Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff reach quarterfinals in Stuttgart
Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates after winning her match against Germany's Jule Niemeier in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Bernd Weisbrod/dpa via AP)
United States' Coco Gauff returns the ball to Germany's Ella Seidel during their Stuttgart tennis tournament tennis match, in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Bernd Weißbrod/dpa via AP)
United States' Coco Gauff returns the ball to Germany's Ella Seidel during their Stuttgart tennis tournament tennis match, in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Bernd Weißbrod/dpa via AP)
Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates after winning her match against Germany's Jule Niemeier in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Bernd Weisbrod/dpa via AP)
United States' Coco Gauff returns the ball to Germany's Ella Seidel during their Stuttgart tennis tournament tennis match, in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Bernd Weißbrod/dpa via AP)
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Third-ranked Jessica Pegula cruised into the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Magdalena Frech on Thursday.
Pegula, who won the Charleston Open title this month, needed just 59 minutes to oust her Polish opponent at the indoor clay-court tournament.
Advertisement
The third-seeded American will next face Ekaterina Alexandrova in a rematch of their Charleston semifinal. Alexandrova advanced by beating sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.
Fourth-seeded Coco Gauff also won 6-1, 6-1, eliminating Ella Seidel in 57 minutes to set up a quarterfinal match against fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini, who advanced with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Jule Niemeier.
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, had a walkover to the quarterfinals after Anastasia Potapova withdrew because of injury. Sabalenka will face Elise Mertens.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Colton Cowser homers in return from broken thumb as the Orioles beat the Mariners 5-1
Seattle Mariners' Rowdy Tellez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser jogs the bases after hitting a home run off Seattle Mariners pitcher Eduard Bazardo (83) during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser jogs the bases after hitting a home run off Seattle Mariners pitcher Eduard Bazardo (83) during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Seattle Mariners' Rowdy Tellez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser jogs the bases after hitting a home run off Seattle Mariners pitcher Eduard Bazardo (83) during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) SEATTLE (AP) — Colton Cowser homered in his first game since being activated from the 60-day injured list as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Tuesday night. Cowser, who hadn't played in a major league game since March 30 due to a broken left thumb, cranked a solo shot to left field in the sixth inning for his second home run. It was Cowser's first home run since March 29, and came shortly after Mariners right-hander George Kirby (0-3) exited after taking a line drive off his face. Advertisement The Orioles tagged Kirby for two runs, one in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Ramón Urías and another in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Ryan O'Hearn. Baltimore added two more run in the ninth inning. Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (5-3), meanwhile, was superb. The 35-year-old rookie yielded just one run across seven innings, with the lone blemish being a solo home run by Seattle first baseman Rowdy Tellez. The Mariners struggled against the Orioles' bullpen before dropping their 27th game of the season. Key moment With two outs in the fifth inning, Kirby threw a fastball inside to Urías, which he promptly ripped right back up the middle. The baseball made contact with Kirby's face, and he immediately jogged off the field as blood flowed from his mouth. Kirby did not return for the sixth inning. Advertisement Key stat Cowser has reached base safely in all seven career games against Seattle. He's gone 8 for 20 against the Mariners with two doubles, three RBIs and seven walks. Up next Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock (2-2, 5.64 ERA) starts Wednesday. Right-hander Cade Povich (1-4, 5.29) will start for the Orioles in the second game of the three-game set. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A leaping catch, happy tears, and a win: How TJ Friedl saved the Reds
Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz, left, and TJ Friedl, right, celebrate at the conclusion of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl reacts after catching a fly ball at the wall to end the game in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl catches a fly ball at the wall to end the game in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl celebrates at the conclusion of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl celebrates at the conclusion of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz, left, and TJ Friedl, right, celebrate at the conclusion of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl reacts after catching a fly ball at the wall to end the game in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl catches a fly ball at the wall to end the game in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl celebrates at the conclusion of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar) CINCINNATI (AP) — In what has been a frustrating first season with the Cincinnati Reds, manager Terry Francona was able to shed some happy tears Tuesday night courtesy of a game-saving catch. TJ Friedl made a leaping grab in center field for the final out to rob pinch-hitter Jake Bauers of a tying home run in the Reds' 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Advertisement 'We couldn't tell if Friedl caught it. We were just kinda goin' on his body language,' Francona said. 