Sports
Coco Gauff rallies to reach third round at Dubai
Coco Gauff returns a shot in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinal match between Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Paolini won 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. No. 3 seed Coco Gauff rallied from a break down in both sets to defeat Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-4 in second-round action Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates.
Gauff overcame 12 double faults and 33 unforced errors in the 92-minute match, saving seven of 11 break points and converting six of her nine break chances.
“It wasn’t the prettiest one, but it was enough for today,” Gauff said. “It was pretty windy. I was just trying to adjust — both of us were struggling with consistency on the court.”
Kalinskaya led 2-0 in the opening set and 3-1 in the second set but was forced to take a medical timeout to treat her left leg in the first set. She finished with 45 unforced errors to only 11 winners.
Gauff called the victory a “confidence boost” heading into her third-round match with Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who posted a 6-2, 6-2 win against No. 14 seed Emma Navarro. Gauff is 4-0 head-to-head against Mertens.
“Just trying to find form again, which is tough,” Gauff said. “Obviously, Anna’s a tough opponent. She’s beaten some quality players, she beat me here a couple of years ago. I’m happy with how today went. Winning when you’re not playing your best is what I’m most proud of.”
No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan only needed 60 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell. Rybakina struck six aces and saved all three break points. Her opponent in the Round of 16 will be Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, who outlasted Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-1.
No. 4 Jessica Pegula swept the last nine games in a 6-4, 6-0 win against France’s Varvara Gracheva. Up next is fellow American and No. 16 seed Iva Jovic, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-0 winner against Russia’s Diana Shnaider.
“I was serving really well, hitting all my spots,” Pegula said. “I was doing a good job of getting ahead in the service games. I felt like I had a little bit of a window, mixing up my spots and kind of going for some bigger serves and maybe getting a couple of aces here and there.”
In other second-round action, No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia received a walkover win against Daria Kasatkina of Australia. No. 9 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland was also a walkover winner against Czech Sara Bejlek, while No. 7 Elina Svitolina won the first set 6-4 before Spain’s Paula Badosa retired.
Romania’s Sorana Cirstea defeated No. 10 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4; Poland’s Magda Linette took down No. 8 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; and No. 12 Clara Tauson of Denmark eliminated Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-4.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yale head coach Tony Reno steps down, cites health concerns
Oct 16, 2021; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Yale Bulldogs head coach Tony Reno yells to an official during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Tony Reno stepped down as head coach at Yale on Tuesday, citing health reasons for the end of his 14-year run with the Bulldogs.
Reno, 52, was hired as the coach of the Bulldogs in January 2012 and led the team to its first FCS playoff berth in 2025. He helped Yale overcome a 28-point deficit in the second half of a 43-42 victory over Youngstown State in the first round before the team fell to eventual national champion Montana State in the second.
“Given my current health situation, I have made the decision to step down as head coach of Yale Football,” Reno said in a statement. “When I arrived at Yale 14 years ago, I could never have imagined what this journey would become. The relationships formed, the moments shared, and the people I have been privileged to be surrounded by have changed my life and my family’s lives forever. I am deeply grateful to the players, the coaches, and the staff who gave everything they had to Yale Football.
“From the very beginning, I spoke about honoring the proud tradition of Yale Football and fully embracing the responsibility that comes with leading this program. Together, we pursued excellence and built something truly meaningful. I am incredibly proud of the foundation we laid and confident in the future of Yale Football. Serving as the head coach of this program has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Reno has guided Yale to five Ivy League titles and owns an 83-49 record during his time with the school. His win total trails only the legendary Carm Cozza in the history of the university.
“Coach Reno’s leadership has been truly transformational,” Bulldogs athletic director Vicky Chun said. “His impact on Yale Football, our department, and the university extends far beyond championships and wins — it lives in the countless people he has inspired. Coach Reno led with integrity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, giving his whole heart to this program every day. He cared deeply about his players as people, challenging them to excel on the field, in the classroom, and in life. Coach Reno’s devotion to Yale and to the young men he coached was total, and his legacy will endure for generations.”
Yale immediately will begin a national search for the program’s next head coach.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brooks Koepka adds Houston Open to return tour
Brooks Koepka looks over his putt on the 16th hole during Round 2 at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 6, 2026, at TPC Scottsdale. As Brooks Koepka carefully plots his path back to relevance on the game’s biggest stages, his return to the PGA Tour continues to provide a boost for the tour’s second-tier events.
The Texas Children’s Houston Open announced that Koepka has committed to the March 26-29 event along with Rickie Fowler and defending champion Min Woo Lee. Other marquee names who have committed to the Houston Open field include two-time 2026 winner Chris Gotterup, No. 26-ranked Si Woo Kim, Gary Woodland, Sungjae Im and Will Zalatoris.
However, it’s Koepka who will have the most on the line at Memorial Park Golf Course, which he played a significant role in helping re-design along with architect Tom Doak.
Koepka made his return to the PGA Tour with a tie for 56th at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. He followed that up with a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open, as he has drifted back to 257th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Currently ineligible for the tour’s signature events as well as The Players Championship, Koepka is attempting to work his way back up the world and FedEx Cup rankings through the second-tier events. His next start will come at the Cognizant Classic (Feb. 26-March 1), which the West Palm Beach, Fla. native considers his hometown event.
The Houston Open will serve as a warm-up to The Masters, which takes place April 9-12, and Koepka is exempt into all four majors through at least 2028.
The nine-time tour winner will return to the Houston Open for the first time since 2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Dominic Smith signs minor league deal with Braves
Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Dominic Smith (7) is congratulated in the dugout by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Journeyman first baseman Dominic Smith has joined the Braves’ spring training camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, according to multiple media reports.
Smith, 30, is a former first-round pick by the New York Mets in the 2013 MLB Draft. He played his first six seasons with the Mets, but has bounced between teams since, playing for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants in the last three seasons.
In 2025, Smith played 63 games with the Giants, hitting .284 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 33 RBIs.
Smith hit a career-best .316 with 10 homers in 50 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season with New York. Over 756 games spanning nine seasons, Smith has a .250 career batting average with 69 homers, 292 RBIs, 543 strikeouts and 185 walks.
He’s played 473 of his games at first base but also played 182 games in left field, although he hasn’t played there since 2021.
–Field Level Media
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