Sports briefs
By NewsPress Now
Australia beats
the United States
at the Davis Cup
MALAGA, Spain | Australia reached the Davis Cup semifinals for the third consecutive year, eliminating the United States 2-1 when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in the deciding doubles match on Thursday.
The victory on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain means 28-time Davis Cup champion Australia will face defending champion Italy or Argentina on Saturday for a spot in the final of the annual team competition.
Italy, led by No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner, and Argentina were headed to a doubles match Thursday night after splitting the two singles contests. Francisco Cerúndolo put Argentina ahead 1-0 by defeating Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1, before two-time Grand Slam champion Sinner overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1.
Sinner was teaming up with Matteo Berrettini for doubles against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez.
The other semifinal, to be contested Friday, is the Netherlands against Germany. The Dutch got past Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals earlier in the week, sending the 22-time Grand Slam champion into retirement.
The Australians were the runners-up the past two years.
The Americans own a record 32 Davis Cup titles but haven’t been to the semifinals since 2018 and haven’t claimed the title since 2007, their longest drought in the event.
The Shelton-Paul substitution for Paris Olympics silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram was announced about 15 minutes before the doubles match began. Ebden and John Peers beat Krajicek and Ram in the Summer Games final in August.
The Australians broke once in each set of the doubles. In the second, they stole one of Shelton’s service games on the fourth break opportunity when Ebden’s overhead smash made it 5-4. Thompson then served out the victory, closing it with a service winner before chest-bumping Ebden.
The 21st-ranked Shelton made his Davis Cup debut earlier Thursday in singles against 77th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, who emerged from a tight-as-can-be tiebreaker by saving four match points and eventually converting his seventh to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14).
No. 4 Taylor Fritz, the U.S. Open runner-up, then pulled the Americans even with a far more straightforward victory over No. 9 Alex de Minaur, 6-3, 6-4.
Kokkinakis withstood 21 aces from Shelton, a big-serving left-hander who reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2023.
When their match finally ended, on a backhand by Shelton that landed long, Kokkinakis dropped onto his back and pounded his chest. After he rose, he threw a ball into the stands, then walked over to Australia’s sideline, spiked his racket and yelled, before hugging captain Lleyton Hewitt.
“I don’t know if I’ve been that pumped up in my life. I wanted that for my team,” said Kokkinakis, who won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title with Nick Kyrgios. “It could have gone either way, but I kept my nerve.”
One key stat: Shelton finished with 29 unforced errors in his Davis Cup debut, nearly twice as many as the 15 by Kokkinakis.
After a strong hold at love in an opening game that included a 139 mph (224 kph) ace and a trio of service winners, Shelton lost his way completely, losing 12 of his next 16 service points and six games in a row overall. That set ended with Shelton double-faulting when he was cited for a foot fault.
But he broke to open the second set and soon the match was far more competitive.
“Once I got going, I thought I found a really good groove,” Shelton said. “I didn’t exactly like how I finished the match at the end. I thought I left a little bit on the table.”
Highly touted high school QB commits
to Colorado
DENVER | Highly touted high school quarterback Julian Lewis has committed to the University of Colorado, possibly an indicator that coach Deion Sanders does indeed plan to stick around in Boulder.
The five-star recruit recently decommitted from Southern California to explore his options. He announced Colorado would be his destination Thursday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” as he donned a Buffaloes stocking cap.
Lewis figures to be the heir apparent to Shedeur Sanders, who’s expected to be a top pick in the next NFL draft. There’s an image of Sanders handing the keys over to the young QB in a video posted on Lewis’ Instagram account.
It gives Deion Sanders another elite quarterback to build around at Colorado. On Tuesday, Sanders tamped down speculation over his future.
“I’m enthusiastic about where I am,” he said. “I love it here. Truly do.”
His roster this season has several young players making significant contributions, including freshman left tackle Jordan Seaton.
“We ain’t going nowhere,” Sanders said. “We’re about to get comfortable.”
Lewis, whose nickname is “Ju Ju,” became the starting quarterback at Carrollton High School in Georgia as a freshman. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound player was the 2023-24 Gatorade Georgia football player of the year.
This season, he’s thrown for 2,842 yards and 40 touchdowns with only four interceptions, according to MaxPreps. He’s completing 77.8% of his passes.
“It’s big for me, just coming in after Shedeur, seeing what he’s done at Colorado, and what he’s turned it into,” Lewis said on McAfee’s show. “It’s definitely a blessing to get to this position, coming in after him with his dad.
“Coach Prime has always said the best man is going to play. That’s really what I wanted, was to be able to compete … I don’t have much fun sitting on the bench, so I want to come to where I have a chance to play.”
Lewis delivered the news to Deion Sanders over a phone call. He’s set join the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CFP ) this spring.
“Julian loves to compete; he’s extremely excited for the challenge that lies ahead in college football,” said TC Lewis, Julian’s father. “What ‘Coach Prime’ and Colorado provide for him in regards to development and a path to play are exceptional.”
Penn State wins case over retailer’s use of vintage logos, images
PHILADELPHIA | Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage sports logos and images.
A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages on Wednesday over products made and sold by Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc., two firms co-founded by former minor league baseball player Chad Hartvigson.
Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories, while the defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with the university.
At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, including Purdue, Stanford and UCLA, Penn State said in its 2021 lawsuit. However, the Penn State case was the first to go to trial and seen by some as a test case in the sports merchandising industry.
“It addresses an important issue with trademark law — whether or not the mark owner is able to prevent third parties from using its marks on T-shirts and paraphernalia without permission,” said Tiffany Gehrke, a trademark lawyer in Chicago who was not involved in the case.
The verdict, she said, maintains the status quo, while a victory for Vintage Brand “could have shaken things up.” It followed a six-day trial in federal court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, overseen by Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
It was not immediately clear if the defendants planned to appeal. Phone and email messages left with their lawyers on Thursday were not immediately returned.
Penn State, in a statement, called its trademarks “critical” to the school’s brand, and said it was grateful for the verdict.
“The university appreciates this result as it relates to the many hundreds of licensees with whom the university works and who go through the appropriate processes to use Penn State’s trademarks,” the statement said.
Penn State, founded in 1855, adopted the Nittany Lion as its mascot in 1904 and has been using various images of the animal, along with the school’s seal and other logos, for decades, the lawsuit said. The school now has more than 100,000 students at 24 campuses.
NFL issues security alert to teams following recent burglaries
The NFL issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union on Thursday following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.”
Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted.
Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood.
Burglars have entered through side doors, via balconies, or second-floor windows. They’ve targeted homes in secluded areas and focus on master bedrooms and closet areas.
Players were warned to avoid updating any social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day. Posting expensive items on social media is discouraged.
The homes of Mahomes and Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, law enforcement reports show. The break-ins happened just before and the day of Kansas City’s 26-13 home victory over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 7, where Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from the stands. No injuries were reported in either case.
—From AP reports
