him. Agent Drew Rosenhaus, speaking on ESPN's Get Up! on Monday, suggested the league's most dominant tight end might come back for a few games if he was asked by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
