U.S. Open: James Blake lighting up the night
James Blake had thought about limping away from tennis after he lost early at Wimbledon. His knees ached even after a 10-week break taken specifically to let them settle down after tendinitis flared up. But the rest didn't seem to help and at the age of 30 and cautious about overdoing medication such as anti-inflammatories that might help his pain, retirement seemed an option.
But after Wimbledon, Blake came home and reconsidered. He took some painkillers and hit the practice courts with a new aim, to enjoy the U.S. Open.
And Thursday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium, with the crowd chanting, "James, James, James," Blake hopped and skipped and leapt into his forehands and then bowed to everyone after his 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Canadian qualifier Peter Polansky, a 22-year-old who is ranked 205th in the world.
Blake's ranking isn't so much better, 108, and he needed a wild card to get straight into the main draw here. Next up could be third-seeded Novak Djokovic, who plays the final match Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York
U.S. Open: Jelena Jankovic dawdling, Caroline Wozniacki hurrying
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki (pictured above) moved quickly into the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, posting a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kai-Chen Chang of Taipei in only 47 minutes. She'd won her first-round match over Chelsey Gullickson, 6-1, 6-1, in 61 minutes.
Wozniacki has had her status as the top-seeded player here questioned because she's never won a major tournament, but the 20-year-old from Denmark who is ranked No. 2 in the world behind the absent Serena Williams (recovering from foot surgery) and who finished second here last year, has played as well as any of the women so far.
"I'm feeling really good," Wozniacki said. "I feel confident. I feel like I can beat everybody on a good day."
It's still a long way away, and Wozniacki might first have to get past 14th-seeded Maria Sharapova in a highly anticipated possible fourth-round match, but waiting in the semifinals could be fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic.
Jankovic won her second-round match Thursday as well, but it was much more complicated. Jankovic beat Mirjana Lucic, 29, of Croatia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, in a match that took just more than two hours. Jankovic also used every bit of her allotted time (schedule-wise) in the first round, beating Simona Halep, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, in 2:30.
Considered the best player to have not won a Grand Slam event (she did get to the finals here in 2008), Jankovic, 25, admitted her tennis so far has not been extraordinary. "I'm just glad I got through," she said. "It was another tough match for me. I have to pick it up, though. Every match I need to keep improving and picking up the level of my tennis. I'm working on it."
She also looked grumpy Thursday as she played on and on in the again-stifling heat. "I wish I could be more kind of happy out there," she said. "Especially when it's a tough match, things are not sometimes going the way you want them to."
-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York
Photo credit: Paul J. Bereswill / Associated Press
U.S. Open: Beatrice Capra, the new Melanie Oudin?
While 19th-seeded Mardy Fish posted an effective and efficient second-round U.S. Open win over Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and second-seeded Roger Federer won so easily in his second-round match over Andreas Beck, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, that he said, "I've been eating more than I've been playing," there was a frission of excitement on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Thursday because 18-year-old Beatrice Capra, a student at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., upset 18th-seeded Aravane Rezai of France, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
Capra, who is ranked 371st in the world (and, no, she is not related to famous movie director Frank Capra) and only got into the main draw because of a wild card given to her by the United States Tennis Assn., had taken down 95th-ranked Karolina Sprem of Croatia in the first round.
No one around here could help it. Capra is now the Melanie Oudin of the 2010 tournament.
Oudin was 17 last year when she beat four straight higher-ranked opponents in making what she called her "Cinderella run" to the quarterfinals. Oudin left this year's tournament beaten in the second round Wednesday night and wistfully hoping that she gets to be Cinderalla one more time before her career is over.
Capra said she watched every second of Oudin's fun last season.
Not many weeks ago Capra thought she'd just be playing the juniors here and mostly, her words, "chilling out." She had been upset in the national 18-under tournament. "I went home from that thinking I was going to take a week off," she said.
Capra had to earn her wild card spot in the U.S. Open main draw by winning a wild card playoff. Now she is in the third round and possibly facing a chance against 14th-seeded Maria Sharapova, probably on Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Sharapova plays Iveta Benesova Thursday night and, by the way, Sharapova was one of the higher-ranked players that Oudin beat last year.
