Sports in Brief: Nadal has momentum heading into U.S. Open
When the year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament begins Monday, none of the players in the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., will have as much momentum as No. 2-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain. The 12-time major-title winner has won his last 10 matches heading into the first round against 97th-ranked Ryan Harrison of the United States.
When the year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament begins Monday, none of the players in the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., will have as much momentum as No. 2-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain. The 12-time major-title winner has won his last 10 matches heading into the first round against 97th-ranked Ryan Harrison of the United States.
Another past U.S. Open champion on Monday's schedule is 2000-01 winner Venus Williams, a former No. 1 now ranked 60th who will take on recent Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. At night, Williams' younger sister Serena, the defending champion, will play 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic of Serbia are No. 1 seeds.
GOLF: Masters champion Adam Scott won the Barclays, playing bogey-free at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J., for a 5-under-par 66 and a 273 total. Tiger Woods suffered a back spasm on the 13th hole and finished 1 stroke back in a tie with Justin Rose, Graham DeLaet, and Gary Woodland.
New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko, 16, successfully defended her title in the Canadian Women's Open in Edmonton, Alberta, closing with a 6-under 64 at Royal Mayfair for a 5-stroke victory and her fourth win in pro events.
SAILING: Emirates Team New Zealand zipped through a thick fog and past Italy's Luna Rossa, capturing the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series, 7-1, in San Francisco and advancing to the America's Cup against defending champion Oracle Team USA. The best-of-17 series starts Sept. 7.
BASEBALL: Ryusei Hirooka lined a decisive two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning, Shunpei Takagi hit two solo home runs, and Tokyo beat Chula Vista, Calif., 6-4, to win the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa.
NBA: The 76ers hired Memphis Grizzlies player-development coach Lloyd Pierce for a similar position in the organization, according to league sources.
WNBA: Plenette Pierson scored 18 points and Cappie Pondexter added 14 as the New York Liberty kept their playoff hopes alive with a 74-66 win over the host Connecticut Sun.
NFL: New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has an injured right shoulder, will not play Thursday night against the visiting Eagles.
Free-agent quarterback Matt Leinart signed with Buffalo for undisclosed terms. Kevin Kolb left the Bills' game Saturday with concussion symptoms.
Green Bay released No. 2 quarterback Graham Harrell, making it likely that former Eagle Vince Young will open the season as Aaron Rodgers' backup.
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will start Thursday night in Oakland's preseason finale at Seattle.
Arizona released kicker Dan Carpenter, four days after signing him to compete with Jay Feely.
AUTO RACING: Matt Kenseth held off Kasey Kahne on Saturday in the Sprint Cup's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee - the third time this season they have gone 1-2.
Will Power earned his first win of the IndyCar season at Sonoma Raceway in California when he took advantage of a late penalty to Scott Dixon for injuring three members of Power's pit crew when he clipped a tire in the left hand of Power's tire holder.
- Staff and wire reports