Sports
WTA roundup: Jessica Pegula cruises into Austin semifinals
Jessica Pegula delivers a serve to Arantxa Rux in the first set of their opening round match at the ATX Open on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at Westwood Country Club. Pegula, the tournament’s top seed, won 6-3, 3-2 when Rux retired in the second set. Top-seeded Jessica Pegula needed just 58 minutes on Friday to post a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Russia’s Anna Blinkova to reach the semifinals of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas.
Pegula won 76.9 percent of her first-serve points and converted 5 of 7 break points while cruising to the victory. She is into her second semifinal of the season, the other coming at Adelaide where she eventually lost to Madison Keys in the final in January.
Pegula will next face Australian wild card Ajla Tomljanovic, who outlasted Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8) in their quarterfinal match. Tomljanovic saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker while winning four of the final five points.
In other Friday quarterfinals, fifth-seeded McCartney Kessler will face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and American Caroline Dolehide will meet Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
Merida Open Akron
Elina Avanesyan of Armenia converted 9 of 14 break points while rallying for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Australian qualifier Maya Joint in Merida, Mexico.
Avanesyan dominated the third set by winning 30 of the 44 total points. She will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between top-seeded Emma Navarro and Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, slated for later Friday.
Also on Friday’s docket are quarterfinal matches between Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova and Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, and another involving second-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain against qualifier Daria Saville of Australia.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Timo Werner's brace propels San Jose past St. Louis City
Apr 22, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Timo Werner (11) celebrates scoring the team’s second goal against Austin FC in the second half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Timo Werner’s brace late in the second half Saturday night enabled the visiting San Jose Earthquakes to rally for a 3-2 win over St. Louis City SC.
San Jose (9-1-0, 27 points) trailed 2-1 when Werner went to work. After Conrad Wallem was called for a foul in the box, Werner went to the spot and wired his shot into the upper left corner past Roman Burki in the 69th minute.
Fourteen minutes later, Werner supplied the match-winner with Ousseni Bouda providing service to the left side of the box. Werner’s right-footed shot found the mark, enabling the Earthquakes to improve to 6-0-0 on the road and maintain MLS’ best record.
San Jose overcame an early injury to goalie Earl Edwards Jr., starting his first match of the year, that forced coach Bruce Arena to insert Daniel in the 24th minute. Edwards made two saves and Daniel finished with one.
St. Louis (1-5-3, 6 points) controlled the ball most of the night, compiling a possession rate of 56.4%, and finished with a 17-10 advantage in shots. It converted those numbers into a second-half lead, thanks to Marcel Hartel.
In the 52nd minute, Hartel’s slick feed in the box teed up Sergio Cordova for his first goal to level the match. Hartel then put St. Louis ahead 2-1 when Simon Becher collected a turnover and fed him at the top of the box. Hartel’s curling shot slithered between Daniel and the right post.
It was precisely that kind of scoring St. Louis has lacked in struggling out of the gate. It came into the fixture with only seven goals. Hartel said on Thursday that finding ways to finish was a focus of the team during training this week.
St. Louis drove play early but the Earthquakes scored first. Striker Preston Judd turned Nick Fernandez’s pass into the middle of the box into his team-high sixth goal eight minutes into the match, a margin they carried into halftime.
The result was San Jose’s first victory in seven all-time meetings with St. Louis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies snap 10-game skid with extra-inning defeat of Braves
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) runs to third on an RBI triple against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Bryce Harper’s bases-loaded single in the 10th inning drove in two runs and sparked the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday to end their 10-game losing streak.
After Tyler Kinley (3-1) started the inning with a walk and left-hander Jose Suarez walked the first batter he faced, Harper, who was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, lined a sinker into left to drive in automatic runner Garrett Stubbs and Trea Turner. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run single to widen the lead and help the Phillies win their first game since April 13.
Brady Keller (1-0) retired all four batters he faced, and Kyle Backhus pitched the 10th, allowing one run on two hits.
Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler made his first appearance since August 15 of last year after missing time due to undergoing surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks, striking out six. He left after throwing 84 pitches.
Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder pitched seven innings, matching his season high, and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk, striking out two.
The Phillies scored a run in the first inning when Harper walked with two outs and scored when Adolis Garcia lined a ball to left field that Mike Yastrzemski missed on a dive for an RBI triple.
Philadelphia scored another run in the fourth inning when Bryson Stott smacked a triple off the right-field brick wall to score Brandon Marsh.
Atlanta tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Michael Harris II hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and Austin Riley followed with an RBI double, knocking in the 500th run of his career.
The Phillies regained the lead in the fifth. Rafael Marchan singled and came around to score on Harper’s infield single which snapped Philadelphia’s 0-for-18 drought with runners in scoring position against the Braves this season.
The Braves took their first lead in the sixth, scoring twice against reliever Tanner Banks on an RBI double from Ozzie Albies and a run-scoring single from Harris.
The Phillies evened the game 4-4 in the eighth against Dylan Lee. Kyle Schwarber tripled when center fielder Eli White slipped on the wet turf and allowed the ball to get past him. He scored on Harper’s sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Timberwolves' Donte DiVincenzo (leg), Anthony Edwards (knee) exit early in win over Nuggets
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) celebrates after a three-pointer during the second half against the Denver Nuggets in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo was ruled out after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter and was late joined on the sidelines by injured teammate Anthony Edwards in the first half of Saturday’s 112-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their playoff series in Minneapolis.
DiVincenzo sustained the injury on a non-contact play 79 seconds into the game. He planted his foot to go toward a loose ball, and he quickly went down as he grabbed toward the back of his right leg.
The team ruled out DiVincenzo before the end of the first quarter. ESPN reported that DiVincenzo, who left the arena at halftime in a wheelchair, hasa torn right Achilles.
Edwards, a four-time All-Star, appeared to hyperextend his left knee while leaping to defend Nuggets wing Cam Johnson’s drive to the basket with 2:43 remaining in the second quarter. He landed awkwardly and grabbed his left knee. Edwards was helped to the locker room.
Minnesota ruled him out for the rest of the game just after halftime. Edwards, who had five points and three rebounds in 18 minutes, is slated to get an MRI to determine the injury’s severity.
The Timberwolves lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, with Game 5 on Monday in Denver.
DiVincenzo averaged 12.2 points per game and shot 37.9% from 3-point range during the regular season. He averaged 14.3 points in the first three games of the playoff series against the Nuggets.
-Field Level Media
