- The Associated Press
Martić and Kontaveit reach Palermo Open semifinals
Martić beat qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) then Kontaveit defeated Italian teenager Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. The other semifinal will feature Fiona Ferro of France against local favorite Camila Giorgi of Italy. Ferro eliminated two-time Palermo champion Sara Errani 6-4, 6-1; and Giorgi saved two match points in the second set before rallying past seventh-seeded Dayana Yastremska 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 after nearly three hours.
The Associated PressUS Open loses 2 more top-10 women: Svitolina, Bertens
Two more top-10 women -- Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens -- will miss the U.S. Open, joining No. 1-ranked Ash Barty in skipping the Grand Slam tennis tournament during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Tennis Association also announced Friday that Barbora Krejcikova withdrew. No. 7 Bertens, who is Dutch, wrote on Instagram that one of her concerns is the need to be quarantined upon returning to Europe after the U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 and will not have any spectators.
- The Associated Press
No set guidelines for calling off US Open if COVID outbreak
A player testing positive for COVID-19 will be dropped from the U.S. Open, but the U.S. Tennis Association has not established how many infected participants would force the Grand Slam tournament to be called off. According to a 10+-page ''Player Q&A Update'' sent out this week by the USTA, ''There are no guidelines available to determine what number (of positive tests) will compel'' the cancellation of the U.S. Open or the tournament that will precede it at Flushing Meadows this month amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Western & Southern Open, usually held in Cincinnati, is slated for the hard courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from Aug. 20-28, followed by the U.S. Open from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.
