TENNIS
Federer to miss Rio
Roger Federer announced Tuesday that he would miss the rest of the tennis season, including the Rio Olympics and the U.S. Open, to rehabilitate a knee injury.
Federer, who turns 35 next month, tore the meniscus in his left knee while running a bath for his twin daughters a day after losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open. In February, he had surgery, the first in his 18-year career.
"The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover," Federer said in a statement on his Facebook page. "It is tough to miss the rest of the year. However, the silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries."
Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, has not played since losing in the Wimbledon semifinals about three weeks ago. Although he pulled out of this week's Rogers Cup in Toronto, he was expected to play singles, doubles and mixed doubles for Switzerland at the Olympic tennis tournament, which begins Aug. 6. He will miss the U.S. Open, where he was a finalist last year.
Until this year, Federer had avoided the long-term injuries that have plagued his rival Rafael Nadal, who is sidelined with a wrist injury.
Federer returned from the knee surgery in April, but his injury problems continued. He withdrew from the Madrid Open in May, citing a back injury, and did not play the French Open, saying, "I am still not 100 percent." That ended a record streak of 65 consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Series wraps Sunday
NEW YORK -- The U.S. women's basketball team continues its pre-Olympic tour with a three-city exhibition series that wraps up Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
The Americans will face France today at the University of Delaware, play Canada on Friday in Bridgeport, Conn., and host Australia on Sunday in New York before heading to the Rio Olympics.
"We really want to win the next three games, but at the same time, we need to find out before we get on that plane to go to Rio, what we have," U.S. Coach Geno Auriemma said. "What can we count on? What's going to be our strength?
"What are the things that we're going to build on that are going to sustain us down there? And that's what these next three games are going to be all about."
The Americans will play France in the home state of Olympic rookie Elena Delle Donne.
"I'm excited for a chance to play in front of the home crowd," said Delle Donne, who had 11 points in the 88-84 victory over the select team in Los Angeles on Monday night.
France was the silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics and Australia has medaled at every Olympics since 1996 -- the year that the U.S. won the first of its five consecutive gold medals.
The U.S. will play its first game at the Olympics on Aug. 7 against Senegal. Other teams in the Americans group are Canada, China, Serbia and Spain.
The Americans will be trying to win a sixth consecutive gold medal, the most by any women's team sport. They've won 41 consecutive Olympic contests dating back to the bronze medal game in 1992.
IOC
Truce sought again
UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for an Olympic truce and urging all warring parties to lay down their weapons and put aside difference during the upcoming summer games in Rio de Janeiro.
The U.N. chief said in a video posted on Twitter Tuesday that the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations work closely together "for global harmony and peace."
"I congratulate all the athletes and all the supporters and fans who will be filling the sporting arenas of Rio in the weeks ahead," Ban said. "The Olympics and Paralympics celebrate the best of humanity."
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly has passed resolutions since 1993 calling for an Olympic truce, but countries continue fighting wars whether the Olympics are on or not.
Sports on 07/27/2016