MMA
UFC: Sample positive
Brock Lesnar has been informed his UFC 200 fight-night sample has the same banned performance-enhancing substance that he tested positive for on June 28, the UFC announced Tuesday. An official with knowledge of Lesnar's samples identified the banned substance as the fertility drug clomiphene, one of the two banned substances found in a June sample taken from former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Lesnar, 39, defeated No. 8-ranked heavyweight Mark Hunt by unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 200 on July 9, a celebratory return from a five-year absence by the former heavyweight champion whose career was hampered by a battle with the intestinal disorder diverticulitis. Last week, it was announced that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found Lesnar's June 28 sample positive for a banned substance that has yet to be officially revealed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Lesnar remains under contract with WWE and is scheduled to participate in SummerSlam next month at New York City's Barclays Center. He left the door open to a possible UFC return after defeating Hunt, but the positive tests results could lead to an extended ban that would ensure the July 9 fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was his last in the organization.
$1M insurance needed
New York will require professional boxers and mixed martial artists to get $1 million of insurance to cover life-threatening brain injuries under regulations slated to take effect in September. The State Athletic Commission is carrying out the decision by lawmakers and the governor to legalize professional mixed martial arts and overhaul regulation of combat sports generally. Its detailed plan, still subject to public comments, will make New York the final state to end opposition to the combination of wrestling, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu inside a cage or other enclosure. Higher insurance is one concession to critics of the violence. Supporters say mixed martial arts has evolved from early unregulated days. Prohibited acts include strikes to the spine, back of the head or throat; head butts; and stomping a grounded opponent.
TENNIS
Giorgi advances
Italy's Camila Giorgi upset fifth-seed Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, on Tuesday in the first round of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. It's the fourth time in the Canadian's past 10 tournaments that she has lost her opening match. Bouchard most recently reached the round of 32 at Wimbledon before losing to Dominika Cibulkova. Bouchard battled back from a 4-1 first-set deficit to tie it at 4-4 and 5-5 before Giorgi held serve and broke her to win 7-5. When Bouchard was broken to fall behind 4-2 in the second set, she threw her racket to the ground. After battling back to get it to 5-4, she was broken again to lose the match. Giorgi, 24, will face either Tamira Paszek or Lauren Albanese in the second round.
Beck beats Cirstea
Fourth-seeded Annika Beck beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 7-5 to advance to the second round of the Stockholm Open on Tuesday, and turn the page on a shock defeat in Switzerland last week. The German player came through a difficult first match since losing to world No. 797 Rebeka Masarova in the Ladies Championship Gstaad. Second-seeded Sara Errani of Italy beat Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey 6-2, 6-3 and Laura Siegemund of Germany defeated Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine 6-1, 6-2. In other first-round matches, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated third-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-2, and seventh-seeded Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan retired with a back injury in the third set to give Mona Barthel of Germany a 4-6, 6-3, 3-0 victory. In an all-Swedish contest, eighth-seeded Johanna Larsson beat Rebecca Peterson 7-6 (3), 6-2, and in a Baltic clash Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 6-4. Julia Goerges of Germany ousted Polona Hercog of Slovenia, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4 and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland beat Elizaveta Kulichkova of Russia 7-6 (5), 6-1. Lucie Hradecka, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Lara Arruabarrena and Katerina Siniakova also advanced.
Dzumhur moves on
Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina upset fifth-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in the first round of the Croatia Open on Tuesday in Umag, Croatia. Almagro hit 10 aces but Dzumhur attacked his opponent's second serve, converting five out of nine break points. Dzumhur, ranked 81st, broke at 5-5 in the third set for victory and a place in the second round at Umag for the second year in a row. Gastao Elias of Portugal ousted another Spaniard, Guillermo Garcia Lopez, 6-1, 6-2. Garcia Lopez broke in the opening game of the match but then won only two out of next fourteen games. In other matches, Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia defeated wild card Nino Serdarusic of Croatia 6-4, 6-2 and Andrej Martin of Slovakia beat Sergiy Stakhovski of Ukraine 7-6 (6), 6-4.
GOLF
Woods withdraws
Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship, the first time he will go an entire year without playing a major. The decision, while not a surprise, also means he will go an entire PGA Tour season without playing. His agent, Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management, said in a text to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Woods will not play the remainder of the tour season as he continues to rehab following back surgeries. That would have amounted to only three more tournaments before the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Steinberg said Woods will continue to work hard and assess when he can play the following season, which starts in October. In public appearances dating to April, whether it was opening his golf course in Houston or hosting his tournament in Washington, Woods has given no indication when he will be ready to compete. He had his second and third back surgeries last year and has said he wants to take his time making sure it heals. Woods now has gone eight full years since winning his 14th major championship at the 2008 U.S. Open. He was replaced by Harold Varner III at the PGA Championship, which starts July 28 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey.
OLYMPICS
Phelps named captain
Michael Phelps has achieved a first heading into his fifth Olympics. He's been chosen as a captain of the U.S. men's swimming team. Phelps was voted in by his teammates, along with veteran sprinters Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin. Phelps owns a record 22 Olympic medals, including 18 golds. Adrian and Ervin are three-time Olympians, while Phelps' fifth Olympic berth is the most for a U.S. male swimmer. Serving as captains for the women's team will be Cammile Adams, Elizabeth Beisel and Allison Schmitt. Adams is a two-time Olympian. Beisel and Schmitt are competing in their third games. The selections were announced Tuesday in San Antonio, where the Americans are training for the Rio Games, which open Aug. 5.
Sports on 07/20/2016