"I looked up to Melanie last year," Capra said. "I watched all of her matches and was so happy for her. It was really inspiring to me because I played her a year before and then she was getting to the quarters of a Grand Slam. I think she's pushed all of the Americans to do better."
Capra, whose father was born in Monza, Italy, and whose mother was a two-time all-American when she played college tennis at the University of South Florida in Tampa, lives in Ellicott City, Md., said even with her success here she might not turn pro. "I'm going to keep college open," Capra said. "I'm looking at Duke." She may also play the junior tournament here next week. "I'm going to sign up and we'll see what happens," she said. "Yeah, I'm still signed up."
One suspects that should Capra win another round of the main draw, juniors will be out. And college? Maybe that too.
-- Diane Pucin in New York
Photo: Beatice Capra signs autographs for fans after her second-round victory on Thursday at the U.S. Open. Credit: Kathy Willens / Associated Press
WNBA: Seattle Storm’s Lauren Jackson to be named league MVP, Brian Agler to be named coach of the year
The Seattle Storm's Lauren Jackson is to be named this season's WNBA MVP and her coach, Brian Agler, is to be named coach of the year before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday against the Phoenix Mercury.
Jackson, a 6-foot-5 center, averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. She helped the Storm finish undefeated on their home court with a 28-6 record, the best in the league. This is Jackson's third MVP award, having also claimed the honor in 2003 and 2007.
In his three seasons with the Storm, Agler has led the team to 68 regular-season victories. This year, the Storm advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004, sweeping the Sparks in the Western Conference semifinals.
-- Melissa Rohlin
Photo: The Seattle Storm's Lauren Jackson shoots over the L.A. Sparks' DeLisha Milton-Jones and Tina Thompson during the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday. Credit: Gus Ruelas / Associated Press
David Beckham hopes to return Sept. 11 for Galaxy
David Beckham, who has missed the entire season for the Galaxy after tearing his Achilles tendon in March while on loan to AC Milan, hopes to play a week from Saturday when the Galaxy play the Columbus Crew in Carson.
Beckham, 35, said on the Galaxy's website: "I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will play in part of the game here against Columbus. I'll be on the bench, and hopefully I'll get on the field for 15-20 minutes. That's what I'm looking at."
The Galaxy have won only three of their last 10 MLS games, and their lead has dwindled to three points over Real Salt Lake for the top record in the Western Conference.
-- Barry Stavro
Question of the day: Plot the future of Reds’ reliever Aroldis Chapman?
Reporters from around Tribune Co. tackle the question of the day, then you get a chance to chime in and tell them why they're wrong. Check back throughout the day for updates.
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times
How good Aroldis Chapman will eventually become largely depends on how he is eventually used. The Reds say they’ll pitch the 22-year-old lefty in relief this fall but are projecting him as a starter. The Tampa Bay Rays had a great deal of success following the same formula with their own lefty phenom David Price, who just turned 25. Only two years removed from the bullpen, Price is an All-Star and one of baseball’s premier starters.
The history of Cuban defectors suggests another path, however. More than half of the Cuban players who have defected to the major leagues since 1991 have been pitchers. But of those with more than two big-league decisions, only five have winning records.
Cuban pitchers, used to dominating inferior hitters in their domestic league and in international play, have traditionally had trouble making the adjustments necessary to go through a major league lineup two or three times a game. Yet Chapman’s electric stuff -– his fastball was clocked at 105 mph in the minors -- is well suited to the bullpen. If he stays there, he could become one of the best closers in baseball. If he returns to the rotation, he could become another Jose Contreras – servicebable, but hardly a star.
Updated at 2:50 p.m.
Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel
Plot the future of Reds’ reliever Aroldis Chapman? He of 22 years and two major league appearances? Let’s give the magic eight ball a shake … Will overtake Trevor Hoffman for the all-time saves title en route to Hall of Fame. Hmm. A bit optimistic.
