NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams flubbed yet another shot and wailed, “I keep missing my forehand!”

She was in trouble, if only briefly, against 17-year-old American Caty McNally, who is friends, and doubles partners, with Coco Gauff.

Making key adjustments to her serve and straightening out her other strokes, Williams avoided what would have been her earliest loss in 19 appearances at the U.S. Open, coming back to beat McNally 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in a match that ended as Wednesday turned to Thursday.

“You can’t win tournaments making that many errors,” Williams said. “I knew I had to play better, and I knew I could.”

And so she did.

“Obviously, she’s going to pick up her level. I knew that was going to happen,” McNally said. “Next time, I just have to raise my level with hers.”

Williams improved to 38-0 in the first two rounds at Flushing Meadows. The only time she was beaten as early as even the third round in New York was in her tournament debut all way back in 1998 — when she was just 16 herself.

The following year, Williams won the first of her six U.S. Open championships. McNally hadn’t even been born yet.

Now 37, Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles in all, and she showed off why while powering her way through a deficit, taking 16 of the final set’s initial 17 points.

McNally had never won a match at any major tournament until Monday. She is ranked 121st and received a wild-card invitation from the U.S. Tennis Association for singles and for doubles, the latter with 15-year-old sensation Gauff.

It was Gauff who beat Williams’ older sister, Venus, on the way to the fourth round of Wimbledon last month.

Might another stunner be in the offing? Seemed a possibility for a set, anyway, with McNally charging the net, serving-and-volleying, and looking like someone who belonged.

Maybe that’s why Williams never looked comfortable early. Took time to get into a real groove. Went stretches without being the dominant force she’s been for a couple of decades and sure was just the other night while absolutely overwhelming five-time major champion Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in the same arena.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, made louder than usual under the retractable roof that was closed all day because of showers, alternated who it was pulling for, more than happy to cheer for either woman representing the United States at the country’s Grand Slam tournament.

Who doesn’t love to support an all-time great, after all? And who doesn’t enjoy getting behind a true underdog?

“She’s young. It’s her first time in a stage like this and only her second Grand Slam, so I think there’s a lot to gain from it,” said Lynn Nabors-McNally, Caty’s mother, who also helps coach her. “It’s a great stepping stone to a lot of things.”

So there was McNally, almost strutting to the sideline while waving her arms, trying to get the spectators to offer even more noise and more applause after she pulled out the opening set in impressive fashion. First, McNally converted her only break point of the match to lead 6-5. Then she served out the set despite falling behind love-40, erasing three break points and hitting a 103-mph service winner to seal it — and implored the fans to get loud.

They obliged.

“I knew I was playing against the greatest of all time. … I walked out there and I had the chills,” McNally said. “Super happy just to get a set from her. That’s something that not very many people do.”

And for a bit of the second set, too, McNally stayed with Williams.

But Williams started to pull away, in part by dispensing with the serves out wide that McNally was handling well, and in part by reducing her mistakes from 15 unforced errors in the first set, to 11 in the second to two in the third.

“Actually, I’d rather not be tested in every match. But that doesn’t happen. So it’s important for me to have those, like, really rough, rowdy matches,” Williams said. “That helps a lot.”

___

AP Sports Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kareem Hunt will have to spend his NFL suspension isolated from his team.

The suspended Browns running back, who must serve an eight-game ban for physical altercations, will not be permitted inside the team’s facility starting Saturday at 4 p.m., league spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday in an email to The Associated Press.

The team had asked Commissioner Roger Goodell to allow Hunt to be around his teammates, arguing he could use the extra support. But to this point, Hunt will not be able to interact with his teammates or staff inside the team’s building in Berea, Ohio, until his punishment ends in November.

It’s not impossible the league could adjust its policy and amend its stance on Hunt, who was signed as a free agent by Cleveland in March, three months after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs. But to this point, he’s going to be on his own.

Hunt was suspended for two violent off-field incidents, one in which he shoved and kicked a woman during a dispute in a hotel hallway. He’s eligible to return to the team in November.

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was disappointed to learn Hunt won’t be present.

“It hurts him not to be around there because if you can be around your teammates, that can help you keep a positive attitude, and that definitely helps,” Mayfield said. “So that’s tough to hear.”

The 24-year-old Hunt has been practicing and playing in preseason games, and the 2017 league rushing champion is expected to be on the field Thursday night when the Browns host the Detroit Lions in their exhibition finale.

Hunt has been attending counseling sessions and said earlier this month that if he couldn’t be with his teammates he would “chill out, get good workouts and lay low.”

