French Open champion and 2015 Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza was stunned in the second round at Wimbledon by a qualifier ranked 124th on Thursday.
Less than a month after winning her first Grand Slam title, the second-seeded Muguruza lost, 6-3, 6-2, to Jana Cepelova of Slovakia in less than an hour. Muguruza made 22 unforced errors and only managed to produce nine winners.
A year ago at Wimbledon, Muguruza reached her first major final, losing to Serena Williams. Less than a month ago at Roland Garros, Muguruza beat Williams for the championship.
Cepelova has equaled her best showing at a Grand Slam tournament by getting to the third round.
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – In the midst of drastic changes to his swing, Rory McIlroy shot a level-par 71 at the French Open to lie five shots off Lucas Bjerregaard’s lead midway through the first round on Thursday.
McIlroy, currently in the spotlight because of his decision to skip the Olympics over concerns about the Zika virus, had four birdies and four bogeys around L’Albatros course at the Le Golf National, the 2018 Ryder Cup host.
Bjerregaard shot a 5-under 66, helped by a hole-in-one at No. 2 from 202 yards. The Dane was playing with a new set of clubs after his own was lost in transit.
MARSEILLE, France – Ricardo Quaresma scored the winning penalty as Portugal beat Poland, 5-3, in a shootout to reach the semifinals of the European Championship on Thursday.
With the quarterfinal level at 1-1 after extra time, Quaresma fired his spot-kick past Lukasz Fabianski to line up a match against either Wales or Belgium on Wednesday.
It’s Portugal’s fourth semifinal trip in the last five European Championships.
On a night when captain Cristiano Ronaldo turned in another disappointing performance, 18-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches stepped up to score Portugal’s equalizer in the first half. The teenager was his team’s main attacking threat for much of the game with his smart movement and passing, and took man-of-the-match honors in his first international start.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Top incoming recruit Terrance Ferguson said Thursday that he decided to play professionally in Australia instead of at Arizona.
Ferguson had reportedly been mulling the move in recent weeks and the school announced his decision Thursday.
An athletic 6-foot-7 forward, Ferguson was expected to be one of the nation’s top freshmen next season and the cornerstone of coach Sean Miller’s latest recruiting class.
Ferguson committed to Arizona last April after playing for Dallas Advanced Prep International in Texas.
Arizona’s incoming class is still strong behind point guard Kobi Simmons, small forward Rawle Alkins and Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, all considered five-star prospects.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was suspended by the NFL for the first game of the 2016 regular season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Richardson will be eligible to return to the Jets’ active roster Sept. 12 following the team’s Sept. 11 opener against Cincinnati. But he can participate in all preseason practices and games.
He pleaded guilty in January to resisting arrest after police clocked him driving at speeds as high as 143 mph in Missouri last July.
Resisting arrest is listed by the NFL as a violation of the personal conduct policy.
Richardson was suspended for the first four games last season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He was the 2013 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
DALLAS – Johnny Manziel was suspended for the first four games of next season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, the league announced Thursday.
The suspension is not related to the NFL’s domestic violence policy, but the free agent quarterback would be subject to it if he signs with another team. Manziel, released by Cleveland in March, is facing an assault charge in Dallas involving former girlfriend Colleen Crowley. The league is reviewing that case.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Texas A&M was suspended the same week he posted pictures on Instagram from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The post included a reference to his father, Paul Manziel, who called his son a “druggie” following a report from the Associated Press of one of his attorneys mistakenly sending a text that indicated doubts whether Manziel could stay clean.
Various reports said that Manziel had vowed to start his quest for sobriety today.
MILWAUKEE – The Los Angeles Dodgers placed ace Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day disable list Thursday after he received an epidural injection for his sore lower back.
Manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday’s game in Milwaukee that Kershaw received the epidural Wednesday and the team should know in a few days how he responded to it.
Roberts did not know how long Kershaw is expected to be out or who would take his scheduled start on Friday at home against Colorado.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA this season. He lost his last start on Sunday in Pittsburgh, giving up four runs and nine hits in six innings.
Kershaw has been on the disabled list only once in his nine-year career, in early 2014 with a shoulder strain.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Sharks signed pending restricted free agent forward Tomas Hertl to a two-year contract.
The deal announced Thursday is worth a reported $6 million and keeps one of San Jose’s top players in the fold as the team tries to build on last season’s trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The 22-year-old Hertl is coming off his best season as a pro, having recorded career highs with 21 goals and 25 assists in 81 games. He thrived when moved to the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski in the middle of the season and was a big reason behind San Jose’s postseason success.
Hertl had six goals and five assists in 20 playoff games before being sidelined by a knee injury in Game 2 of the final.
LOS ANGELES – Dustin Brown doesn’t agree with the Los Angeles Kings’ decision to strip him of their captaincy after eight seasons and two Stanley Cups.
Brown aired his displeasure in a phone interview Thursday, two weeks after the Kings appointed Anze Kopitar as their new captain.
Brown feels he was a strong leader while the Kings grew from a terrible team to a two-time NHL champion during his tenure. He was also disappointed when news of the Kings’ plan leaked out before the club had announced it.
Brown’s production has dipped alarmingly in recent years. The power forward hasn’t scored 30 points in any of the Kings’ last four seasons.
Los Angeles missed the playoffs in 2015 and got eliminated by San Jose in the first round this year.