Digest

TENNIS

Osaka digs deep to win third Grand Slam title

Japan's Naomi Osaka came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to win the US Open on Saturday and clinch her third Grand Slam title.

Osaka, the fourth seed, overcame her unseeded opponent 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 inside a near-empty Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows.

It brought 22-year-old Osaka's haul of majors to three after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open.

"I didn't really enjoy that. It was a really tough match for me," Osaka said following her victory, which took 1 hour 53 minutes and delivers her prize money of $3 million. Azarenka, 31, sprinted to the first set in just 26 minutes, dominating Osaka with an 88 percent success rate on her first serve.

The Japanese was uncharacteristically sloppy, hitting 13 unforced errors. Osaka was the first woman to win the US Open singles final from a set down since 1994 and rises to third in the WTA rankings.

She also becomes the first Asian player to win three Grand Slams, overtaking China's Li Na on two.

SOCCER

No more Mr. Nike guy as Neymar joins Puma

Neymar has signed an endorsement contract with Puma to become the German sportswear giant's new global poster boy, two weeks after the Brazilian superstar parted company with longtime sponsor Nike.

"Welcome to the fam@neymarjr#KingIsBack," Puma tweeted on Saturday alongside a photo of the Paris Saint-Germain striker, kitted out in the manufacturer's clothes.

The world's most expensive player confirmed the sponsorship transfer in an open letter posted on social media.

"I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pele, (Johan) Cruyff, Eusebio and (Diego) Maradona...who each played in Puma.

"For these reasons, from today onward, I have the honor to unite with the brand that helped the biggest legends of football become what they are," the 28-year-old wrote.

BASKETBALL

LeBron leads Lakers back to Western finals

LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to their first NBA Western Conference Finals in a decade with a 119-96 blowout win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

Anthony Davis tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Kuzma had 17 and Markieff Morris finished with 16 for the Lakers, who eliminated the Rockets in five games in the quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.

Los Angeles advanced to its first NBA final four since the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers beat Phoenix for the conference title and then defeated Boston for the 2010 NBA championship, LA's last league title.

"It's the reason I wanted to be a part of this franchise is to take them back to a place they were accustomed to being. And that's competing for a championship," said James.

"It's an honor for me to wear the purple and gold and for us to just try to continue the legacy and just play great basketball for our fans."

NBA planning to hold two-part draft combine

The NBA will hold a two-part combine process for the 2020 Draft starting in mid-September and running up to the draft itself, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania said the league informed general managers of the plan over a conference call on Friday.

The plan calls for players to receive a medical review at a local facility, along with virtual interviews and guided on-court activities. There will be no in-person workouts. That first session would run from mid-September through early October.

In the second portion, teams would be allowed to hold in-person interviews with players, from mid-October through the Nov 18 draft. The draft was originally set for June, then moved to October and again to November because of the coronavirus pandemic.

MARTIAL ARTS

McGregor freed amid sex-assault allegations

Irish mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor, taken into police custody in Corsica on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure, was released on Saturday without being charged, his lawyer said.

McGregor was freed before the limit of police custody and faces no charges, his legal representative on the French island, Emmanuelle Ramon, told AFP, calling the complaint against his client "abusive".

A spokesman for McGregor sent a statement from the United States saying he "vigorously denied any accusation of bad behavior".

McGregor was taken into custody on Thursday. Earlier on Saturday, the prosecutor's office in Bastia issued a statement saying they had received a complaint "denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition".

The statement gave no details of the alleged offenses committed by the 32-year-old McGregor.

TRACK AND FIELD

Shi feels the need for speed at nationals

Chinese long jumper Shi Yuhao will compete in his first national-level event for two years this week when he runs in the 100 meters at the Chinese National Athletics Championships in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province.

The 21-year-old sustained a severe left-foot injury at the 2018 Shanghai Diamond League meet, with his comeback stalled by the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.

"Sprinting and long jump are always related events. If you can run faster in 100m, your long jump result will be better," said Shi.

"I want to further test my speed at the national championships. My goal is to make it to the 100m final."

Xinhua - Agencies