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ATP roundup: Carlos Alcaraz holds off qualifier in Doha

Tennis: Australian OpenJan 22, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain gestures during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals of the men’s singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz withstood a charge from qualifier Luca Nardi for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Wednesday.

Spain’s Alcaraz, ranked No. 3 in the world, converted 5 of 11 break-point opportunities, to 2 of 5 for Italy’s Nardi, who had five double faults. Alcaraz won the opening set and was up 4-1 in the second when Nardi, No. 85 in the world, roared back to force a third set.

Alcaraz, winner of 12 straight matches at ATP 500 events, next faces Czech Jiri Lehecka, who ousted Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-2. Second-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia, fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia and eighth-seeded Jack Draper of Great Britain all won matches in straight sets.

Italy’s Matteo Berrettini eliminated the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-4, and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime won in walkover of Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, who withdrew due to a right leg injury.

Rio Open

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany survived a stiff second-round test in Rio de Janeiro, edging Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 7-6 (1), 7-6 (6).

An 18-point opening game set the tone for the tight match, which lasted 2 hours, 28 minutes despite concluding in straight sets. Shevchenko led 6-4 in the second-set tiebreaker, but Zverev won the next four points (two of them set points for Shevchenko) to wrap up the win.

Fifth-seeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina, the defending champion, pulled out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over countryman Mariano Navone. Another Argentine, Francisco Comesana, saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker and upset sixth-seeded Nicolas Jarry of Chile 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 7-6 (6).

In the last match of the night, Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro faced Taiwan’s Chun-Hsin Tseng.

–Field Level Media

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D.C. United, with help from Toronto, get in win column

Jul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) plays the ball against the Toronto FC during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) plays the ball against the Toronto FC during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in Washington.

Baribo’s game-winner came after Toronto’s Jackson Gilman was called for tripping Andre Dozzell in the middle of the penalty box. The call came on a VAR review.

Baribo’s penalty shot was low and inside the left post, out of the reach of Toronto keeper Luka Gavran, who finished with six saves. It was Baribo’s 10th goal this season.

Against his former team, Sean Johnson had six saves as D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) snapped a five-match winless streak, which included ties in their previous three games.

D.C. also enhanced its position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after entering the match holding the bottom rung of the playoff ladder.

Theo Corbeanu scored in the 76th minute for Toronto (3-7-7, 16 points), which also was victimized by an own goal as its winless streak reached 11 games.

D.C. United extended Toronto’s winless streak in Washington to 10 games as well, with the Reds’ last win in D.C. coming in 2016.

D.C. worked for several quality opportunities in the first half before finally cashing in off a corner kick. From the right side, Keisuke Kurokawa sent an in-swinger into the goal area.

Toronto’s Kobe Franklin rose amid a pack of players and inadvertently headed his attempt to clear just inside the left post in the 41st minute.

D.C. United center back Kye Rowles was initially credited with the score before officials switched it to an own goal.

Toronto had difficulty breaking through against Johnson. But after the 37-year-old made two brilliant saves in the second half, the Reds finally cashed in.

The opportunity came after D.C. defender Matti Peltola was called for a foul just outside the penalty box. Walker Zimmerman crossed to Jonathan Osorio, whose header from close range was blocked by Johnson.

But the rebound came to Corbeanu in the middle of the box and his left-footed shot hit the top middle of the net.

It was the first goal for the Reds after playing two scoreless draws following the World Cup pause.

–Field Level Media

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Alan Roden provides only runs in Twins' low-scoring defeat of A's

Jul 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) throws to the Athletics in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) throws to the Athletics in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Alan Roden delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning, and that was all the Minnesota Twins needed for a 2-0 win over the Athletics on Saturday evening in Minneapolis.

Ryan Kreidler doubled and stole a base for Minnesota, which evened the series at one win apiece. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Jeff McNeil accounted for two of the Athletics’ three hits with a pair of doubles.

Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers (6-3) earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. Rogers followed starter Kendrys Rojas, who allowed one hit in four scoreless innings.

Athletics right-hander Mason Barnett (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez fired a scoreless ninth to pick up his 13th save.

After five scoreless innings, Minnesota had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth when Barnett got Victor Caratini to pop out to shallow left field for the second out of the inning.

Roden stepped to the plate and delivered a two-out, two-run single to right field. He pumped his fist as his line-drive hit found an opening between first and second base and allowed Josh Bell and Royce Lewis to score standing up.

The Athletics tried to mount a comeback in the top of the eighth.

Twins reliever Andrew Morris walked the leadoff hitter, Lawrence Butler. Morris snared a one-hop comebacker by Jacob Wilson in the next at-bat and wheeled toward second base to try to start a double play, but his throw sailed wide into right-center field.

Morris’ throwing error put runners at second and third with nobody out. He settled down after a visit from Twins pitching coach Pete Maki and retired the next three batters by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom and getting Jonah Heim to ground out to short.

That proved to be the Athletics’ last chance to tie or take the lead as they went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven on base.

-Field Level Media

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Hunter Brown in control, Astros down White Sox for 5th straight

Jul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Hunter Brown allowed two hits over seven shutout innings and Isaac Paredes drove in three runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-1 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Jeremy Pena was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Paredes 2-for 4 for the Astros, who have won five straight, including the first two of the three-game weekend series.

The White Sox, who managed five hits, have lost three of their last four.

They threatened in the eighth with runners on second and third and two out, but reliever Bennett Sousa replaced Bryan Abreu and got pinch hitter Randall Grichuk on a pop up to first.

After Colson Montgomery’s RBI single in the ninth, Josh Hader came in to get the last two outs for his 12th save.

Brown (2-1) finished strong, setting down 12 consecutive batters from the fourth through seventh innings. The right-hander did not walk a batter and struck out seven as he fired 60 strikes in 90 pitches.

Chicago starter Sean Burke (7-5) surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings with a walk and 10 strikeouts.

It was a 0-0 pitcher’s duel through five with Burke also retiring 12 in a row, from the second through the fifth, but heading for trouble.

The streak was broken when Burke hit Cam Smith leading off the sixth. Pena’s single and a walk to Yordan Alvarez loaded the bases. Paredes then grounded a single to right that got past right fielder Braden Montgomery for an error that also allowed Alvarez to score, for a 3-0 Houston lead, and Paredes to reach third.

Burke then limited the damage by getting Jose Altuve on a groundout and striking out LaMonte Wade Jr. and Christian Walker.

Paredes added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 4-0.

White Sox left fielder Sam Antonnaci robbed Paredes, who was leading off the fourth, of a likely home run with a leaping catch of Paredes’ long drive by pulling the ball in just above the fence.

–Field Level Media

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