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Novak Djokovic falls in first US match since 2021, losing in doubles in Ohio

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Novak Djokovic fell in his first match in the United States since 2021, losing in doubles Tuesday in the Western & Southern Open.Djokovic and Nikola Cacic lost 6-4, 6-2 to Jamie Murray and Michael Venus in the Serbian star’s return to the country after missing events because of COVID-19 vaccine restrictions.Djokovic was playing his first competitive match since falling to top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.The winner of a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Djokovic is set to open singles play Wednesday night against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.Alcaraz beat Australian qualifier Jordan Thompson 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the late match. The defending U.S. Open champion became the first ATP player to reach 50 wins this season.In women’s play, former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens reached the third round for the first time since 2019 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over sixth-seeded defending tournament champion Caroline Garcia.Stephens, who won...

Chicago White Sox CF Luis Robert Jr. returns from pinkie injury and hits the go-ahead home run in 5-3 win against Cubs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

Luis Robert Jr. spent Tuesday’s pregame discussing the adjustments to what he’s wearing when he’s on base.But it was an adjustment he made at the plate in the seventh inning that had everyone talking at Wrigley Field.Robert hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 5-3 win against the Cubs in the City Series in front of 40,389.Robert swung-and-missed a slider earlier in his at-bat. He saw another slider later in the at-bat and hit the home run to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. The Sox added a run in the ninth to take the opener of the two-game series.Robert enjoyed every second after hitting the home run as Sox fans cheered and Cubs fans booed.“(Julian Merryweather) was throwing hard and I was too aggressive in that at-bat,” Robert said. “The pitch that I swung-and-missed, the fans started making jokes. I didn’t like that. That’s why when I hit the ball, I did what I did.”Sox manager Pedro Grifol liked ...

Orioles starter Jack Flaherty labors, catcher James McCann pitches in 10-3 loss to Padres: ‘Just a bad night’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

The Orioles find themselves atop the American League East largely because they are masters of the nail-biter. Games such as Tuesday night’s blowout loss to the San Diego Padres have been uncommon, including those that end with them on the winning side.Baltimore’s 10-3 loss, which featured backup catcher James McCann’s first major league pitching appearance, left the Orioles at 74 victories. Exactly half have come in games decided by two or fewer runs. Despite a record 17 games above their opponent’s, Baltimore’s run differential is only seven better than San Diego’s.The Padres (57-63) cut into that deficit early Tuesday by quickly creating one for the Orioles. Making his third start for Baltimore after being acquired in a trade deadline deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, right-hander Jack Flaherty issued a bases-loaded walk before surrendering a grand slam to Gary Sánchez in a first inning in which he threw 18 strikes and 16 balls. The inning...

For the Chicago Cubs to get to the next level offensively, Ian Happ’s and Seiya Suzuki’s power production must continue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

The way pitchers have attacked Ian Happ follows a similar approach.When the switch-hitting Happ bats from the left side, which has accounted for 73% of his plate appearances this year, right-handers like to test him with elevated fastballs. It’s a formula Chicago Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly has seen righties take with slugger Cody Bellinger.Focusing on being on time for fastballs has helped Happ be able to handle the pitch and be able to take advantage of mistakes in the zone.“Over the long haul, he knows that his swing is going to play out the way that it’s going to,” Kelly told the Tribune on Tuesday. “You can maybe look at the average and look at some of those things and see that it’s down, but if you look at some of the underlying numbers of the OPS and the slugging is starting to come back that those numbers, along with the walks, that he’s putting together a really good season.”Kelly credited Happ for small adjustments heR...

Man shot, killed by SDPD in College Area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man was shot and killed by a San Diego police officer Tuesday night in the College Area, authorities said.Around 6:45 p.m., the San Diego Police Department responded to the Plaza Apartments on El Cajon Boulevard to attempt to contact a man who they say was a person of interest in a shooting in Clairemont earlier this month which then led to a police shooting on the Mesa College campus. When the suspect came out, he had what appeared to be a gun in his hand, per law enforcement.Officers told him to put the gun down, but at some point the suspect lunged to pick up the gun, the sheriff's department said. That's when one SDPD officer shot at the suspect, who died at the scene. SDPD releases bodycam video of deadly shooting involving K-9 Residents, who were seen gathered nearby at the Campus Plaza Shopping Center, told FOX 5 they believe the shooting involved a man on the third floor at the Plaza Apartments. Police did not allow residents to re-enter the apartments."As I...

