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Raonic hits record 47 aces in opening win at Queen’s Club

Copyright Source: Yueke Tue, Jun 25, 2024
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LONDON (AP) — Milos Raonic delivered a record 47 aces and saved two match points to defeat Cameron Norrie in the first round at Queen’s Club on Monday.
Raonic’s 47 aces set an ATP record for a three-set match since the statistic began being recorded in 1991. The previous record was 45 aces, set by Ivo Karlovic against Tomas Berdych in Halle in 2015. Raonic’s previous best was 38 aces in 2011.
“My serve has always been the most important shot to me,” Raonic said. “This small record, it’s something special, something meaningful. A fun stat to be proud of.”
Former runner-up Norrie was defeated 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-6 (9) after holding match points in the final tiebreak.
Former world No. 3 Raonic has slipped to 186th in the rankings after three years of injury problems, but the Canadian still possesses one of the game’s most potent serves. He wasn’t broken.
Norrie had to endure a barrage of 225 kph (140 mph) serves before pouncing in the tiebreak, saving a set point before edging ahead. When Raonic immediately broke Norrie’s serve, the second set was decided.
In the third-set tiebreak, Norrie couldn’t convert two match points, and Raonic sealed the win with a forehand winner.
Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Holger Rune criticized the court as “terrible” after repeatedly slipping on the damp grass, leading to a three-set defeat to Jordan Thompson of Australia.
Thompson won 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Frances Tiafoe retired after a nasty fall while trailing Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.
Third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, the 2014 champion from Bulgaria, eased past Adrian Mannarino of France 6-1, 6-2.
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NEXT: Cubs sign veteran catcher Tomás Nido, designate Yan Gomes for assignment
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs signed veteran catcher Tomás Nido and designated Yan Gomes for assignment on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Nido was released by the New York Mets on Monday after being designated for assignment last week. He was hitting .229 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Nido, drafted by New York in 2012, was the second longest-tenured player on the team behind Brandon Nimmo. The 30-year-old catcher, who remained with the organization after being designated for assignment last June, thanked the Mets with a heart emoji on the social media platform X. Gomes, a 13-year veteran, is batting a career-low .154 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 34 games this season. Miguel Amaya has been getting most of the starts at catcher. The 36-year-old Gomes spent 2 1/2 seasons in Chicago, batting .241 with 20 homers and 101 RBIs in 236 games. He was an All-Star with Cleveland in 2018 and played on a World Series champion team with Washington in 2019. The Cubs also placed right-hander Keegan Thompson on the paternity list and recalled righty Porter Hodge. Thompson is 1-1 with one save and a 4.30 ERA in 11 games. ___ AP MLB:

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Washington has five players with at least 10 steals: Jacob Young (17), Lane Thomas (16), Winker, Trey Lipscomb (10), and CJ Abrams (10). The Brewers have four players with double-digit steals: Turang, Christian Yelich (15), Willy Adames (10), and Perkins (10). Cincinnati has De La Cruz on pace for 81 steals, which would be the highest total for any MLB player since 1988. The Reds have two more players with double-digit steals (Spencer Steer with 12, Jake Fraley with 11) and five others with at least six. These three teams don’t have anyone with more than 12 homers, so they’re finding other ways to generate offense. The Brewers’ win over the Reds on Sunday was a classic example. In the third inning, De La Cruz drew a two-out walk, stole a base, and scored from second on an errant pickoff attempt. Four innings later, Turang reached on an infield hit, stole second, advanced to third on a poor throw, and scored on Yelich’s bunt single. “Just different philosophies for different teams,” Cowgill said. “We’re more get on base and cause some chaos. So are the Brewers. So are the Nationals. I just think (it’s about) the way your team is built. If we had a 50-home run guy in the middle of the order, we might be less likely to steal bases when that guy’s at the plate.” ___ AP freelance writer Patrick Stevens contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:

Browns release Lonnie Phelps following his DUI arrest in Florida after crashing into restaurant

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns released defensive end Lonnie Phelps on Thursday following his arrest on drunken driving charges after he crashed his SUV into a Florida restaurant. The team did not address Phelps’ legal issues in its news release but mentioned that he spent all of 2023 on the practice squad. Phelps was charged with DUI and damaging property on Wednesday night after authorities reported that he drove into an outdoor lounge area at Red Shoe Island Bistro in Key West. According to a police report obtained by cleveland.com, he refused to take a breath test. The report also states that Phelps refused to cooperate with officers at the scene. The building’s owner estimated the damage at $300,000, according to cleveland.com. The 23-year-old Phelps played at Miami (Ohio) before transferring to Kansas. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns in January. Phelps participated in Cleveland’s minicamp last week. ___ AP NFL: