Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
WTA roundup: No. 1 seeds Svitolina, Bertens ousted
Veronika Kudermetova ousted top seed Elina Svitolina 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Thursday, winning her first-ever match against a top-five opponent. Svitolina, from Ukraine, was a semifinalist at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year and entered the week ranked No. 4 in the world.
Patrick Day dies following brutal knockout
American boxer Patrick Day died on Wednesday in Chicago as a result of the traumatic brain injury he suffered during his fight on Saturday, where he was knocked out by Charles Conwell in the 10th round. Day, 27, had been in a coma for four days following his defeat and, despite having emergency brain surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, doctors were unable to save the junior middleweight.
Wizards lock up Beal with $72 million extension
Bradley Beal committed to the Washington Wizards, ending a months-long negotiation while keeping options to hit free agency in the near future on the table for the coveted All-Star guard. "Bradley embodies the type of high-character, team-first player that we want to have representing our fans and our city and we're very happy to sign him to this extension," said Ted Leonsis, the Wizards owner.
NBA-Commissioner says league hit by huge financial losses due to Hong Kong tweet
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday that the fallout following a tweet from a Houston Rockets official who backed the Hong Kong democracy protests has already cost the league substantial financial losses in China. The National Basketball Association spent years building a huge following and burgeoning business in China, a market worth an estimated $4 billion for the league, but its future in the country is suddenly on shaky ground.
GM predictions: Clippers will be 2020 NBA champs
The Los Angeles Clippers will win the 2019-20 NBA title, 46 percent of league general managers said in the 18th annual NBA.com GM Survey. The Clippers' Kawhi Leonard also was selected by GMs as the offseason acquisition most likely to make the biggest impact, and they named him the league's best small forward.
Take 5: Raiders' offense a problem for Packers
The Oakland Raiders are above .500 through five games for just the third time since 2002, primarily thanks to the offense. The Raiders rank only 19th in scoring (20.6) and 21st in total offense (376.8), but Jon Gruden's unit has been efficient (5.67 yards per play, 13th).
Irvin: Cowboys should sign WR Brown
Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin announced on a Dallas/Fort Worth-area radio station that the Cowboys can improve their passing game by signing wide receiver Antonio Brown. With the availability of Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper (quadriceps, ankle) in question for Sunday's game against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, Irvin argued on 105.3 The Fan that Brown's success on the field would eclipse any potential issues off of it.
Golden Knights' Zykov suspended 20 games for positive drug test
Russian forward Valentin Zykov of the Vegas Golden Knights has been suspended for 20 games without pay for violating the National Hockey League's performance-enhancing drug policy, the league said on Thursday. The NHL did not disclose what substance the 24-year-old Russian, who had two assists through his team's first seven games this season, tested positive for.
Minnesota United's Opara named MLS Defender of Year
Minnesota United's Ike Opara was named the 2019 MLS Defender of the Year, the league announced Thursday. Opara, who also won the award in 2017, is the fourth player to receive the honor on multiple occasions. Chad Marshall (three times), Carlos Bocanegra (twice) and Robin Fraser (twice) also accomplished the feat.
Two-time All-Star Deng retires as a Bull
Two-time NBA All-Star forward Luol Deng retired Thursday after signing a one-day contract with the Chicago Bulls. The 6-foot-9 South Sudan native played the first nine-plus seasons of his 15-year career in Chicago, followed by stints with the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
