Sports News Roundup: Motor racing-Mercedes hope for more dominance, less drama in France; Tennis-Federer loses to Auger-Aliassime in Halle and more

The 39-year-old impressed on his return to competitive action on grass for the first time since 2019 on Monday when he beat qualifier Ilya Ivashka in straight sets. Motor racing-Ocon signs up to stay at Alpine F1 until 2024 French driver Esteban Ocon will stay with Alpine until 2024, the Renault-owned Formula One team said on Wednesday ahead of his home grand prix at Le Castellet.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-U.S. name McDowell and Knibb in triathlon team for Tokyo

The United States will look to Kevin McDowell and Morgan Pearson to end an Olympic podium shutout in the triathlon after USA Triathlon named its lineup for the Tokyo Games on Wednesday.

McDowell and Pearson will be joined in Tokyo by three women, Summer Rappaport, Taylor Knibb and former world champion Katie Zaferesthe, the only team member who also took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Motor racing-Mercedes hope for more dominance, less drama in France

Formula One fans may groan but Mercedes will be hoping for more dominance and a lot less drama at the French Grand Prix this weekend after their street race setbacks in Monaco and Azerbaijan. Le Castellet's Paul Ricard circuit is loved more for its history and location, perched on a plateau above the Mediterranean coast in the sunny south of France, than its layout.

Athletics-Relief, excitement at U.S. Olympic trials after long wait

Olympic veterans and hopefuls alike collide in Eugene, Oregon, this week as America's top athletes vie for a spot on Team USA, after a nerve-fraying year of coronavirus delay that posed challenges on and off the track. "Learning how to cope and learning how to get the best out of yourself over the most extreme pressure is part of our selection process," said three-times Olympian Jenny Simpson, who picked up bronze in the 1500m in Rio five years ago.

Tennis-Wimbledon cuts 2021 prize purse by 5%, tickets go on sale on Thursday

Prize money for this year's Wimbledon will be a little over 35 million pounds ($49.4 million), a 5.2% reduction from 2019 when the grasscourt Grand Slam was last held, organisers said on Wednesday. Wimbledon was the only major to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will this year return in its usual slot with the main draw starting on June 28.

Olympics-Japan to decide soon on domestic spectators

Japan will decide this month on whether to allow domestic spectators at the Tokyo Olympics, the government's chief spokesman said on Wednesday, after experts signed off on a plan to allow crowds of up to 10,000 people at events. The final call on attendance at the Games will be made taking into account coronavirus infection conditions and the prevalence of variants, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

Tennis-Federer loses to Auger-Aliassime in Halle

Roger Federer's bid for an 11th title on the Halle grass was cut short by 20-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime as he fell away after a fine start to 4-6 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday. The 39-year-old impressed on his return to competitive action on grass for the first time since 2019 on Monday when he beat qualifier Ilya Ivashka in straight sets.

Motor racing-Ocon signs up to stay at Alpine F1 until 2024

French driver Esteban Ocon will stay with Alpine until 2024, the Renault-owned Formula One team said on Wednesday ahead of his home grand prix at Le Castellet. The announcement rules out Ocon as a potential Mercedes driver, with the reigning world champions having him under contract as a youngster and reserve before his move to the French team.

Athletics-Bromell, Gatlin, Lyles, Baker - high stakes in 100m at USA trials

A field overflowing with talent has all eyes on the men's 100 metres as the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials kicks off on Friday. At stake in Eugene, Oregon, is not only a spot on Team USA but a chance to claim some of the spotlight left behind by Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who retired in 2017 with eight Olympic golds as the planet's most famous and beloved sprinter.

MLB roundup: Astros top Rangers on Jose Altuve's 10th-inning slam

Jose Altuve clubbed a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning as the Houston Astros rallied for a 6-3 victory over the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Altuve socked his 13th home run into the Crawford Boxes in left field off Texas reliever Demarcus Evans (0-2), answering the solo run Texas scored off Astros closer Ryan Pressly (3-1) in the top of the 10th.

Soccer-Euro starter dishes provide just enough to whet the appetite

Cristiano Ronaldo is a match-winner, France are better than Germany and Spain can pass the ball all day without scoring -- there really haven't many surprises after the first round of matches in Euro 2020. With all 24 nations in the tournament having played their opening game, the answer to the question "What have we learnt?" is "Not very much that we didn't already know".

(With inputs from agencies.)