Sports News Roundup: Barty beats Sharapova, Halep survives scare in Cincinnati; NFL notebook: Jay-Z defends NFL deal, talks Kaepernick

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Barty beats Sharapova, Halep survives scare in Cincinnati

Top-seeded Ash Barty overcame a slow start to defeat Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1, while Simona Halep battled past Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6 7-5 6-4 in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday. French Open champion Barty double-faulted to give Sharapova a 2-1 lead in the first set and it looked like an upset could be brewing in the showdown between the two former world number ones.

Ruiz wants Joshua rematch in New York, Hearn warns of legal action

World heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. has said he would like his title rematch with Anthony Joshua in December to be in New York instead of Saudi Arabia as announced. Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, who said this week that both parties had signed up to the fight in Diriyah, near Riyadh, raised the threat of legal action if the Mexican-American refused the terms set out.

Kyrgios melts down again during Cincinnati loss

Nick Kyrgios continued his feud with umpire Fergus Murphy during his second-round loss to Karen Khachanov at the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday, loudly abusing the office before leaving the court to smash some rackets. The Australian faces a heavy sanction from the ATP after clashing with on-court officials for the second time in as many weeks and with Murphy for the second time this month as his frustration mounted during his 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 6-2 loss.

Triathlon changes add to Tokyo 2020's heat headache

The International Triathlon Union's decision to reduce the distance of the run segment in Thursday's women's Olympics qualifying event because of heat concerns is the latest setback for Tokyo 2020 organizers battling extreme temperatures. The ITU reduced the distance of the run section with concerns the weather conditions at the end of the race would have fallen within "extreme levels".

Major League Baseball and FanDuel strike sports betting deal

Major League Baseball and FanDuel on Thursday announced a multi-year agreement that makes the sportsbook operator an official gaming partner of the U.S. professional league. It is MLB's first partnership with FanDuel, a unit of Flutter Entertainment. FanDuel already has similar agreements with the National Basketball Association and its Brooklyn Nets team, as well as the National Hockey League and its New Jersey Devils team.

Talks break down, U.S. women's soccer team turn to court

The female players who sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for equal pay reported that talks broke down on Wednesday and said they were now turning their attention to the courts where they are "eagerly look forward to a jury trial". Some 28 players took USSF to court in March alleging they were consistently paid less than their male counterparts even though their performance has been superior to the men's team.

MLB notebook: Phillies' Arrieta could miss rest of season

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday and may undergo season-ending elbow surgery. The 33-year-old Arrieta has been bothered by a bone spur in his pitching elbow. Arrieta said he is considering undergoing an arthroscopic procedure. If he does, he said he probably wouldn't pitch again in 2019.

Jeter: No decision on Mattingly managing Marlins in '20

Don Mattingly is in the final months of his contract with the Miami Marlins but remains hopeful his tenure as manager isn't over. Mattingly, 58, and Marlin's chief executive officer Derek Jeter said they are in the initial stages of discussing the franchise's future.

NFL notebook: Jay-Z defends NFL deal, talks Kaepernick

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter defended the entertainment deal his company, Roc Nation, made with the NFL this week during a press conference with commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday in New York amid criticism that the deal contradicts Carter's support of Colin Kaepernick. Carter and Goodell were asked repeatedly about Kaepernick, who has gone unsigned since the end of the 2016 season after drawing national attention for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of social injustice.

MLB roundup: Pujols passes Beltre in Angels' win

Albert Pujols drove in three runs, and Dillon Peters pitched six solid innings to help the Los Angeles Angels post a 7-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif. Pujols went 2-for-4 to raise his career hit total to 3,168 and surpass fellow Dominican Republic native Adrian Beltre (3,166) for most among players born outside the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)