www.dailypostathenian.com FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021 | SPORTS DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | B3 Djokovic Even without a Super begins bid League, CL produces to win US heavyweight matchups BY ROB HARRIS wouldn’t sign up to the AP Global Soccer Writer Super League. They’ll also Open, Slam play Benfica and Dynamo European football’s big- Kyiv. BY HOWARD FENDRICH gest teams didn’t need a Juventus will come up AP Tennis Writer Super League to secure against defending cham- heavyweight clashes this pion Chelsea, one of the six Novak Djokovic will begin season. English clubs to implode his bid to win the U.S. Open The draw for the Cham- the Super League inside 48 for a men’s-record 21st pions League did the job in hours and accepting fines major tennis championship Istanbul on Thursday, after from UEFA for the mutiny. and to complete a calendar- three of the rebels still pur- They are in Group H with year Grand Slam by facing a suing the breakaway com- Malmo and Zenit St. Peters- player who comes through petition were allowed entry burg, whose stadium will qualifying. to the group stage. host the final. Win that, and Djokovic’s GREGORY BULL | THE So Madrid, the record One of the biggest win- potential path — as deter- starting Max Scherzer works against a batter 13-time winners of the ners from the Super League mined by Thursday’s draw during the fourth inning of a game on Thursday in San Diego. European Cup, will be tak- debacle was Paris Saint- — could include 2014 final- ing on Italian champion Germain, which refused ist Kei Nishikori in the third Inter Milan — one of nine to sign up and its presi- round, No. 6 seed Matteo clubs who quickly aban- dent, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Berretini in the quarter- doned the Super League replaced Juventus chair- finals in a rematch of last split in April. They are in man Andrea Agnelli as month’s Wimbledon final Group D with Shakhtar head of the European Club and No. 4 Alexander Zverev, Chasing Giants Donetsk and Sheriff, the Association. the 2020 runner-up in New Moldovan side which qual- What’s missing now for York, in the semifinals. ified for the Champions PSG, which gets its fund- Naomi Osaka’s first Grand League for the first time ing from Qatar’s sover- Slam action since she with- Scherzer, Dodgers shut down Padres and would have struggled eign wealth, is lifting the drew from the French Open to squeeze into the planned European Cup for the first following a first-round vic- BY BERNIE WILSON largely-closed breakaway. time. Signing Lionel Messi tory to take a mental health AP Sports Writer “We are living a fairy should help PSG’s Euro- break will come against tale,” Sheriff Iurii pean quest, which ended in Marie Bouzkova, a 23-year- SAN DIEGO — Max Vernydub said, “and want the semifinals against Man- old from the Czech Repub- Scherzer pitched 7 2/3 it to continue for as long as chester City last season. lic who is ranked 86th and dominant innings to win possible.” There’s an instant reunion has a 1-10 career record at his eighth straight decision, Madrid, Barcelona and of two of world football’s the majors, including 0-3 hit a two-run Juventus were only allowed richest clubs, with PSG in at Flushing Meadows. Osa- off into the Champions League Group A together with Abu ka won their only previous this season because UEFA’s Dhabi-funded City, which encounter in straight sets at NATIONAL LEAGUE disciplinary case about is also yet to win European last year’s Australian Open. their pursuit of a Super football’s top prize. Looking past that, Osa- DODGERS 4, Padres 0 League is on hold. “It is (about revenge),” Al- ka could face 17-year-old Barcelona, which is Khelaifi said. “We lost last American Coco Gauff — and the surging Los Ange- weighed down by $1.6 year’s semifinal, so it will whom she beat in New York les Dodgers beat the plung- GREGORY BULL | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS billion in debt and won be a good motivation for in 2019 and lost to at Mel- ing San Diego Padres 4-0 Los Angeles Dodgers’ AJ Pollock (11) is greeted by Billy McKin- the fifth of its European our players, our manager bourne Park in 2020 — or Thursday night for a three- ney after scoring from third off a sacrifice fly by titles in 2015, is in Group and, you know, it will be three-time major cham- game sweep. during the fourth inning of the team’s game against the San E with Bayern Munich, interesting for the viewers. pion Angelique Kerber in Scherzer (12-4) allowed Diego Padres on Thursday in San Diego. the six-time winners who So it will be big matches.” the fourth round. Osaka, only two hits, struck out seeded No. 3, is the reign- 10 and walked one for the up was Trent Grisham’s right fielder Fernando Tatis ing champion at the U.S. Dodgers, who handled the double leading off the fifth, Jr., who didn’t get a good Open, one of her four major