Sports News Roundup: Tennis: Creaking Djokovic adjusting to new reality at French Open; MLB roundup: Mookie Betts belts 2 HRs as Dodgers blast Yankees and more

Twice champion Novak Djokovic was later given a thorough examination of his physical and mental toughness by Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before the Serbian pulled through with a 7-6(4) 7-6(5) 6-2 victory. Tennis-Top seed Alcaraz pummels Shapovalov to reach fourth round World number one Carlos Alcaraz bludgeoned Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-4 6-2 to breeze into the French Open fourth round on Friday and edge closer to the second Grand Slam title of his career.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis: Creaking Djokovic adjusting to new reality at French Open

Novak Djokovic was pushed to his limit in a physically punishing French Open encounter by Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday and the 36-year-old twice champion said he had accepted the fact that his body behaved differently now. The Serbian, who is seeking a men's record 23rd Grand Slam title to overtake the injured Rafa Nadal, spent more than three hours on court - much of it battling away in two exhausting opening sets - before prevailing 7-6(4) 7-6(5) 6-2.

Tennis: What would Ukraine soldiers think if I shook hands with Russians says Svitolina

Ukraine tennis player Elina Svitolina will not shake the hands of Russian and Belarusian opponents out of respect for the soldiers fighting on the front line following Moscow's invasion of her country last year, she said on Friday. Svitolina, who reached the French Open fourth round on Friday with a win over Anna Blinkova of Russia, refused to shake hands with her opponent and was booed by some of the fans.

MLB roundup: Mookie Betts belts 2 HRs as Dodgers blast Yankees

Mookie Betts and Max Muncy homered during a six-run first inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers rolled to an 8-4 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. Betts added a second home run amid a four-hit night and J.D. Martinez also went deep, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, as the Dodgers came out on top in the duel of historic franchises who were facing each other for the first time since 2019.

Cricket-Greater stability will boost Australian hopes, says Labuschagne

Batsman Marnus Labuschagne believes Australia will benefit from increased stability in their Ashes squad as they prepare to face England in the first test of the series later this month. The Australians take on India in a one-off match in the world test championship at the Oval in London on Wednesday before beginning the latest five-test Ashes series against the English at Edgbaston on June 12.

Athletics-Kipyegon sets women's 1,500m world record, Kerly wins 100m in Florence

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon set a women's 1,500 metres world record on Friday by clocking 3:49.11, while world champion Fred Kerley triumphed in the men's 100 metres at the third Diamond League meeting of the season. Kipyegon shaved almost an entire second off the previous mark of 3:50.07 set by Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in 2015.

Cycling-Injured Pogacar preparing to race in Tour de France with a brace

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar said his wrist may not recover fully in time for next month's Tour de France and he could race with a brace as he looks to win cycling's most prestigious crown for a third time. Pogacar fractured his wrist in a crash during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day race in April and underwent surgery to treat a scaphoid fracture. The UAE Team Emirates' medical director said at the time his recovery would take six weeks.

Tennis-'Unsafe' Sabalenka skips French Open presser after win, Djokovic advances

Aryna Sabalenka roared into the French Open fourth round on Friday but the Belarusian world number two steered clear of political questions amid the war in Ukraine by skipping her post-match press conference citing mental health reasons. Twice champion Novak Djokovic was later given a thorough examination of his physical and mental toughness by Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before the Serbian pulled through with a 7-6(4) 7-6(5) 6-2 victory.

Tennis-Top seed Alcaraz pummels Shapovalov to reach fourth round

World number one Carlos Alcaraz bludgeoned Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-4 6-2 to breeze into the French Open fourth round on Friday and edge closer to the second Grand Slam title of his career. The Spaniard was imperious and showed no mercy to set up a fourth round clash with Italy's 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti.

Horse racing: Churchill Downs to suspend racing amid safety review

Churchill Downs on Friday said it would suspend racing as it conducts a "top-to-bottom" safety review following the death of 12 horses at the famed Kentucky track in the past month. Racing will be halted from June 7 through the remainder of the Spring Meet, which concludes on July 3. This weekend's races will go ahead as scheduled and the remainder of the meet will be relocated to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.

Tennis-'Nothing matters': Attitude adjustment helps Tsitsipas rediscover his rhythm

Stefanos Tsitsipas said he is getting back to his best by easing the burden on his shoulders and playing without any expectations as he cruised into the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-2 6-2 6-3 victory over Diego Schwartzman on Friday. Once considered the rising star to take on the mantle as the "Big Three" - Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic - give way to a new generation, 24-year-old Tsitsipas has yet to win a Grand Slam.

(With inputs from agencies.)