TENNIS
Nadal clinches 70th title
Defending champion Rafael Nadal easily beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3 in an all-Spanish final on Sunday to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the 10th time and clinch the 70th title of his career. It was Nadal's first title of the season, having lost his previous three finals -- two of those to Roger Federer. Nadal faced little opposition on his way to becoming the first player to win 10 tournaments at the same venue in the Open era, and the first to reach 50 on clay. He was previously level on clay titles with Argentine Guillermo Vilas. The only final the 30-year-old Nadal has lost at Monte Carlo was to Novak Djokovic in 2013.
Nastase suspended
Ilie Nastase, the captain of Romania's Fed Cup team, has been provisionally suspended from the competition for abusing players and the umpire during the playoff match against Britain. The International Tennis Federation, which organizes the Fed Cup, said Sunday that Nastase "may not participate in the Fed Cup in any capacity with immediate effect." Nastase, 70, was heard hurling expletives at British player Johanna Konta, Britain captain Anne Keothavong and the umpire during Konta's match against Romania's Sorana Cirstea on Saturday. Nastase was sent off the court by referee Andreas Egli and, after taking a seat in the stands, was then sent back to the locker room.
U.S. advances in Fed Cup
CoCo Vandeweghe and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Kristyna Pliskova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-3 Sunday to send the United States to its first Fed Cup final in seven years with a 3-2 semifinal victory over three-time defending champion Czech Republic. The Americans will face Belarus, which won its semifinal against Switzerland, for the championship Nov. 11-12. Vandeweghe won her singles match for the second consecutive day, giving the U.S. a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Marketa Vondrousova kept the Czech Republic's hopes alive by defeating Lauren Davis 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday's other singles match at Saddlebrook Resort. The Americans, who have won 17 Fed Cup titles, advanced to the final for the first time since 2010. The Czechs had won the top team event in women's tennis the past three years and five of the last six.
BASKETBALL
Kentucky signee declares
Kentucky guard Hamidou Diallo, a January enrollee who did not play last season for the Wildcats, has submitted his name for the NBA Draft, but will not hire an agent while deciding whether to remain in the process or return to school. The 6-foot-5 freshman said in a release Sunday that he wanted to "keep all doors open" and see where his game is. Hamidou practiced with Kentucky and was eligible to play after graduating last May from Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, but chose not to in order to learn the college game and focus on school.
FOOTBALL
Georgia cuts ties with Demery
Georgia has released new football signee D'Antne Demery after the offensive lineman was arrested following an argument with his girlfriend. Bulldogs Coach Kirby Smart confirmed Demery's release from the letter-of-intent in a statement Sunday. Demery was arrested Saturday night on charges of simple battery and criminal trespass in downtown Athens, Ga. Athens-Clarke County police spokesman Epifanio Rodriguez said Demery is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the back of her neck, pushing her against a wall and also grabbing her hair. Police say Demery threw the victim, causing her glasses to fall off. The 6-foot-7, 310 pound Demery signed in February to play with the Georgia Bulldogs. The Brunswick, Ga., native was scheduled to begin classes in June. Demery was released from jail on a $1,850 bond.
Ex-Gator charged
Former Florida Gators star and NFL prospect Caleb Brantley is facing misdemeanor charges that he allegedly punched a woman in the face, knocking her out and dislodging a tooth. According to Alachua County, Fla., court records, the 22-year-old defensive linesman was charged Friday with battery. A Gainesville police affidavit said Brantley and Chelsea Austin were arguing shortly after 2 a.m. April 13 when she pushed him. The affidavit said the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Brantley responded by hitting the 5-foot-6, 120-pound woman in the face. Investigators say the punch far exceeded what was needed for self-defense. They say two witnesses saw the fight. Brantley did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
MOTOR SPORTS
Marquez on top again
Spain's Marc Marquez won his fifth consecutive MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday and the series got a new season leader in Italy's Valentino Rossi. Marquez earned his 30th career MotoGP victory and his ninth in a row on American soil dating back to 2013. The victory also gets the Repsol Honda rider back into the season title chase.
Movistar Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, who won the first two races of the year, crashed early and didn't finish. With Vinales out, teammate Rossi took over the top spot with a second-place finish that made him the points leader. Marquez started from pole position. Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa grabbed the early lead through the first turn at the start and held it until Marquez passed him with 13 laps to go in the 21-lap race.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Josef Newgarden put himself in position to battle teammate Will Power to the end. He didn’t need to.
Newgarden kept Team Penske on top at Barber Motorsports Park Sunday with his second Indy Grand Prix of Alabama victory in three years.
The new Penske driver didn’t allow Scott Dixon an opening over the final stretch to give Chevrolet its first victory of the season. Newgarden had moved to the front for the first time when Power was forced to pit with a punctured left rear tire with 14 laps to go.
“It was a tough day. It was not easy to win this one,” said Newgarden, who picked up his fourth victory. “Obviously we got a little bit of help there at the end with Will, but I don’t think you know how it would have played out.
“Will certainly had a great shot. He was in good position to win this race, and for him to have issues is always tough to see.”
Newgarden was overshadowed by his own teammates coming into the race that’s only three hours from his hometown of Hendersonville, Tenn. Power, the pole sitter, Helio Castroneves and defending champion Simon Pagenaud were the top three qualifiers after small Honda teams won the first two races.
Pagenaud finished third and Castroneves fourth.
Newgarden’s work was far from done after Power headed to pit lane, with Dixon a near-annual contender on the road course.
“When you have a Dixon behind you for 20 laps, that shows how good the driver is,” team owner Roger Penske said.
It remains even more of a Penske-dominated track with Newgarden’s addition, and one where Dixon can’t get over the hump. Dixon has five second-place finishes and seven podium finishes in eight years.
“Good in a lot of ways, but unfortunately we come here to win and we came up short,” Dixon said in a familiar refrain at Barber.
Sports on 04/24/2017