Let’s try it again … Will receive wild acclaim until he feels a forearm twinge and ultimately lands on Dr. James Andrews’ operating table. A bit pessimistic. Maybe he’ll throw seven no-hitters like Nolan Ryan. Maybe he’ll end up homeless like J.R. Richard.
The point is it’s too early to plot anything with any degree of accuracy. Can’t-miss guys miss all the time. A chosen few are great from day one and enjoy unfettered careers. Where will Chapman fall? How about somewhere in between.
Photo: Aroldis Chapman. Credit: Al Behrman /Associated Press.
John Arum’s backpack found in Cascade Mountains
Rescue workers in the Cascade Mountains have found the backpack of boxing promoter Bob Arum's son, but the 49-year-old experienced climber is still missing.
John Arum's backpack was found late Wednesday afternoon 900 feet below the summit of Storm King, an 8,515 foot peak about 85 miles northeast of Seattle. Climbing gear was missing from the backpack, according North Cascades National Parks spokeswoman Kerry Olson.
The backpack was recovered along a climbing route and it "looked as though it were placed there," Olson added.
Twelve searchers and two helicopters resumed looking for the lost climber Thursday morning. Arum, an environmental lawyer who was reported missing Monday, was believed to be alone.
He was on a quest to climb the 100 highest summits in Washington, and family members said he had only 18 peaks remaining to reach his goal.
--Melissa Rohlin
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Photo: North Cascades National Park. Credit: Shannon Dininny / Associated Press.
Eric Gordon: Leads Team USA in win over Tunisia
Eric Gordon, the Clippers' shooting guard and a reserve on Team USA, is a guest blogger for the Fabulous Forum during the FIBA World Championship tournament. On Thursday the USA overcame a sluggish start to beat Tunisia, 92-57, in their final first-round game. Gordon played 25 minutes, led the team in scoring with 21 points, and hit four of seven three-point shots. Team USA, a top seed, starts the knockout round Monday when it plays fourth-seeded Angola. Here are Gordon’s impressions of the game, plus some other tidbits from the day:
I wasn’t hitting my shots the past couple of days. It was good to get back in rhythm. I knew as I was shooting before the game that I was going to play well. I can tell when I’m in rhythm before a game. Making three-point shots in this tournament has been a little easier. It’s a lot different from the NBA three-point line; it’s a lot shorter. But the other team can have a good chance to get a hand up because the spacing is not as big an NBA three-point shot.
Angola is a really athletic team. We saw them play twice. They are capable of beating of anybody, and they play kind of a similar style to us.
If 10 is a perfect grade, I guess I’d say our team is playing at about an eight. Defense is the No. 1 thing for us. There are still some things we need to work on, cutting turnovers and getting rhythm and more open shots.
We have three days before our next game. Coach (Mike) Krzyzewski said to just be prepared. We need to get together for a good hard effort the rest of the way.
With the referees coming from different countries, that’s been one of the interesting things about this whole thing. They probably don’t know what we’re saying on the court and we don’t know what they’re saying. So the best thing is not to even talk after a call. In the NBA we talk to the refs the whole game. It sure is a lot quieter. You really can’t say much.
Tonight I plan to hang out with my teammates a little bit. Tomorrow is an off day before we have practice the next two days. I’ll probably get in a little work, lifting weights, shooting, even a bit of running. It’s been warm every day, with temperatures in the 80s.
I like everything about Istanbul. There’s a lot of historical buildings. I’ve never seen that many out of all the countries I’ve been too. And it’s a really crowded city. You see people packed on the sidewalks everywhere.
Going into the knockout stage, I’m very confident. I think we’re rolling pretty good. We need to use our talent, use it collectively, all together.
The other best teams in the tournament? You can’t ever put anything past Spain -- they’re not an easy team to beat. And looking at Turkey, they’re not an easy team to beat, either. Those two teams, and Serbia, too.
-- Eric Gordon
Photo: Eric Gordon battles for a loose ball in Team USA's victory over Tunisia on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Reuters / Jeff Haynes.
