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Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka recorded a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win over unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday in the first round of the French Open in Paris.
Returning from a 15-month maternity break earlier this year, Osaka split the first two sets before winning the initial four games of the third. The Japanese star rebounded after dropping the next five games to win the next three to dispatch Bronzetti.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, admittedly was unaware of her potential second-round foe. For the record, the 26-year-old will face the winner of the Monday match pitting No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland or French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.
"After, I was, like, why does everyone keep asking me about this draw?" Osaka said after besting Bronzetti. "Then I knew that I was in the top half so, jokingly, I was, like, 'Well, it's not like I'm playing Iga.' Then everyone got quiet. So I was like, 'Oh.'"
Also on Sunday, ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia posted a 6-4, 7-5 win over Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.
No. 30 Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine rebounded from a first-set misstep to record a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia.
No. 29 Veronika Kudermetova of Russia wasn't as fortunate. Unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova notched a 6-2, 6-4 win over Kudermetova.
More must-reads:
- Can Danielle Collins keep up her momentum at the French Open?
- Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev win openers at French Open
- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
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NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
Chicago Cubs OF suffers big injury before trade deadline
The Chicago Cubs are down another bat with two days to go before the trade deadline on Thursday. The Cubs had more frustrating injury news to reveal after a second-straight loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The Brewers defeated Chicago 9-3 in front of 40,136 fans at American Family Field to take a two-game lead over the Cubs for first place in the NL Central. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs thought they received good news on Ian Happ after x-rays came back negative on the outfielder’s shin. “Happ got x-rays that were negative after fouling a ball off his left shin,” Rogers posted on X. “Was limping some just now in the Cubs room. Jackson Chourio (hammy spasm) says he’s feeling better. Doesn’t think it’s serious.” Chicago Cubs to put Ian Happ on IL About an hour later, Rogers reported that Chicago is expected to put Happ on the injured list. The Cubs are set to call up Moises Ballesteros from Iowa. “Looks like the Happ injury might require an IL stint,” Rogers posted. “The team is calling up Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A, per a source. He’s hitting .331 down there. He had a cup of coffee with the big league team earlier this year.” Happ’s injury comes at a time when the Cubs are looking to trade for an extra bat. Chicago needs help on offense with inconsistency coming from rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. Happ was batting .227 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. Bottom line, the Cubs need to make some moves by Thursday if this team wants to compete for the NL Central, much less a World Series.
Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shatters Expectations at World Junior Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
Indiana Fever Flex Kelsey Mitchell After She Torched Chicago Sky in Caitlin Clark's Absence
On Sunday, the Indiana Fever took on the Chicago Sky at United Center. Normally, this matchup would mean the latest installment in the budding rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. However, Clark was still unable to play due to a strained groin, and Reese didn't suit up either because of a back injury. The Fever still managed to win, 93-78, and they improved their record to 14-12 after their fifth win in their last seven games. Guard Kelsey Mitchell was the big reason that they were able to push past the Sky so easily, as she had arguably her best performance of this season. Mitchell exploded once again with Clark out of action Mitchell recently got her third consecutive WNBA All-Star Game nod earlier this month. On Sunday, she validated that berth with 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from 3-point range, six assists and three steals in Indiana's victory. With Clark in and out of the lineup, Mitchell has stepped up her offensive game over the last few weeks, and the Fever reminded people with a post on X that she is the league's leading scorer in July. Overall, she's averaging 20.2 points a game on the season, which is currently third in the WNBA, and over her last 13 games, she has put up an average of 23.1 points a game. Mitchell's exploits have come at an opportune time This is the time of the season during which WNBA teams need to start watching the standings and concern themselves with playoff seeding. With Mitchell turning into a microwave lately, the Fever have the sixth-best record in the league. The race for the final playoff spots is tight, as they lead the joint eighth-placed Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics by just one game, but Mitchell has been keeping them afloat while their franchise player recuperates. There is no timetable for Clark's return, and she will not play on Wednesday when Indiana faces the Phoenix Mercury. Indiana will then start a four-game road trip with games versus the Dallas Wings, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks and the Mercury. If Mitchell remains hot, she could perhaps buy more time for Clark to fully heal before she returns. That would pay off for the Fever in the long run as the postseason approaches.
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