Although Hunt will have to stay away from the Browns, wide receiver Antonio Callaway will be allowed in the facility while serving his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Callaway was suspended earlier this month during training camp. He won’t be eligible to return until the Oct. 7 game at San Francisco. Callaway owned up to his mistake, which followed a run of off-field issues while he was in college.

On Tuesday, Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said he hoped Callaway would be allowed to be with his teammates.

“If we were in fact able to do it, one of the good reasons will be because Antonio is recovering from an ankle injury,” Kitchens said. “To make sure that he gets the proper medical care and treatment, that would benefit the person as much as anything.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics spent the night trading big blows, and they weren’t limited to the balls they kept sending out of spacious Kauffman Stadium.

Three guys were hit by pitches, too — one of them smack in the helmet.

Yet it was Hunter Dozier who delivered the timeliest hits on Wednesday night, belting a two-run homer in the third inning before driving in the go-ahead run with a base hit in the seventh. When Tim Hill notched a pair of perfect innings in relief, and Ian Kennedy survived a harrowing ninth, the Royals had escaped with a 6-4 victory against a club that has owned the AL Central all season.

“We’ve had some opportunities the last two games to get some runs or tack on some runs and we didn’t do it,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Tonight was a pretty good night for our offense.”

Hill (2-0) dazzled in relief of Jacob Junis before Kennedy kept everyone on edge. He walked Jurickson Profar to begin the inning, then struck out Chris Herrmann and Corban Joseph, before Marcus Semien singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Kennedy responded by getting Robbie Grossman to hit a lazy flyball to left field to earn his 23rd save this season.

“It was set up perfectly for Timmy,” Yost said. “The way their lineup was set up was perfect. He threw the ball extremely well. Then Ian came in with great stuff, too.”

Blake Treinen (6-5) faced four batters in the seventh inning without recording an out for Oakland. He allowed three hits and a walk, and Jake Diekman allowed one of his inherited runners to score.

“It’s frustrating when you feel when you feel like your stuff is playing well and you’re locating,” Treinen said. “I think I only missed the spot once.”

Semien and Mark Canha homered for the A’s, who twice blew two-run leads in squandering a chance to go a season-best 22 games over .500. Oakland (76-56) had won 19 of 24 against the Central Division.

The big blows began with the second pitch, when Semien launched a solo shot off Junis to give the A’s the lead. The Royals’ starter proceeded to hit Matt Chapman in the helmet with a pitch two batters later, the impact launching the headgear all the way toward the warning track.

Chapman stayed in the game to score on Seth Brown’s groundout before heading for the clubhouse.

“He’s all right, no concussion symptoms as of right now,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “That was scary.”

The Royals tied it in the third when Tanner Roark served up Dozier’s two-run shot. The homer over the left-field bullpen was bookended by Roark hitting Whit Merrifield and Alex Gordon with pitches.

Oakland jumped back ahead in the fifth on Canha’s two-run homer, and the Royals quickly answered over the next couple innings. Jorge Soler got the first run back with an RBI double in the fifth, and O’Hearn tied it 4-all when he belted a 0-2 pitch to right field to open the sixth.

Roark wound up allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in six innings, striking out four. Junis gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out five.

“Got off to a tough start. Command was all over the place,” Junis said. “I kind of grinded through it and figured a way to get through six innings and give us a chance.”

DUCK!

Chapman immediately headed toward first base after he was hit in the helmet, and even shook off a trainer who came out to visit him. But he was eventually replaced by Chad Pinder as a precaution.

KELLER SITS

The Royals have shut down right-hander Brad Keller for the rest of the season after noticing a drop in velocity. The 24-year-old Keller, who was pounded by Oakland on Monday, already has thrown a career-high 165 1/3 innings. “I didn’t see anything after his last start that I wanted to see the rest of the year,” Yost said. “His future is too important.”

SALE TALK

Yost declined to discuss speculation that Royals owner David Glass is negotiating with local businessman and Indians minority owner John Sherman on the sale of the franchise. But the skipper did spend time talking about the passion Glass has for baseball, and Yost said delivering the 84-year-old owner a World Series title in 2015 was one of the highlights of his career.

BABY WATCH

A’s designated hitter Khris Davis was a late scratch when he left to be with his wife, Jill, for the birth of their second child. He was replaced by Joseph in the lineup, and Melvin said a roster replacement would arrive Thursday. Davis is expected back against the Yankees this weekend in New York.

UP NEXT

Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.59 ERA) starts for the A’s and fellow right-hander Glenn Sparkman (3-9, 5.52) is on the hill for the Royals as the clubs wrap up their four-game series with a Thursday matinee.

DALLAS, Tx. – Four Big 12 soccer teams were ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll after the first week of the 2019 season. West Virginia, Kansas, Baylor and Texas were represented in the rankings, while two others received votes.

