TENNIS
Djokovic gets good draw
Defending champion Novak Djokovic was handed a favorable draw for Wimbledon on Friday as the other three members of tennis' "Big Four" were all placed on the opposite side. Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal were all placed in a tougher bottom half of the draw that also includes former finalist Thomas Berdych and former semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. That left Djokovic facing a possible semifinal against Stan Wawrinka, the man who beat him in the French Open final. Two-time champion Nadal could face 2013 winner Murray in the quarterfinals, with seven-time champion Federer possibly awaiting the winner in the semifinals. Djokovic does face a potentially tricky start of the tournament, though, as he'll play German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round and could face Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt in the second. Play starts Monday.
• Sam Querrey came from a set down to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov on Friday and reach the final of the Nottingham Open, where the American will play Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. The 12th-seeded Querrey won 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament and is in contention to end a three-year wait for an ATP title. His last came in Los Angeles in 2012. Istomin advanced to his first final when defending champion Marcos Baghdatis retired early in their semifinal match with a left calf injury. Baghdatis, who was on a nine-match winning streak at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament, was leading 2-1 with a break in the first set when he pulled up after making a serve. He received treatment and retired. Baghdatis said he will make a decision about playing at Wimbledon after seeing doctors today. The 2006 Australian Open runner-up and Wimbledon semifinalist was drawn Friday to face U.S. player Donald Young in the first round. The No. 92-ranked Istomin is unseeded at Nottingham but has dropped just one set so far and Querrey predicted a close final.
• Caroline Wozniacki retired with a back injury three games into her semifinal at the grass-court Nottingham Open on Friday, handing 18-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic a place in the final against former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska. The second-seeded Wozniacki was 3-0 down when she called for her trainer and stretched her leg muscles before deciding she could not continue. The fifth-ranked Wozniacki said she expects to be fit for Wimbledon, with her first-round match against Saisai Zheng on Tuesday. Bencic is bidding for her first title, after losing finals in Tianjin in 2014 and 's-Hertogenbosch this year. Radwanska beat Sloane Stephens of the United States 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2 on Friday to stay in contention for a second title at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament. The ninth-seeded Radwanska clinched the victory on her second match point with a mishit return that crept over the net and beyond the reach of Stephens. Radwanska served for the match at 6-5 in the second set but Stephens broke before dominating the tiebreaker. The Polish player, who won the Eastbourne title in 2008, lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final in 2012.
TRACK AND FIELD
Farah: He believes Salazar
Double Olympic champion Mo Farah will continue working with Alberto Salazar, saying Friday he was satisfied with the response given by the American long-distance running coach to accusations of doping. "As someone I've worked with for many years, I feel I have to believe in Alberto and the evidence he has provided," Farah said on his Facebook page. Salazar issued a 12,000-word rebuttal of claims against himself and his other star runner, Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp, in an open letter on the website of the Nike Oregon Project on Wednesday. Salazar, one of the world's top track coaches, has been accused by American investigative website ProPublica and the BBC of using doping practices for his athletes in Oregon. "Although it's been a difficult time," Farah said, "I asked Alberto to respond to the allegations made against him and he has now done so in full." Farah, the world and Olympic 5,000 and 10,000-meter champion, added that he now wants to "focus on what I do best -- training hard to win medals for my country." Investigations by ProPublica and BBC this month contained allegations from Salazar's former assistant, Steve Magness, and former runner Kara Goucher that the coach circumvented doping rules. Salazar's response on the eve of the U.S. national trials was detailed, disputing every allegation. In the case of Rupp and his history with both thyroid disease and asthma, Salazar said Rupp properly received exemptions for medications to treat both conditions. Salazar said in the open letter that the Oregon Project he leads "will never permit doping."
FOOTBALL
FAA asks teams about drones
National Football League teams have taken to the skies in their search for a competitive edge, launching drones to film their practices. "You can coach better. You see hand placement, you see where they have their feet and where they have their eyes," said Jason Garrett, coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The problem is, it's illegal to fly the unmanned aircraft for any commercial purpose without first getting a Federal Aviation Administration waiver. The FAA, when asked about drone use by three teams, said it has been in contact with the Cowboys to "explain the proper procedure for obtaining the necessary exemption." It plans to reach out to two other teams that used the devices to film their own workouts: the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. None of the three teams have exemptions or provided evidence that the drones were being operated by someone with permission. The Patriots and Cowboys wouldn't say who operates their drones. Using drones in an indoor facility, or when operated by a contractor with FAA authorization, would be legal.
• Michael Sam is ready to resume his pro football career. The Montreal Alouettes said Friday that Sam has returned to Montreal and is expected to attend team meetings Sunday before resuming practice Monday. The openly gay defensive lineman left the Canadian Football League team during training camp without explanation, and the Alouettes placed him on their suspended list after his departure. The 25-year-old former Missouri star signed with Montreal in May. Sam was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams, becoming the first openly gay player chosen by an NFL team. He was later cut by the Rams and from the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. At Missouri, Sam earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2013 before turning pro. Montreal opened the season Thursday night with a 20-16 home loss to the Ottawa Redblacks.
BOXING
More than $1B made on fight
Huge crowds and high rollers in Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight helped Nevada casinos make more than $1 billion off gamblers in May, according to records released Friday. It was the first time casinos exceeded that total in more than a year. "To hit a billion, we're pretty pleased," said Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton. Slot machines and tables were packed on fight night, May 2, and casinos responded by raising limits to accommodate big spenders. The last time casino winnings topped $1 billion was December 2013.
CRICKET
USA Cricket suspended
The International Cricket Council board has unanimously suspended the membership of the USA Cricket Association. World cricket's governing body said it acted Friday after discussing a report from its Review Group, which expressed "significant concerns about the governance, finance, reputation and cricketing activities of USACA." The decision at the ICC annual conference in Barbados means USACA will not receive ICC funding during the suspension. However, the United States cricket team will be allowed to participate next month in World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 in Ireland and Scotland. ICC Chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan says "the country has tremendous potential ... (but) the opportunity to grow the game is not being properly nurtured."
Sports on 06/27/2015