Cycling
Dumolin holds slim Vuelta lead over Aru after No. 18
RIAZA, Spain – Nicolas Roche of Ireland won the hilly 18th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, while Dutchman Tom Dumoulin protected his slim lead over Fabio Aru.
Dumoulin responded to Aru’s repeated attacks on the final ascent to keep his three-second advantage over the Itailan with three days to go until the finish of the Grand Tour.
Roche beat fellow escapee Haimar Zubeldia in a sprint to the finish line to complete the 126.7-mile ride from Roa to Riaza in just over five hours.
Friday’s stage is another rolling 115.2-mile route from Medina del Campo to Avila.
The three-week race ends in Madrid on Sunday.
Golf
Thompson starts year’s final major well at 5-under 66
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Lexi Thompson picked up five shots in four holes in a 5-under 66 to claim a share of the lead with Mi Hyang Lee in the opening round of the Evian Championship on Thursday.
The American made a superb start to the final major of the season at the picturesque resort above Lake Geneva, then managed to stay bogey-free.
Thompson, who was given an early morning start on the back nine in perfect weather conditions, was the sole leader for most of the day until Lee made up for two bogeys with seven birdies to tie for first place.
Thompson’s stunning period started when she birdied the 12th hole. Paired with Sandra Gal and former Evian champion Paula Creamer, she hit a 7-iron to 20 feet and sank an eagle putt on the 13th, and birdied Nos. 14 and 15.
NFL
Brady shows no rust in four-touchdown night
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tom Brady threw for four touchdowns to his tight ends, three going to favorite target Rob Gronkowski, as the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots beat Pittsburgh 28-21 in the NFL’s season opener Thursday night.
The Patriots followed a wet but festive pregame celebration of their title by doing what they do best. Brady picked apart the Steelers; at one point he had as many touchdown passes as incompletions. He went 25 of 32 for 288 yards one week after a federal judge vacated the NFL’s four-game suspension in the deflated footballs scandal.
All-Pro tight end Gronkowski scored from 16, 6 and 1 yard. He also recovered running back Dion Lewis’ fumble at the Steelers 1, setting up his third score.
Brady set a franchise record with 19 consecutive completions in his 23rd game with four or more touchdown passes, third all-time along with Brett Favre.
Tennis
Serena Williams’ semifinal delayed after rainy forecast
NEW YORK – Serena Williams will have to wait before continuing her bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam: Her U.S. Open semifinal was postponed because of rain in the forecast.
The top-seeded Williams was supposed to face 43rd-ranked Roberta Vinci of Italy on Thursday night at Flushing Meadows, but nearly four hours before that match would have started, the U.S. Tennis Association – citing a prediction of “rain throughout the evening” – pushed back both women’s semifinals until Friday.
When the USTA announced the rescheduling, there were doubles and juniors matches in progress. But the rain did eventually arrive, wiping out play, a little more than an hour before Williams and Vinci were supposed to take the court. It was drizzling at 5 p.m., when that match would have started.
Williams is trying to become the first tennis player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to earn all four Grand Slam titles in a single season. She won the Australian Open in January, the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July.
Associated Press