The Mountaineers check in at No. 12 after a 1-1 week in which they claimed a 2-0 victory over Duquesne but dropped a 3-1 neutral-site matchup to No. 3 Stanford.

Kansas makes its first appearance in the 2019 rankings climbing to No. 18 after a 2-0 start to the season. The Jayhawks scored a conference-leading 10 goals over the opening weekend, shutting out Nebraska 4-0 and Loyola-Chicago 6-0. Senior forward Katie McClure was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after collecting 10 points (four goals, two assists) in two games.

No. 21 Baylor and No. 24 Texas remain in the top 25 after each winning their opening contest. The Bears took down Northwestern State 4-2 while the Longhorns claimed a 4-3 victory over Gonzaga that included a penalty kick save by junior goalkeeper Savannah Madden with just five seconds remaining to seal the win.

Additionally, Oklahoma and TCU each received votes in this week’s poll.

Regular-season action continues Thursday, August 29, with seven non-conference matches.

Big 12 Programs in United Soccer Coaches Poll

12. West Virginia

18. Kansas

21. Baylor

24. Texas

RV: Oklahoma, TCU

By Steve Carpenter – Hutchinson CC Sports Information

With rain in the forecast for Friday, the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team will once again play at Don Michael Field.

Hutchinson (1-1) will now play Redlands at 2 p.m. on Friday at Don Michael Field (17th and Severance). The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

There is a high probability of rain in Friday’s forecast. The move to Don Michael Field will allow the new natural playing surface to mature without a chance of damage from it being wet while being played on.

The Blue Dragons moved both matches against Trinidad State and Indian Hills to Don Michael Field last week.

There is no admission for Friday’s soccer game.

Friday will be the first of three-straight days of play for the Blue Dragons. On Saturday, Hutchinson plays No. 5 Navarro and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Dragons play against Rose State. Both games on Saturday and Sunday will be at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

By Steve Carpenter – Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Freshman Chiara Soergel had a sparkling debut in goal for the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team last Thursday.

The 5-foot-8 keeper from Bensheim, Germany, was named the Jayhawk Conference Goalkeeper of the Week for the first week of the regular season on Tuesday.

Making her collegiate debut last Thursday against Trinidad State, Soergel had to make eight saves in a 4-0 victory. That is the most saves by a Blue Dragon keeper in her debut game.

Soergel went 1-1 for the week after Hutch dropped a 1-0 defensive struggle with Indian Hills on Saturday. Soergel made three saves in that game.

For the week, Soergel had a .917 save percentage with 11 saves on 12 shots faced.

INDIANAPOLIS – On Tuesday (Aug. 27) the NCAA announced 18 regular-season Division II football games that will be a part of its 2019 Division II Football Showcase. The season-opening football game between Fort Hays State and Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri is part of the showcase. The game will be available to view on several webstreaming platforms.

The first 18 games of the Division II Football Showcase are predetermined games, 16 of which are conference matchups. An additional four flex games — intended to highlight crucial matchups — will be finalized later in the season and played in November.

Selected games are featured on ESPN3 or NCAA social media as part of a new media agreement intended to promote Division II on multiple platforms throughout the season.

The September 5 matchup between Fort Hays State and Central Missouri in Warrensburg will be a “hybrid model” game, meaning it has flexibility of distribution both online and on TV. Hybrid games will be distributed Free-To-View online through NCAA social media accounts — specifically, Division II Facebook (facebook.com/ncaadivisionii) and Twitter (@NCAADII) — and through conference and school digital networks. The game will also be available Free-To-View on the Fort Hays State University Athletics Facebook account (facebook.com/fhsuathletics). The game may also appear on local television channels, which will be announced closer to the game date should any local providers pick up the game.

If you have already paid for a subscription package to watch games on the MIAA Network, the game will still be available as normal just like any other week. Here is the link to the FHSU portal on the MIAA Network – https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/. The MIAA Network OTT apps are available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV.

“It’s always exciting to begin a new academic year and the start of the Division II season,” said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. “We’re looking forward to highlighting the teams that will be featured in the football showcase and promoting the Division II brand on several platforms for fans to see across the country.”

Games included in the schedule are selected from a pool of conference nominations. Of the 16 football-sponsoring conferences in Division II, 15 will be featured in at least one game. One conference declined to participate.

Of the teams competing in the slate of games, 15 appeared in the 2018 Division II playoffs, and 15 begin the 2019 season ranked in the Top 25 of the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll.

