Reuters Sports News Summary

Medvedev, champion in Cincinnati in 2019, sharpened his game for his upcoming U.S. Open title defence with a 7-6 (1) 6-3 win over 11th seeded Fritz, while Tsitsipas could manage only a single break chance in a three set slugfest with Isner but it was enough to clinch a 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3 victory. MLB roundup: Braves win opener of World Series rematch Austin Riley hit a three-run homer Friday night for the surging Atlanta Braves, who beat the visiting Houston Astros 6-2 in the first game between the clubs since last October's World Series.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-'People forget about you fast': Garcia stays in the moment after Pegula win

Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia was left with "mixed feelings" after reaching her first WTA 1000 semi-final in four years at the Cincinnati Open, saying tennis can be a difficult sport where players are often forgotten easily owing to poor form. Garcia, who came through the qualifiers in Cincinnati, downed seventh seed Jessica Pegula 6-1 7-5 on Friday to set up a last-four clash with Aryna Sabalenka.

Motorcycling-Bastianini seals maiden pole position at Austrian GP

Gresini Racing's Enea Bastianini clinched his first MotoGP pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday after producing a blistering final lap at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Bastianini, a three-time winner in the premier class, snatched the pole from Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap, finishing 0.024 seconds ahead of him.

Soccer-Vardy extends Leicester contract until 2024

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him with the Foxes until June 2024, the Premier League club said on Saturday. Vardy had been linked with a possible move to Manchester United.

Tennis-Keys beats Rybakina in Cincinnati to set up semi-final with Kvitova

American Madison Keys swept past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-2 6-4 at the Cincinnati Open on Friday, setting up a semi-final clash with Petra Kvitova after the Czech defeated Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic. Having dispatched world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round, the 27-year-old Keys carried that momentum into the quarter-finals with a dominating win over 25th-ranked Rybakina.

Tennis-Badosa joins Swiatek as she hits out at U.S. Open balls

World number four Paula Badosa has supported Iga Swiatek's critical comments regarding different tennis balls being used at the U.S. Open between men's and women's competitions, saying it counts against both the female players and the show. Swiatek said on Wednesday she did not like the balls set to be used at the U.S. Grand Slam, which are lighter for women than those for men, adding that the female players make more mistakes while playing with them, and she doubted it was "nice to watch visually".

Motor racing-NASCAR ready to make some noise with Le Mans special entry

Lovers of rumbling V8 engines and American stock cars will be in for a treat at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, when NASCAR is set to join the French endurance race in marking two big anniversaries. Le Mans celebrates its 100th birthday in 2023 while the U.S.-based NASCAR organisation turns 75.

Tennis-Medvedev and Tsitsipas defuse American bombers to set up Cincinnati showdown

World number one Daniil Medvedev and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defused big-serving American threats Taylor Fritz and John Isner on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open. Medvedev, champion in Cincinnati in 2019, sharpened his game for his upcoming U.S. Open title defence with a 7-6 (1) 6-3 win over 11th seeded Fritz, while Tsitsipas could manage only a single break chance in a three set slugfest with Isner but it was enough to clinch a 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3 victory.

MLB roundup: Braves win opener of World Series rematch

Austin Riley hit a three-run homer Friday night for the surging Atlanta Braves, who beat the visiting Houston Astros 6-2 in the first game between the clubs since last October's World Series. The Braves, who defeated the Astros in six games last year to clinch their first title since 1995, have won 10 of their past 11 games. The Astros lost for just the third time in nine games.

Soccer-Kane sets record with Tottenham winner against Wolves

Harry Kane set a Premier League record in goals for a single club on Saturday as his headed effort earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers that sent them to the top of the table. Tottenham were outplayed in the first half but were a different proposition after the interval, with Kane pouncing in the 64th minute to score his 185th Premier League goal.

Soccer-Barca still unable to register Kounde as player, Xavi says

Barcelona have still not been authorised to register French defender Jules Kounde as a player, one of their marquee summer signings, as the club works to comply with LaLiga's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, manager Xavi Hernandez said on Saturday. "At the moment, we don't know anything. We are on stand-by," Xavi told a news conference ahead of their trip to San Sebastian to face Real Sociedad on Sunday.