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SPORTS Saturday 17 auguSt 2019

Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, falls to the court as he reacts after
defeating Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, in a final match at the Citi
Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Washington.
Associated Press
Nick Kyrgios fined

more than $100,000 In this May 9, 2019, file photo, Joe Tsai speaks to reporters during a news conference before a
WNBA exhibition basketball game between the New York Liberty and China in New York.
Associated Press
for vulgar conduct AP sources: Alibaba exec to

By The Associated Press who repeatedly has gotten
MASON, Ohio (AP) — Nick in trouble for on-court ac- buy Nets, arena for $3.4 billion
Kyrgios was fined $113,000 tions. He was kicked out
by the ATP for expletive- of the Italian Open in May
filled outbursts in which he after throwing a chair and By BRIAN MAHONEY spent for the NFL's Carolina appeal," Prokhorov said in
smashed rackets, insulted being suspended by the AP Basketball Writer Panthers. a statement. "The team is in
a chair umpire and refused ATP in 2016 for not trying to NEW YORK (AP) — In a re- Tsai is the executive vice a better place today than
to get ready to return serve win and insulted fans dur- cord sale for a U.S. sports chairman of the Alibaba ever before and I know
during a second-round ing the Shanghai Masters. franchise, the co-founder Group, the Chinese e-com- that Joe will build on that
match at the Western & This month, Kyrgios won the of Alibaba agreed to buy merce giant. He already success, while continuing
Southern Open. Citi Open title in Washing- the remaining 51 percent had purchased the WNBA's to deliver the guest expe-
The tour announced the ton and said he had turned of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. rience at Barclays Center
penalties Thursday, a day a page in his professional Barclays Center for about Prokhorov became the that our fans, employees,
after Kyrgios berated chair and personal lives. $3.4 billion, two people with NBA's first non-North Ameri- and colleagues in the in-
umpire Fergus Murphy and In the last match on center knowledge of the details can owner in 2010 and dustry enjoy."
left the court to break two court Wednesday night, he said Friday. oversaw the Nets' move Prokhorov had invested
rackets during a 6-7 (3), was back to his old form. Joe Tsai already had pur- from New Jersey to Brook- $200 million and made
7-6 (4), 6-2 loss to Karen During a change-over in chased 49 percent of the lyn two years later. He spent funding commitments to
Khachanov. the second set, he yelled team from Russian billion- big in the first couple years acquire 80 percent of the
The ATP listed a breakdown from his chair: "The worst ref aire Mikhail Prokhorov in after the move in a quest to team and 45 percent of
of eight fines ranging from in the game, hands down. 2018, with the option to be- chase a championship, but the arena project, after
$3,000 to $20,000 each for He then vulgarly insisted come controlling owner in the team soon became the team's planned move
violations such as unsports- the umpire does some- 2021. one of the worst in the NBA across the Hudson River
manlike conduct, verbal thing "stupid" every time he Instead, he pushed up that before rallying to return to had repeatedly stalled. He
abuse and audible ob- plays. timeline for full ownership the playoffs last season. later bought the remainder
scenity. Early in the third set, he of a team on the rise after He boasted of trying to of the arena, which quickly
The tour also said it is "look- took two rackets to the tun- signing superstars Kevin Du- win a championship within became a popular attrac-
ing further into what hap- nel that leads to the locker rant and Kyrie Irving in July. five years of his ownership, tion for concerts, boxing
pened during and imme- room, smashed them on Terms were not disclosed, rapidly going through play- and college basketball,
diately after the match" to the ground and returned but those familiar with the ers and coaches in the first as well as the home of the
determine whether addi- to the court. matter told The Associat- few years in Brooklyn. But New York Islanders.
tional fines or a suspension Warned that he needed ed Press that Tsai is paying he spent less time around Tsai, a native of Taiwan, is
is warranted. to get ready to return about $2.35 billion for the the team in recent years positioned to take full con-
Kyrgios is a 24-year-old Aus- Khachanov's serve, he took Nets and nearly $1 billion in while focusing on his in- trol of the team by the time
tralian who is ranked 27th a new racket to the base- a separate transaction for terests in Russia — which the Nets head to China to
this week. He is a volatile sort line and stood taping the the arena. They spoke on at one point included a play two exhibition games
handle instead of getting condition of anonymity be- campaign for president of against the Los Angeles
in position to play. cause the agreements are the Russian Federation — Lakers in October. That
"He can serve the ball," not complete. and remained in the back- comes at the start of a sea-
Kyrgios said as he casually The deal is expected to be ground after hiring Sean son of renewed excitement
wrapped the handle. "I'm completed by the end of Marks as the team's gen- for the Nets, who just three
ready. I'm here. Serve it." September and is subject eral manager in 2016. seasons ago won an NBA-
Unsure what to do, Khacha- to approval by the NBA's "It has been an honor and worst 20 games but are set
nov held off until Kyrgios Board of Governors. a joy to open Barclays Cen- to make a big move up the
was ready. Then he finished It will surpass the $2.2 billion ter, bring the Nets to Brook- standings after landing two
off the third set, and Kyrgios that Tilman Fertitta paid for lyn, and watch them grow of the best players on the
offered another expletive the NBA's Houston Rock- strong roots in the commu- market when free agency
as he left the court.q ets, and that David Tepper nity while cultivating global opened.q