Reuters Sports News Summary

Nadal, who last won the title in Rome in 2021, was given a stiff test by the 24-year-old in a match which lasted almost three hours on centre court, and now faces Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz. MLB roundup: Chris Sale, Braves blank Red Sox Chris Sale threw six shutout innings and Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a sweep of their two-game series.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-WADA must repair trust, says U.S. athletes' commission head

Some athletes have lost trust in world anti-doping agency WADA after the body's handling of failed drug tests in Chinese swimming, according to Team USA Athletes' Commission executive director Elizabeth Ramsey. Ramsey told Reuters Television there were concerns about the independence of an investigation into what had happened and called for further steps to be taken to ensure full transparency.

Tennis-Nadal battles past Bergs in Italian Open first round

Ten-time champion Rafa Nadal overcame losing the opening set to defeat Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs 4-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the Italian Open second round in Rome on Thursday, as the Spaniard's steady progress continued. Nadal, who last won the title in Rome in 2021, was given a stiff test by the 24-year-old in a match which lasted almost three hours on centre court, and now faces Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.

MLB roundup: Chris Sale, Braves blank Red Sox

Chris Sale threw six shutout innings and Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a sweep of their two-game series. Sale (5-1) scattered six hits, walked one and struck out a season-high 10 batters against his former team. The Red Sox were 0-for-6 with runners on base and left seven runners on base against Sale, whose scoreless outing was saved in the sixth when left fielder Jarred Kelenic reached over the wall to take away a homer from Garrett Cooper.

Basketball-Jokic named NBA MVP for third time

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for the third time in four seasons, the league announced on Wednesday. Jokic beat Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks for the honor, receiving 79 first-place votes from a panel of broadcasters and journalists.

Pete Alonso, rested Mets take aim at Braves

Thanks to a rainout in St. Louis on Wednesday, the New York Mets' schedule in August will open with a four-city road trip in which they'll play 10 games in three time zones. On Friday, the Mets get a much more familiar but pressing task -- figuring out a way to beat their nemesis, the Atlanta Braves.

Baseball star Ohtani's ex-interpreter agrees to plead guilty to bank fraud

Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges he fraudulently wired nearly $17 million stolen from the athlete's bank account to pay off his own gambling debts, court records showed on Wednesday. The plea agreement between federal prosecutors and Ippei Mizuhara, the onetime translator and de facto manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers' power-hitting pitcher, was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A., where the case was first brought last month.

Giants sign WR Allen Robinson

The New York Giants signed veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson on Thursday. Robinson, 30, caught 34 passes for 280 yards with no touchdowns in 17 games (all starts) last season for the Steelers. He was released March 8 after one season in Pittsburgh in a money-saving move.

Basketball-No pressure says Clark as fans follow her to WNBA

Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark is embracing the moment as she brings super-sized star power from the collegiate game to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The first pick in the draft left television ratings shattered in her wake as Iowa's fearsome sharpshooter and now she is bringing more eyes to the top-flight American league ahead of her regular-season debut next week.

NHLPA announces Ted Lindsay Award finalists

Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov were named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday. Voted on by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association, it is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL.

Suns fire Frank Vogel after one season, first-round playoff exit

Frank Vogel is out as head coach of the Phoenix Suns after a 49-win regular season was overshadowed by a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. "As we said at the press conference on May 1, team leadership including myself, Josh Bartelstein and ownership would be looking across basketball operations to determine what changes needed to be made," Suns president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones said in a statement Thursday. "After a thoughtful review of the season, we concluded that we needed a different head coach for our team. We appreciate Frank's hard work and commitment.

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