Sports
Aryna Sabalenka continues winning ways in China Open
Sept 7, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA Aryna Sabalenka with the US Open Trophy after beating Jessica Pegula (USA) in the women’s singles final on day thirteen of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka extended her winning streak to 14 matches with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ashlyn Krueger on Monday in the third round of the China Open in Beijing.
Sabalenka, of Belarus, won 71.8 percent of her first-serve points to dispatch Krueger in 74 minutes.
“Maybe right now I’m not playing my best, best tennis,” Sabalenka said, “but I think the way I’m controlling my emotions and the way I’m holding myself sometimes is really helping me to stay in most of the matches, in those difficult situations to keep fighting and keep playing my best tennis.”
Sabalenka’s win streak is one shy of her career-best of 15, compiled between Ostrava 2020 and Abu Dhabi 2021.
The reigning Australian Open and U.S. Open champion will next face 18th-seeded Madison Keys, who secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over 13th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Also on Monday, former No. 1 Naomi Osaka fired five aces to breeze to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Katie Volynets. The victory set up a round of 16 match against fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
“It’s going to be a really cool test for me,” Osaka said of facing Gauff. “She’s played really well this year. I’m excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match.”
Russian Anna Kalinskaya held a 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 lead on Peyton Stearns before the latter retired from their match.
Fifth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China saved five break points in the third game of her match and cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nadia Podoroska of Argentina.
“When I enter on court, I understand sometimes my form is not that good, forehand or backhand is not that good,” Zheng said. “But I think the trick is to find a way to resolve this. Of course, this is in my mind. I will try hard not to be distracted by any factors. In the past I lost because I was affected by these factors. But now when I’m on court, I’m focused on how to resolve these issues, focused on each point. I can actually execute that.”
She will face 34th-seeded Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of their U.S. Open first-round encounter. Zheng won that match in three sets.
Ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia and 16th-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia fell in their respective third-round matches.
Anisimova improved to 5-0 all-time versus Kasatkina with a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win.
No. 17 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia overcame a first-set stumble to post a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Vekic.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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