Report: NHL gives players’ union conditions for long-term deals
A stunning story by Larry Brooks of the New York Post offers a chilling explanation of why the NHL took two extra days to rule on the validity of Ilya Kovalchuk’s second contract with the New Jersey Devils—and suggests bigger conflicts are on the horizon.
Brooks cites a “well-placed source” in saying the NHL attached conditions to its acceptance of Kovalchuk’s contract. If those conditions are not accepted by Friday the league will reject Kovalchuk’s deal and the 12-year contract between the Vancouver Canucks and goaltender Roberto Luongo and will formally investigate the 12-year contract Chicago gave to Marian Hossa.
Luongo’s contract is scheduled to start this season, but Hossa has played one season under his deal. If the league decides that contract should be voided, does that mean the Blackhawks played with an ineligible player last season and could be forced to forfeit their Stanley Cup championship?
That sounds extreme. But if Brooks is right—and he’s a veteran reporter who has broken many stories over the years—almost anything could be in play now that the NHL has decided to reject the salary-cap-circumventing contracts it had been approving and attempt to rewrite the collective bargaining agreement two years before its scheduled completion
Relations between the league and the NHL Players’ Assn., which is being advised by former Major League Baseball union boss Donald Fehr but hasn’t formally appointed him its leader, have been chilly for a while. This is an outright declaration of hostility on the league’s part and increases the likelihood of a labor war after the current agreement expires in September 2012.
Helene Elliott
Chone Figgins has "no regrets" over leaving Angels
The money was greener in Seattle but the grass hasn't been so far for Chone Figgins, who last winter spurned a three-year, $24-million offer to return to the Angels to sign a four-year, $36-million deal with the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners have been one of baseball's biggest flops this season, ranking last in the American League in batting average, runs and home runs. They are 52-80 and in last place in the AL West, and they have already fired Manager Don Wakamatsu. Their lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Angels had one player--Ichiro Suzuki--who was batting better than .250.
Figgins has been a considerable drag on the lineup, batting .244 with a .332 on-base percentage, 50 runs, 16 doubles, 65 walks and 32 RBIs entering Wednesday, a huge drop-off from his 2009 season with the Angels, when he hit .298 with a .395 on-base percentage, 114 runs, 30 doubles, 101 walks and 54 RBIs.
But he claims he has no regrets about leaving the Angels, who have struggled to replace him at the leadoff spot, where Erick Aybar has been less than adequate, and at third base, where Brandon Wood struggled so much offensively (he was hitting .165 entering Wednesday) he lost the job in July.
"I made a decision, I stuck by my decision, and I'm happy where I'm at," said Figgins, who switched positions--from third base to second--and spots in the batting order--from leadoff to second. "My numbers aren't where I'd like them to be and we haven't won. It's pretty simple."
Figgins claimed he didn't feel pressure to live up to his big contract, but the numbers say otherwise. The speedy switch-hitter batted .211 in April and May before rebounding in June, July and August, when he hit .264
"I wasn't attacking the game in the first half; I was trying to be too patient," Figgins said. "In the second half, I started attacking the game, and my numbers have gone up. I had such a rough start, it will be tough to get back to the numbers I'm normally at. So the fact that I'm above .240 right now is actually a positive."
Figgins' frustrations came to a head on July 23, when he got into a dugout shouting match with Wakamatsu, who had informed Figgins he was being benched for not backing up a relay throw from the outfield in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
There was a brief but intense scrum in the dugout, with players and coaches pushing each other as they tried to intervene. The incident seemed out of character for the normally happy-go-lucky Figgins and shocked many of his former teammates in Anaheim.
"I'm not going to talk about that," Figgins said, when asked about the incident.
Figgins sees some hope in Seattle. The Mariners have a 3.87 team ERA, the fourth-best in the league, and one of the game's best starters in Felix Hernandez.
"There's a lot of promise," Figgins said. "The pitchers are doing very well. The bats haven't been consistent. It's been a crazy season, but I see some good signs."
--Mike DiGiovanna in Seattle