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 ASSOCIATED PRESS So Madrid, the record One of the biggest win- potential path — as deter- Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Max Scherzer works against a San Diego Padres 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 manager 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 Austin Barnes hit a two-run Juventus were only allowed richest clubs, with PSG in at Flushing Meadows. Osa- home run off Yu Darvish 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 Cody Bellinger 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 Justin Turner 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 San Francisco Giants 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. Cleveland Indians’ Franmil Reyes watches his RBI double next Main draw play starts San Diego has lost four starts against San Diego Grisham robbed Pollock to Texas Rangers catcher 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 Manny Machado 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 Mookie Betts 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 strikeouts. 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 AMERICAN LEAGUE 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 Gavin Lux and OF/INF Matt CLEVELAND — Brad- 1988 was the last woman down the right field line. scored on Corey Seager’s Beaty to Triple-A Oklaho- ley Zimmer hit a two-run two runs in the second and to do it.