Sports News Roundup: Kenin battles into French Open semi-finals; Cheptegei, Gidey demolish world records in Valencia and more

The 22-year old, with the shout-out-loud name and the 100 mph fastball, is scheduled to start Thursday in a win-or-go-home National League Division Series Game 3 for the Marlins at Houston's Minute Made Park.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Kenin battles into French Open semi-finals

Fourth seed Sofia Kenin claimed her maiden French Open semi-final spot as she fought to a 6-4 4-6 6-0 victory against fellow American Danielle Collins on Wednesday. The Australian Open champion was kept on her toes for two sets by an opponent who had beaten her in their previous encounters before strolling through the decider to set up a clash with Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova.

Cheptegei, Gidey demolish world records in Valencia

Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei smashed the men's 10,000 meters world record and Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey demolished the women's 5,000 meters mark as the Valencia World Record Day event lived up to its name on Wednesday. Cheptegei crossed the line at a near-empty Turia stadium in a stunning 26 minutes 11.02 seconds to beat the time of 26:17:53 set in 2005 by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele by over six seconds.

Djokovic survives scare to beat Carreno Busta

World number one Novak Djokovic reached his 10th French Open semi-final but suffered an injury scare before beating Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 on Wednesday. A month after being defaulted for inadvertently striking a line judge with a ball while playing Carreno Busta in the U.S. Open fourth round, the 33-year-old Serbian found himself in trouble once again.

MLB playoff notebook: Marlins' Sanchez no stranger to Braves

LOS ANGELES -- Miami Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez has not been around long, but by the end of the day Thursday, he will have a rich history against the Atlanta Braves. The 22-year old, with the shout-out-loud name and the 100 mph fastball, is scheduled to start Thursday in a win-or-go-home National League Division Series Game 3 for the Marlins at Houston's Minute Maid Park.

Paris Masters to go ahead as planned

The Paris Masters will take place as scheduled from Oct. 31- Nov. 8 at the Accor Arena, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) confirmed. The tournament will welcome 1000 spectators per day in line with the COVID-19 health protocols in Paris.

With Suga's full-court press, optimism grows that Tokyo will hold Games

Aggressive lobbying by Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga has bolstered expectations within the government that the Olympic Games will go ahead next year, multiple insiders said, marking a sharp turnaround from just a few months ago. Suga has more flexibility in talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), one of the sources said because he is not tied to the promises of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, who told the public the Games would be held in "full form".

Practice makes perfect, as James fine-tunes strategy ahead of Game 5

An extra day off ahead of the NBA Finals Game 5 on Friday means more time for 16-time All-Star LeBron James to do what he loves best: prepare. After putting up 28 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists to extend the Los Angeles Lakers' lead over the Miami Heat to 3-1 in the NBA Finals on Tuesday, James said he relishes time spent fine-tuning his game - even under the pressure of a championship series.

Coe suggests Tokyo as future World Championships host city

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Thursday that he wants Tokyo to host an athletics World Championships in the National Stadium rebuilt for the 2020 Olympic Games "as soon as we possibly can". Coe was speaking during a visit to Tokyo to meet organizers of the 2020 summer Olympics - rearranged for next year due to the coronavirus pandemic - and toured the stadium earlier in the day.

Patriots cancel practice after another positive COVID-19 test

The New England Patriots canceled a practice scheduled for Wednesday after reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19, according to the National Football League's website. Gilmore, who played in the team's game on Monday against the Kansas City Chiefs, tested positive on Tuesday and underwent additional testing to confirm the result, the website reported.

Coaching is a family affair for Tsitsipas at Roland Garros

Stefanos Tsitsipas is coached by his father Apostolos but having his mother, who is also knowledgeable about tennis, around at the French Open has sometimes proved to be an overdose of information for the fifth-seeded Greek. Tsitsipas's father has been a regular at Roland Garros, wearing a mask bearing an image of his son, but the 22-year-old also has his mother Julia in Paris for this year's claycourt Grand Slam.