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A32 sports
Diasabra 4 september 2021

Muguruza, Halep take rare strong US Open runs into 4th round

(AP) — Garbiñe Mugu- finally win the tiebreaker —
ruza and Simona Halep after she was broken at love
have mastered the grass when serving for the set at
at Wimbledon and con- 6-5.
quered the clay at the She eventually won it when
French Open. the 19th-seeded Rybakina
double-faulted, then worked
Maybe they finally have the her way to the round of 16
answers for the hard courts for the first time since reach-
of the U.S. Open. ing the quarterfinals in 2016.

The two-time Grand Slam Another matchup of wom-
champions both pulled out en’s Grand Slam champions
three-set victories Friday to was ahead later Friday when
reach the fourth round of the Sloane Stephens, the 2017
year’s final Grand Slam tour- U.S. Open winner, faced
nament. 2016 champion and No. 16
seed Angelique Kerber.
Muguruza beat three-time
U.S. Open finalist Victo- No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka,
ria Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to who won her second U.S.
match her best showing in Open title last year, was ex-
New York. pected to be back on the
court for the first time since
The No. 9 seed from Spain the first night of the tourna-
reached the round of 16 in Muguruza said. Both players have been final- had happened to the No. 1 ment to face Leylah Fernan-
2017, right after winning her ists at the Australian Open, seed in the first round at the dez in a third-round evening
Wimbledon title. She hadn’t Same with Halep, who also played on a hard court. U.S. Open — and her success match.
been past the second round fought through a marathon But the U.S. Open had prov- this time was tough to expect
since, though said she’s al- first-set tiebreaker and even- en a more difficult puzzle for after she missed Wimbledon Osaka received a walkover
ways liked playing in New tually beat Elena Rybakina both. and the French Open with a into the third round when
York despite her struggles. 7-6 (11), 4-6, 6-3 to reach the calf injury. opponent Olga Danilovic
U.S. Open fourth round for Halep had lost in the first withdrew Wednesday with a
“This year so far it’s working, the first time since 2016. round in both 2017 and 2018 The No. 12 seed from Roma- viral illness unrelated to CO-
so I just want to keep going,” — the latter the first time that nia needed seven set points to VID-19.

Bills look to take control again in young, new-look AFC East

(AP) — Josh Allen and the pionship game last season, Bills general manager Bran- land stunningly cutting Cam Henry and wide receivers
Buffalo Bills stormed to falling just short of reaching don Beane said. “We’re 0-0.” Newton, the starting gig goes Nelson Agholor and WR
the top of the AFC East the Super Bowl. And the first Just like every other team. to Mac Jones, who went 15th Kendrick Bourne.
— unfamiliar territory step in that journey was win- But Buffalo has some history overall in April. “I think any time you take
for anyone other than the ning the AFC East, which to conquer just to win the di- a team like we had last year
New England Patriots — had been locked down by vision again. They’ll all be aiming for Al- — we all spoke about it at
and kept going last season. New England for most of the len and the Bills. But get this: the end of the year — things
last two decades. The last time a non-Belichick With all four of the projected were going to be different.
Nearly all the way to the Su- coached team won consecu- starting QBs 25 or younger, And they’ve been different,”
per Bowl. Buffalo’s division title was its tive AFC East titles was when it marks the first time there safety Devin McCourty said.
first since the 1995 season — the Patriots did it under Bill have been that many in any “We got new players in here
Now comes the encore, and a few months before Allen Parcells (1996) and Pete Car- division since 1985 — when and we’ve just got to con-
the expectations remain just was born. It also snapped the roll (’97). And the last time a the AFC East had Dan Mari- tinue to build. I like what we
as lofty. Patriots’ 11-season division team other than the Patriots no (Dolphins), Ken O’Brien have.”
winning streak, and ended finished first in the AFC East (Jets), Tony Eason (Patriots)
“If the team’s not looking a stretch during which Bill in back-to-back seasons: the and Art Schlichter (Colts). TUA’S TEAM
to win the Super Bowl,” Al- Belichick’s bunch had won 17 1988-91 Bills. A 10-6 finish last season had
len said, “they’re doing it of the last 18 division crowns. “The ultimate goal is to make CHANGING OF THE Brian Flores and the Dol-
wrong.” “I think our guys understand, the playoffs and give yourself GUARD phins feeling pretty good
and we’ve stressed that all a chance for a world title,” New England’s 7-9 finish was about their future. But sud-
The Bills lost to Patrick Ma- year and all offseason, is what Allen said, “and that’s what its worst since 2000, when denly the person who’d be
homes and the Kansas City we did last year was really we’ve got to do.” the Patriots went 5-11. That leading them at quarterback
Chiefs in the AFC cham- good but it means nothing,” was Belichick’s first year as became unclear.
OLD MAN ALLEN coach and the rookie season
Entering his fourth NFL sea- for Tom Brady, who appeared Tagovailoa was 6-3 as a start-
son, the 25-year-old Allen in only one game. er as a rookie after replacing
is the dean of the AFC East Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter
starting quarterbacks. And Belichick and Brady part- after six games. But he also
he’s getting paid like it, too, nered on what became one ranked 26th or lower in sev-
signing a six-year, $258 mil- of the league’s most success- eral key categories, and was
lion contract last month. ful runs, winning six Super pulled in favor of Fitzpatrick
Bowls together over the next in two games.
Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 19 years.
overall pick last year, will Rumors about Miami’s po-
be under center for Miami. The Patriots believe they tential interest in Houston’s
Meanwhile, Zach Wilson, found their next franchise Deshaun Watson didn’t help
the No. 2 pick this year, is quarterback and gave Jones quash thoughts that the Dol-
the guy for the New York some weapons in tight ends phins weren’t fully sold on
Jets. And with New Eng- Jonnu Smith and Hunter Tagovailoa.