New Zealand jury finds mom guilty of killing her 3 young daughters in a case that shocked the nation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand jury on Wednesday found a mother guilty of murdering her three young daughters in a case that shocked the nation.Lauren Dickason, 42, had earlier admitted killing her 2-year-old twin daughters Maya and Karla, and their 6-year-old sister Lianè, at their home in the town of Timaru nearly two years ago. But she had pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing she was mentally disturbed at the time of the killings and didn’t know that what she was doing was wrong.Prosecutors, however, pointed to Dickason’s troubling phone messages and online history in the weeks before the killings, including comments about wanting to kill her children and Google searches for “most effective overdose in kids.” Dickason and her husband Graham Dickason, both qualified medical professionals, had moved from South Africa to New Zealand just days before the murders, seeking a more stable lifestyle away from the turmoil in their home country. Lauren Dickason at...

Germany’s Cabinet is set to approve a plan to liberalize rules on cannabis possession and sale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Cabinet is set to approve a plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, setting the scene for the European Union’s most populous member to decriminalize possession of limited amounts and allow members of “cannabis clubs” to buy the substance for recreational purposes. The government’s approval, expected on Wednesday, is billed as the first step in a two-part plan and will still need approval by parliament. But it’s a stride forward for a prominent reform project of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition, though significantly short of the government’s original ambitions.Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is to give details of the finalized legislation on Wednesday. His most recent public proposal foresees legalizing possession of up to 25 grams (nearly 1 ounce) of cannabis for recreational purposes and allowing individuals to grow up to three plants on their own. German residents who are 18 and older would be allowed to ...

IndiGo gets DGCA nod to operate flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

IndiGo aims to introduce three daily flights to Almaty, as it continues to strengthen its international network. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted approval to IndiGo, the largest low-cost carrier in India, to commence operations between Delhi and Almaty, Kazakhstan, starting from 5 September this year, according to reliable sources. In line with its expansion plans, IndiGo aims to introduce three daily flights to Almaty, as it continues to strengthen its international network. The airline currently serves 26 international destinations, and with the upcoming additions, this figure will grow to 32. Furthermore, the airline has a robust pipeline of other international routes in development. This is in addition to the 78 cities the airline already serves domestically within India. To meet the rising demand for international travel, IndiGo recently announced the addition of 174 new weekly international flights from June to September 2023. The new services will ...

Bonmati wants another championship soccer trophy for Spain. This time a Women’s World Cup title.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Aitana Bonmati remembers the moment Andres Iniesta scored at the 2010 World Cup clearly, even though she was only 12 years old.Iniesta’s extra-time goal in the championship match against the Netherlands at Johannesburg gave Spain a 1-0 win for its first and only men’s World Cup trophy.Bonmati says it’s time for a new Spanish champion, this time at the Women’s World Cup. Spain will learn its opponent in the final on Wednesday night, when England plays hosts Australia in the other semifinal.The championship match is set for Sunday in Sydney. “I hope we can repeat the history with our team,” she said. Spain advanced to the final with a 2-1 victory over Sweden on Tuesday, a game that saw all three goals come in the final 10 minutes. Bonmati calls Iniesta and teammate Xavi her idols. Iniesta, 39, now plays with Emirates in the UAE Pro League. He celebrated La Roja’s victory on social media, proclaiming “Enormous!”Spain broke thro...

EU observers came under fire on Azerbaijan border, officials report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:24 GMT

YEREVAN — Observers with the EU’s civilian monitoring mission in Armenia were caught up in a firefight along the country’s border with Azerbaijan on Tuesday, their operational headquarters confirmed.In a statement posted on social media, the EU mission in Armenia said one of its patrols “has been present to the shooting incident in our area of responsibility.” Some 100 unarmed staff have been deployed under the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy to observe the tense frontier in the wake of a brief war between the two South Caucasus countries last year.The confirmation came after Armenia’s defense ministry reported that gunfire from Azerbaijani positions had “targeted the EU observers” patrolling close to the border village of Verin Shorzha and their vehicle. But in a bizarre twist, the confirmation came only after the EU mission categorically denied the Armenian claim, going as far as to publish a graphic branding the in...