'That was certainly a nice feeling. You may have seen a grown man cry.' The Reds appeared to lock up the win when Caleb Durbin hit a grounder to Elly De La Cruz, but the shortstop's throw to first base was high and sailed into the camera well for an error, allowing Durbin to reach second base. Bauers got ahead in the count 2-1 before he got the barrel on a fastball by Emilio Pagán. According to MLB's Statcast, the ball had a 95% hit probability, but Friedl did a nice job of tracking it and timed his jump perfectly to help the Reds snap a three-game losing streak. 'I knew it was hit well off the bat. I think it was probably when I was coming close to the warning track that I thought, I could have a chance at this,' Friedl said. Advertisement Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy brought in Bauers because of his experience in late-game situations. It almost resulted in the third pinch-hit homer of his career. 'It's hard to get it out of here in center when it gets later in the evening. It was such a line drive I knew it was going to be close,' Murphy said after the Brewers had their eight-game winning streak snapped. 'It was a great play by Friedl. You play to the last pitch and he made it.' It was the second time in three years Friedl made a homer-saving catch in center at Great American Ball Park. The previous time came against the club Francona managed for 11 seasons, when Friedl robbed Cleveland's Ramón Laureano of a two-run shot during the third inning on Aug. 16, 2023. Friedl and the other Reds outfielders worked on making plays at the wall before Monday's series opener against Milwaukee. When he robbed Laureano, they practiced it before that game, too. Advertisement 'Maybe we should work on it a lot,' Friedl said. Francona wasn't the only one relieved. Pagán thought he made a great pitch to Bauers. 'I didn't realize he hit it so well. I turned around and saw that TJ was making a sprint. The way this game works, you prepare and do the right things,' Pagán said. The win improved the Reds' record to 30-32 with a chance to snap a string of 11 consecutive series losses to the Brewers. Cincinnati is nine games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and four back in the wild-card race. Whether Friedl's heroics can serve as a catalyst for a win streak remains to be seen. Advertisement 'Your guess is as good as mine. We're just going to continue to go out every day and control what we can control and play our game. And then we'll see what ends up,' Friedl said. 'It's a long season, so we're going to continue to go out there and play the best baseball.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Is FIFA's Club World Cup the Biggest Flop in Soccer History?
Is FIFA's Club World Cup the Biggest Flop in Soccer History? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The FIFA Club World Cup 2025, set to dazzle in the U.S., is stumbling out of the gate with lackluster ticket sales, even after slashing group-stage prices by up to 50% [The Athletic]. Fans appear unmoved by the expanded 32-team tournament, leaving stadiums at risk of echoing emptiness. Supporters aren't buying the hype, or the $30 tickets, per The Athletic. Advertisement FIFA's bold revamp, hosting 63 matches across 11 American cities from June 14 to July 13, aimed to rival the Champions League's prestige [The Athletic]. Yet, despite featuring heavyweights like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, the tournament struggles to fill seats. Dynamic pricing, a controversial strategy adjusting costs based on demand, has backfired. High initial prices, some reaching $2200 for the final, alienated fans [The Athletic]. FIFA responded by cutting semi-final tickets to $140 and final tickets to $300, but empty seats loom large, especially at venues like the 90,000-capacity Rose Bowl. Manchester City, the 2023 champions, face Juventus, Wydad AC, and Al Ain in Group G, yet even their star power hasn't sparked demand [The Athletic]. Fans on X express frustration, with some calling the event a 'flop' and others skeptical about traveling across the U.S. for matches [X]. The lack of media buzz from outlets like BBC and Sky Sports further dims the tournament's shine per BBC, Sky Sports. LAFC secured their place among soccer's elite teams in the Club World CupPhoto byFIFA's marketing ties ticket packs to 2026 World Cup access, a desperate bid to boost sales. A standard pack offers two to three matches, while the Super Ticket Pack, covering 20 matches, guarantees a 2026 final ticket [The Athletic]. Still, fans remain wary, burned by high costs and logistical hurdles like travel and accommodation. Advertisement The tournament's timing, clashing with the CONCACAF Gold Cup, adds to the challenge. UEFA's frustration with FIFA's scheduling changes, noted by The Athletic, highlights organizational tensions [The Athletic]. Meanwhile, FIFA gifted 30,000 Los Angeles tickets to first responders, a move to fill seats amid the wildfires' aftermath. Social media posts on X reveal doubts about the tournament's value, with one user lamenting, 'Half-empty stadiums and terrible atmosphere' [X]. The lack of coverage from and UEFA's platforms underscores the event's struggle to capture attention per FIFA's $1 billion prize pool, with winners potentially earning $125 million, hasn't translated to fan excitement [The Athletic]. As the June kickoff nears, the Club World Cup risks becoming a costly misstep. Will FIFA's gamble on U.S. audiences pay off, or will this global showcase fizzle out? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