listless Padres less than 24 but the Dodgers got out of read on the ball. Tatis has titles, which all have come hours after winning 5-3 in the inning when third base- started 10 games in the out- on hard courts. a 16-inning game that took man started field since he returned from The possible women’s 5 hours, 49 minutes, and a double play on Caratini’s his latest stint on the injured quarterfinal pairings by ended at 12:59 a.m. It was grounder. list because the Padres are seeding are No. 1 Ash Bar- the longest big league game Scherzer struck out his trying to limit the wear and ty, the Wimbledon cham- since pandemic rules were final batter, Caratini, for the tear on his left shoulder. pion, against No. 7 Iga Swi- implemented last year. second out of the eighth, AJ Pollock, who had a atek, No. 4 Karolina Plis- The Dodgers won for the before getting the hook great series offensively and kova against No. 6 Bianca 12th time in 13 games and for from manager Dave Rob- defensively, tripled leading Andreescu, Osaka against the 16th time in 18. They trail erts. off the fourth when his fly No. 5 Elina Svitolina, and the by Scherzer, a three-time ball glanced off the wrist of No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 2 1/2 games in the NL West Cy Young Award winner diving center fielder Grish- against No. 8 Barbora Kre- but enjoy an 11 1/2-game lead and eight-time All-Star, am. He scored on Cody Bell- TONY DEJAK | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS jcikova. for the first wild-card spot. improved to 1-0 in three inger’s sacrifice fly. ’ watches his RBI double next Main draw play starts San Diego has lost four starts against San Diego Grisham robbed Pollock to Jose Trevino during the first inning Monday with spectators straight and 12 of 14. It this season. He allowed 11 of a homer leading off the of a game on Thursday in Cleveland. allowed at full capacity, dropped two games behind runs in 10 2/3 innings in his ninth with a leaping catch a year after all fans were Cincinnati for the second two previous starts against against the fence. Pollock banned because of the coro- wild card. the Padres, both in July with robbed navirus pandemic. Scherzer hasn’t lost since Washington. of a two-run homer in the Zimmer’s 465-foot The No. 1-seeded Djokov- May 30 against Milwaukee, Darvish (7-8), activated series opener Tuesday ic is the first man to head a span of 13 starts that dates from the 10-day injured list night. to Flushing Meadows after to his time with Washing- before the game, allowed TRAINER’S ROOM: Dodgers — HR, big innings lead having won a season’s first ton. He is 4-0 in five starts four hits and five runs in Activated OF three major titles since Rod with the Dodgers since six innings, struck out six from the 10-day injured list, Laver went 4 for 4 at the being acquired on July 30 and walked one. and he was 0 for 3 with a Slams in 1969. That was along with infielder Trea Darvish walked Billy walk and two . Indians past Rangers Laver’s second true Grand Turner. McKinney leading off the He missed 16 games with Slam, after 1962; Don Budge Scherzer struck out the third and Barnes followed right hip inflammation. BY STEVE HERRICK in 1938 is the only other man side in the first and retired with a homer into the seats Also recalled LHP Darien The Associated Press to win all four majors in a his first seven batters before in left-center. Trea Turner Núñez and optioned INF INDIANS 10, Rangers 6 single year. Steffi Graf in Victor Caratini doubled hit a one-out double and and OF/INF Matt CLEVELAND — Brad- 1988 was the last woman down the right field line. scored on ’s Beaty to Triple-A Oklaho- ley Zimmer hit a two-run two runs in the second and to do it. The only other hit he gave double over the head of ma City. homer into the second deck two in the third, but Cleve- in right field to highlight land put together anoth- a four-run first inning and er four-run inning in the the Cleveland Indians beat fourth. the Texas Rangers 10-6 on Andrés Giménez’s RBI New England leads MLS into nal two months Thursday night. double gave Cleveland Zimmer’s 465-foot blast off the lead. Amed Rosa- BY ANNE M. PETERSON start,” Arena said Thursday. Jordan Lyles (6-11) hooked rio had a sacrifice fly and AP Sports Writer One of the breakout stars toward the foul pole and José Ramírez and Franmil for New England has been landed several rows back in Reyes added RBI singles as The New England Revo- 22-year-old Tajon Buchanan, the second deck at Progres- the Indians (63-62) moved lution are the surprising, who has six goals and four sive Field before bounding past .500 for the first time or maybe not so surprising, assists in 17 appearances. into the lower deck. since Aug. 2. leaders in Major League Soc- Buchanan’s transfer to Zimmer paused briefly Ramírez, whose fielding cer heading into the post-All- Club Brugge in Belgium was near the batters’ box as his error helped Texas tie it in Star Game stretch run. announced earlier this week, towering drive soared from the third, matched a career The once-struggling Revs but he will stay with the Revs the field of play before start- high with three stolen bas- have won 15 games, more for the rest of this season. He ing his home-run trot. es, and Reyes drove in two than any other team, and was also named to Canada’s “When you really get one runs. Myles Straw hit a lead- lead the Supporters’ Shield World Cup qualifying squad like that, it’s hard to take off home run in the first and race by seven points. They’re Thursday. off running,” he said with rookie hom- currently riding a nine-game “I think our goals are still a laugh. “You watch it a lit- ered in the fifth. unbeaten streak. the same today as they were tle bit and then go on your (3-0) New England also leads the before we started the season: way.” allowed one run in 2 2/3 league in goals with 44 — MATT STRASEN | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS we want to qualify for the Indians interim manager innings. including 11 in the last four Seattle Sounders forward Raul Ruidiaz (9) dribbles the ball upfield playoffs. And then secondly, DeMarlo Hale asked mem- Nick Solak and DJ Peters games — and assists with 46. as FC Dallas defender Nkosi Burgess (14) looks on in the second we’d like to have home field bers of the coaching staff if homered for Texas, which is It’s quite an improvement half during an MLS soccer match Aug. 18 on in Frisco, Texas. advantage in the playoffs as they had seen a ball hit in 9-28 since the All-Star break. after years of finishing in the well. So that’s the goal of our that location. Manager Chris Woodward bottom half of the standings. England earned a play-in tion defender Andrew Far- team for 2021,” Arena said. “We haven’t seen too admits there have been frus- The Revs haven’t finished spot and advanced to the rell said. “Largely, I think “We’re headed in that direc- many of them,” Hale said. trating days, but he has better than fifth in the East- semifinals before losing we’ve done a good job this tion. However, we realize the “Maybe (Jim) Thome went remained positive. ern Conference since 2014, to the eventual MLS CUP season where we’ve gotten next 12 games can certainly up there, I think someone “That’s my job,” he said. when they were the runners- champion Columbus Crew. a lot of points. But we obvi- change that.” said.” “That’s my job is to bring up. So maybe the recent suc- ously need to keep going and OUT WEST: It’s a much tighter Zimmer, who drove in it every day. When it comes New England (15-3-4) has cess isn’t all that much of a keep improving.” race in the Western Confer- three runs, has the two to being positive, I’m not turned around in the past surprise — rather a progres- Arena said the fact the Rev- ence. The Seattle Sounders longest home runs hit by a always smiling, but I’m two-plus seasons under sion. One of the league’s orig- olution have some “points in (12-3-6) are atop the table, in Cleveland player this sea- always optimistic about Bruce Arena, who was inal teams, New England has the bank” during this part of front of Sporting Kansas City son. He hit a 471-foot hom- moving this thing forward. hired as head coach in May never won the MLS Cup title. the season is positive. New (11-4-6). The teams in fifth to er to center field on Aug. 9 I have to be. That’s my 2019 after Brad Friedel was If they want that trophy, the England has 12 games left 11th place are only separated against Cincinnati in Cleve- responsibility to the orga- dismissed. Revs just have to keep it up. in the regular season, start- by six points. land, but couldn’t say which nization and to these play- Arena, a Hall of Famer who “It’s the second half of the ing with Saturday’s match The Sounders, who won was the best accomplish- ers, to the team.” has coached teams to five season, teams kind of know at Yankee Stadium against their second MLS Cup in ment. Lyles had his start moved MLS titles, took the Revs obviously where they are in NYCFC. 2019 and were runners-up “Oh man, the one tonight up a day after Spencer How- to the playoffs in his first the standings, you’ve either “We’re in a position where last season, had six players felt good, pretty good,” he ard was placed in healthy season, ending a three-year got to make up points or we have some margin for start in Wednesday night’s said. “It’s hard to choose. and safety protocols. The postseason drought. you got to hold on to the error as we finish off the All-Star Game, so there’s They were pretty much the right-hander allowed eight In the coronavirus-short- points and the positions regular season and that’s plenty of talent there to com- same feeling.” runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 ened season last year, New where you’re at,” Revolu- because we’ve had a good pete for another title. Texas tied the game with innings.