Reuters Sports News Summary

Germany's Steffi Graf is the only player to have won all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal in the same year but the 34-year-old Serbian is three fifths of the way there.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Softball-Japan, U.S. off to 2-0 start as action wraps in Fukushima

Hosts Japan earned an extra-innings victory against Mexico on their ace's 39th birthday and the second day of softball at the Tokyo Games, joining United States at 2-0 in the standings. Australia later on Thursday defeated Italy, who dropped to 0-2 and have yet to score a run in the tournament.

WTA roundup: Katarzyna Kawa keeps Polish hope alive in Gdynia

Katarzyna Kawa kept a home-soil run alive when she upset No. 3 seed Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-2, 6-4 in the second round Thursday at the BNP Paribas Poland Open in Gdynia. Kawa, ranked No. 143 in the world, had little trouble as she converted five of nine break points and won 64 percent of her first-serve points (27 of 42) against Begu to advance to the quarterfinals.

NFL-COVID-19 outbreaks among non-vaccinated players could mean forfeits

The National Football League informed its teams on Thursday that COVID-19 outbreaks among non-vaccinated players during the 2021 season could lead to forfeits and loss of pay if games cannot be rescheduled. According to a memo sent by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the league has no plans to add a 19th week to the regular 18-week season to accommodate any games that cannot be rescheduled.

Novak Djokovic faces tough draw at Olympics

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's road to the Golden Slam is not an easy one, with possible matches against Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in his path at the Tokyo Olympics. Djokovic, representing Serbia, has won the season's first three grand slams and could become the first male player ever to win the Golden Slam if he first captures gold in Tokyo. Then all that's left is winning the U.S. Open in August. Steffi Graf is the only player to ever do it, in 1988.

Olympics-Athletics-Ankle injury rules out Kenya's Kamworor

Kenyan 10,000 metres runner and 2019 New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics due to an ankle injury, he told BBC Sport Africa on Thursday. The 28-year-old is a three times world Half Marathon champion, and previous world record holder, and had hopes of a medal in the 10,000m after winning the national trials.

Olympics-Sporting moments to look out for at Tokyo 2020

Superheroes the world over come head to toe in spandex. So too here in Tokyo, where the one person with the best shot at making – or even saving – these most beleaguered of Olympic Games, will be dressed in a red one-piece. Never mind that Simone Biles stands 1.42m in her stockinged feet, the American is set to be a giant at these pandemic-postponed Games as she bids to add to the four gold medals she won at the 2016 Games in Rio.

Olympics-Opening ceremony director fired on Tokyo Games eve over Holocaust joke

Tokyo Olympics organisers have fired the opening ceremony director on the eve of the event after reports emerged of a past joke he had made about the Holocaust, while media said former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a strong advocate of the Games, would not attend. The latest in a series https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tokyo-2020-plagued-by-embarrassing-scandals-gaffes-2021-07-22 of embarrassments for the Tokyo organisers comes just days after a well-known musician was forced to step down https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tokyo-2020-organisers-want-composer-who-apologised-bullying-stay-2021-07-19 as composer for the ceremony after old reports of his bullying and abusive behaviour surfaced.

Flagbearers to send messages of equality and justice at opening ceremony

Many Olympic nations are expected to demonstrate their support for gender equality and racial justice on Friday night with their selections of athletes to carry flags at the opening ceremony. The International Olympic Committee changed it rules and asked each nation to select two flagbearers in an effort to increase gender equality at the Tokyo Games.

Scandal-hit Tokyo looks to final torchbearer to mend battered image

Battered by scandal on the eve of the opening ceremony, Tokyo 2020 organisers have the chance to patch up the Games' image when they reveal who will carry the Olympic flame for the final few steps to light the stadium's cauldron. The identity of the final torchbearer is one of the Games' most closely held secrets yet speculation has swirled for months around well known athletes such as former Seattle Mariners baseball player Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, the latest Japanese player to woo the United States.

Olympics-Tennis-Djokovic has Golden Slam in his sights but taking one step at a time

Novak Djokovic has learnt from his previous Olympics eartbreak and will not allow himself to be distracted from his quest to become the first man to complete the Golden Slam. Germany's Steffi Graf is the only player to have won all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal in the same year but the 34-year-old Serbian is three fifths of the way there.