Sports News Roundup: Tennis-World number one Swiatek seeking key to unlock grass riddle; Boxing-Usyk hoping to bring joy to Ukraine with Joshua's rematch and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Tennis-World number one Swiatek seeking key to unlock grass riddle World number one Iga Swiatek may be a two-time Grand Slam champion and on a 37-match winning streak but the 21-year-old, who reached the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday, said she was still trying to find her feet on grass.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-World number one Swiatek seeking key to unlock grass riddle

World number one Iga Swiatek may be a two-time Grand Slam champion and on a 37-match winning streak but the 21-year-old, who reached the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday, said she was still trying to find her feet on grass. The Pole won the Wimbledon junior title in 2018 and is the clear favorite to add the grasscourt Grand Slam to her two French Open titles this year.

Boxing-Usyk hoping to bring joy to Ukraine with Joshua's rematch

Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk said wounded soldiers in a Ukrainian hospital had urged him to "fight for the country" by facing Anthony Joshua again and that he hoped to bring some joy to the people back home with his rematch against the Briton. Usyk beat Joshua in front of a sell-out crowd at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September to take the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO belts, and the pair are set to meet in a rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Aug. 20.

MLB roundup: Michael Perez helps Pirates make homer history

The Pirates got a three-homer game from one of their players for the second time in as many days as Michael Perez accomplished the feat on Thursday during Pittsburgh's 8-7 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. A day earlier, Bryan Reynolds swatted three home runs in an 8-7 win over the Washington Nationals. It's just the second time a team has had teammates with three-homer games in consecutive contests. The Atlanta Braves did so in September 2020.

Tennis-Nadal grinds past Berankis into Wimbledon third round

Some days at the office are bit of a grind, even if in Rafa Nadal's case his place of work on Thursday was Wimbledon's sunny but chilly Centre Court for a match against Ricardas Berankis. The second seed duly won 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-3 to reach the third round but his 307th Grand Slam match win, putting him one ahead of Martina Navratilova and fourth on the all-time list, will not linger long in his memory.

USC, and UCLA are planning jump to Big Ten in 2024

Southern California and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, a bombshell move that stunned the world of college athletics on Thursday. Both institutions confirmed the news Thursday evening after the conference voted to accept them and expand to 16 teams.

Golf-LIV players ask DP World Tour to rescind sanctions - Telegraph

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are among 16 LIV Golf players who have written to the DP World Tour asking it to rescind its fines and allow them to compete in next week's Scottish Open, the Telegraph reported. The Britons were among the European tour's members who were banned from three upcoming DP World Tour events and fined 100,000 pounds ($121,230.00) each after playing in the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf's opening event in London.

Tennis-Gauff launches fastest serve - twice - at Wimbledon

American Coco Gauff made jaws drop as she launched a 122 mile per hour (mph) rocket and 124 mph effort across the net in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday, the fastest serves so far in the women's tournament. Facing Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu on Centre Court, the 18-year-old phenom forced her opponent into a forehand error to close the fifth game of the first set with the power serve.

Soccer-South Korea submits bid to host 2023 Asian Cup

South Korea officially submitted its bid to stage the Asian Cup in 2023 following China's decision to relinquish its hosting rights, the Korean Football Association (KFA) said. The Asian Football Confederation extended its deadline for bids to July 15 after the 24-team event, scheduled for June and July next year, was moved from China due to the country's strict COVID-19 policy.

Russia to open trial against U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner goes on trial in Russia on Friday on drug charges that could see her face up to 10 years in prison, in a case caught up in the fraught relations between Moscow and Washington. Griner, a star in the U.S.-based Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Feb. 17, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, unleashing a broader confrontation with the West.

Knicks reportedly net Jalen Brunson with $104M deal

The Knicks lured free agent Jalen Brunson to New York without the fourth-year point guard giving the Dallas Mavericks the chance to retain him. Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks.

(With inputs from agencies.)