Sports News Roundup: McIlroy no fan of compacted majors schedule; Federer finishes strong to see off Dzumhur and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Barty battles past Davis into third round of U.S. Open

Second seed Ash Barty fought off a stiff challenge at the end of the second set to beat American Lauren Davis 6-2 7-6(2) and reach the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. The French Open champion came to the net to great effect, proving the more aggressive player as she used her slice to dictate the pace of the contest and fired 35 winners, 22 more than her opponent.

NFL notebook: Jags' Ramsey to follow Chiefs' Hill in opener

Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be matched up against Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill throughout the Sept. 8 season opener in Jacksonville, according to defensive coordinator Todd Wash. "He's going to draw Tyreek, and he's got to cover him," Wash told reporters on Wednesday. "We're very blessed. Our linebackers can run. All of our guys can run. We can just say, 'Hey, Jalen, you go take care of him.'"

Keys sails through to U.S. Open third round

Madison Keys eased through to the U.S. Open third round, recovering from a slow start and an early loss of serve to beat China's Zhu Lin 6-4 6-1 on Wednesday. The 10th-seeded Keys, who lost in the 2017 U.S. Open final to fellow American Sloane Stephens, struck 31 winners in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

McIlroy no fan of compacted majors schedule

Rory McIlroy is not a fan of golf's new compacted major schedule and fears it might make the sport irrelevant to fans for much of the year, the world number two said on Wednesday. The majors came thick and fast this year, played in a 101-day window from April to July, starting with the Masters and ending with the British Open.

Serena survives scare to reach U.S. Open third round

Serena Williams survived a second-round scare at the U.S. Open on Wednesday with a 5-7 6-3 6-1 win over American wildcard Catherine McNally to keep alive her hopes of securing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title. World number eight Williams, who captured the first of her six U.S. Open titles two years before her 17-year-old opponent was born, spent the first half of the match trying to find her rhythm but when she did she was off to the races.

Nadal, holder Osaka continue U.S. Open bids on Day Four

All eyes will be on reigning champ Naomi Osaka on Thursday as she heads into the second round of U.S. Open, while three-times champion Rafa Nadal and newcomer Coco Gauff also return to court at Flushing Meadows. Osaka will face off against unseeded Pole Magda Linette, who she defeated earlier this year on her way to her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

Federer finishes strong to see off Dzumhur

Roger Federer overcame his second consecutive sluggish start to defeat Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 3-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 on Wednesday and advance to the U.S. Open third round. World number 99 Dzumhur broke the five-times champion in his first two service games and raced out to a 4-0 lead before many in the crowd had found their seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which had its retractable roof closed due to rain.

U.S. driver Jessi Combs killed in bid to break land-speed record

Racecar driver Jessi Combs, a host of the television series "All Girls Garage," was killed in a high-speed crash while trying to set a new land-speed record, her family said on Wednesday. Combs, 39, was attempting to become the fastest woman on Earth when she was killed while racing on Tuesday on the Alvord Desert, a dry lake bed in southeastern Oregon, the family said in a statement.

Tanks for nothing: Kyrgios should be defaulted on spot, says Wilander

Officials should come down harder on Nick Kyrgios and default the Australian mid-match if he fails to play his best tennis at the U.S. Open, according to former Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander. Kyrgios was fined a record $113,000 for a slew of breaches during his second-round loss at Cincinnati and may be set for more sanctions after describing the men's tour as "corrupt" following his first-round win at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

Djokovic overcomes shoulder woes to reach the second round

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic battled with a shoulder problem that hampered his backhand as he secured a 6-4 7-6(3) 6-1 win over Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero and reached the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Djokovic, who had work done on his left shoulder during his pre-match warm-up inside Arthur Ashe Stadium earlier in the day, was in clear distress when he took a medical timeout while leading 4-3 in the first set.