Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. NASCAR notebook: Pocono known to produce first-timers

Although Pocono Raceway has long been regarded as one of the most challenging stops on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, young drivers have shown a propensity in mastering the challenge. Particularly in the last few seasons, the 2.5-mile, triangular-shaped Pocono Raceway has provided a high-speed introduction of first-time winners. Higa wrestles first-round lead at U.S. Women's Open

Japan's Mamiko Higa, feeding off encouragement from her sumo wrestler fiance, sizzled on her U.S. Women's Open debut, wielding a hot putter on a scorching morning to take the clubhouse lead with a six-under-par 65 on Thursday. Higa, one of 13 Japanese players in the field, did not have a blemish in her six-birdie performance, a record low round on debut at the championship. American Gibbs cancer free after surgery

Nicole Gibbs is cancer free after surgery to remove the tumor on the roof of her mouth was successful but she will be sidelined for longer than previously thought, the American tennis player said on Thursday. The 26-year-old world number 115 earlier this month said that a dentist had discovered the growth, which a biopsy later revealed was a rare form of cancer, forcing her out of the clay court season, including the French Open. Woods shoots 70 as Moore takes clubhouse lead at Memorial

Tiger Woods shot a respectable two-under-par 70 in the first round at the Memorial tournament as fellow American Ryan Moore plundered the soft Muirfield Village course in Dublin, Ohio on Thursday. Moore birdied five of the first seven holes to set a cracking pace, posting a seven-under 65 to head resurgent Jordan Spieth by one stroke with half the field back in the clubhouse. Henseleit makes most of reprieve with fast U.S. Women's Open start

Esther Henseleit felt sad after she thought she had bungled a chance of playing in the U.S. Women's Open, but her emotions were at the other end of the spectrum on Thursday after a superb opening round at Country Club of Charleston. The 20-year-old from Varel on the north coast of Germany tamed a sea breeze to card a bogey-free five-under-par 66 to trail Japanese leader Mamiko Higa by one stroke. NBA: 'We The North' says Canada is not just about hockey

Toronto has long considered itself the center of the hockey universe but the Raptors, for the moment at least, are the shiniest object in city's sporting cosmos grabbing the imagination of an entire country. Certainly the stars aligned for the Raptors as they reached the NBA Finals for the first time and starting on Thursday, they will take on a basketball powerhouse in the Golden State Warriors. Germany beat Chile 2-0 in final women's World Cup warmup

Germany scored twice in a strong first half to beat Chile 2-0 in their last women's World Cup warmup match on Thursday, stretching their unbeaten run to 12 games ahead of the start of the tournament next week. Captain Alexandra Popp fired in with a fine first touch from a corner in the 29th minute and Carolin Simon added another when she whipped in a deep cross from the left and the ball sailed over the keeper and went in off the post in first-half stoppage time. Wilson makes most of Semenya absence to win Diamond League 800m

American Ajee Wilson made the most of the absence of Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba to win the women's 800 meters in Friday's Diamond League meeting on a windy, wet evening in the Swedish capital. Wilson, who came third at the Diamond League meeting in Doha earlier this month behind Semenya and Niyonsaba, cruised to victory in a relatively slow time of 2:00.87, with Habitam Alemu of Ethiopia in second and Nelly Jepkosgei of Kenya in third. Osaka lives to fight another day, Djokovic cruising

Naomi Osaka stayed on course for a third successive Grand Slam title and Novak Djokovic a fourth at the French Open on Thursday but their paths to the third round could not be more different. For the second match in a row Osaka had to battle back from a shocking start, this time losing the first four games against former world number one Victoria Azarenka before winning a titanic tussle 4-6 7-5 6-3 in just under three hours. WCWS roundup: Minnesota blasted by UCLA in debut

Second-seeded UCLA wasted little time welcoming Minnesota to the Women's College World Series on Thursday, as Bubba Nickles hit a leadoff home run and the Bruins used a four-run sixth inning to win 7-2 in the opener for both teams in the double-elimination tournament in Oklahoma City. The seventh-seeded Gophers (46-13), playing in the WCWS for the first time in program history, scored twice in the top of the sixth to close to within 3-2. However, Aaliyah Jordan hit a three-run home run as the Bruins (52-6) pulled away in the bottom of the sixth.