Sports News Roundup: Andreescu will not defend U.S. Open title; Most Australian athletes against protest in Olympic competition and more

WTA roundup: Serena rallies past Venus in Lexington Serena Williams overcame a shaky opening set on Thursday to rally past her sister, Venus Williams, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals at The Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky. Serena Williams, the top seed in the event, improved to 19-12 in the all-time series between the sisters, winning the first meeting since the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Varner fires 62 to grab share of lead in North Carolina

Harold Varner III shot a bogey-free 62 in the first round of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday to sit atop the leaderboard alongside Tom Hoge and Roger Sloan. The North Carolina native had eight birdies in all - four on the front nine and four on the back - to finish eight under at the par-70 Sedgefield Country Club, two shots clear of Harris English.

NHL roundup: Jackets rebound, even series with Lightning

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Toronto. Defenseman Ryan Murray and Alexander Wennberg also scored, and Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who evened the series at one victory apiece after a crushing five-overtime defeat in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Most Australian athletes against protest in Olympic competition

A vast majority of Australian athletes believe messages of personal or political protest should not be delivered in Olympic competition or on the medallists' podium, a survey conducted by the country's athletes' commission said on Friday. More than 80% of 496 respondents said protesting on the field of play would "detract from the performance or experience of athletes", according to the survey by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Athletes' Commission.

Mixed Martial Arts: Cormier aims to reclaim UFC belt to crown storied career

Former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier intends to reclaim the belt he lost to Stipe Miocic when the two face off again in Las Vegas on Saturday, but regardless of the result, the 41-year-old says that this time he's retiring for good. Cormier is returning to the octagon for a third fight against Miocic, from whom he won the heavyweight belt in 2018 only to lose it in the rematch just over a year later. It was then that Cormier first walked away from the sport.

World number one Djokovic says will play at U.S. Open

World number one Novak Djokovic will compete at the Aug 31-Sept 13 U.S. Open and the Western & Southern Open curtain-raiser, the winner of 17 Grand Slam titles said in a statement on Thursday. His decision will come as good news for the U.S. Open organisers after several high-profile players, including former winners Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka, pulled out over issues related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Sister Act: Serena beats Venus to reach Lexington quarter-final

Serena Williams survived another scare to beat older sister Venus 3-6 6-3 6-4 on Thursday in the latest instalment of their reluctant on-court sibling rivalry to reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural Top Seed Open in Lexington, Kentucky. Serena, who in her first-round match of the spectator-free tournament was five points from defeat against world number 60 Bernarda Pera, had to rally back from a set down and 4-2 final set deficit to prevail in a thrilling battle.

Sputtering Blues brace for Game 2 versus Canucks

Losing the first game of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series doesn't put the defending champion St. Louis Blues on the ropes. However, another defeat at the hands of the upstart Vancouver Canucks in Friday's Game 2 in Edmonton would have the Blues in a rough spot.

WTA roundup: Serena rallies past Venus in Lexington

Serena Williams overcame a shaky opening set on Thursday to rally past her sister, Venus Williams, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals at The Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky. Serena Williams, the top seed in the event, improved to 19-12 in the all-time series between the sisters, winning the first meeting since the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open.

MLB roundup: Darvish dominates as Cubs edge Brewers

Yu Darvish carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 4-2 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. Brewers slugger Justin Smoak broke up Darvish's no-hit effort with one out in the seventh when he ripped a solo home run down the right-field line. The blast marked the only hit of the night against Darvish (3-1), who walked two and struck out 11 before yielding to the bullpen to start the eighth.

Andreescu will not defend U.S. Open title

Bianca Andreescu said on Thursday she will not defend her title at the U.S. Open in New York as the COVID-19 pandemic has compromised her ability to reach her highest level of form. The 20-year-old Canadian, who has not competed since she suffered a knee injury last October at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, joins a growing list of high-profile players to pull out of the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 event.

(With inputs from agencies.)