“The football showcase features several great teams and matchups,” said Daryl Dickey, chair of the Division II Football Committee and athletics director at West Georgia. “It’s always fun to follow Division II football and celebrate our student-athletes for their excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”

2019 Division II Showcase Full Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:05 p.m. ET                 Harding at Ouachita Baptist (ESPN3)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:05 p.m. ET                Fort Hays State at Central Missouri (Hybrid)
Saturday, Sept. 14, 6:05 p.m. ET                Ohio Dominican at Valdosta State (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 14, 7:05 p.m. ET                Ferris State at Central Washington (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 12:05 p.m. ET             Findlay at Ohio Dominican (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 6:05 p.m. ET                Shaw at Chowan (Hybrid)
Friday, Sept. 27, 7:05 p.m. ET                     New Haven at Bentley (Hybrid)
Saturday, Sept. 28, 2:35 pm. ET                 Central Oklahoma at Northwest Missouri State (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2:05 p.m. ET                    Lindenwood (Missouri) at McKendree (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 5, 3:05 p.m. ET                    Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State Mankato (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 1:05 p.m. ET                  Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 7:05 p.m. ET                  Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce (ESPN3)
Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:05 p.m. ET               West Chester at Shepherd (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2:05 p.m. ET                  Benedict at Albany State (Georgia) (ESPN3)
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2:05 p.m. ET                  West Georgia at West Alabama (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 12:05 p.m. ET                 Charleston (West Virginia) at West Virginia State (Hybrid)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2:05 p.m. ET                   Wingate at Lenoir-Rhyne (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 5:05 p.m. ET                   Texas A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 9                                            To be determined
Saturday, Nov. 16                                          To be determined

— FHSU Sports Information —

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Graduate transfer Alex Delton will be the starting quarterback for TCU’s season opener, and true freshman Max Duggan will also play in the first quarter against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.

Coach Gary Patterson said Tuesday the competition was good and that “a lot of guys keep pushing.”

Patterson also said senior running back Sewo Olonilua won’t play in the first half Saturday. Olonilua, who set a school bowl record with 194 yards rushing in the Cheez-It Bowl, was arrested in May on possible drug charges in Walker County, Texas.

Delton, from Hays, got the starting edge at quarterback because of experience. He played 14 games with six starts the last two seasons at Kansas State, and was a team captain last year.

Former Penn transfer Michael Collins started four games late last season for TCU before a right ankle injury that forced him to miss all of spring drills, then missed about two weeks of practice this month because of a foot injury.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Marcus Semien provided just enough early offense and Mike Fiers and three Oakland relievers combined to shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.

Semien had hits in his first two at-bats of the game, coming around to score in the first inning and driving in a run in the second. That was all the offense the A’s pitchers needed.

Fiers looked solid through five innings, but ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Alex Gordon had an RBI double into the gap in right-center. After striking out Cheslor Cuthbert, a walk to Ryan O’Hearn ended Fiers’ night. Yusmeiro Petit came in and retired the next two batters, striking out Meibrys Viloria, to escape the jam and preserve the 2-1 lead.

Fiers (13-3) scattered eight hits in his 5 1/3 innings, but allowed just the one run and struck out five batters. He’s now won 11 straight decisions, dating to May 7, tying Mark Mulder for the second-longest winning streak in Oakland history.

Petit retired all five batters he faced. Joakim Soria tossed a scoreless eighth and Liam Hendriks worked the ninth inning for his 16th save in 20 opportunities.

The A’s have won 10 of their last 13 games in Kansas City and 16 out of the last 21 overall, outscoring the Royals 140-62 in that span.

Mike Montgomery (3-7) shook off a shaky start to put together another quality outing, despite struggling again with his command. Montgomery surrendered an unearned run in the first and another run in the second, but gave up nothing else through 6 1/3 innings. He walked three batters and hit another and has now issued eight walks over his last three starts after walking three total in his first five starts with the Royals.

The A’s didn’t hit the ball out of the infield in the first inning, but still managed to squeeze out a run after Cuthbert’s error extended the inning. A walk to Chad Pinder two batters later drove in Semien.

An inning later, Semien laced an RBI single to right field, scoring Josh Phegley who doubled two pitches earlier.

Whit Merrifield and Gordon both had two-hit nights for the Royals.

BROWN SHOWS OFF DEFENSIVE SKILLS

A day after making his big league debut by getting hits in his first two at-bats, A’s left fielder Seth Brown flashed his defensive abilities. With one out in the bottom of the second, Brown raced towards the left-center gap and made a diving catch to rob Cuthbert of extra bases. In the third inning, Brown threw out Viloria, who was trying to score from second on Merrifield’s single.

STATS AND STREAKS

Mark Canha saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end, going 0 for 3. … Soria made his 700th career appearance on the mound, extending his MLB record for a Mexican-born pitcher. … The A’s had a streak of 10 consecutive innings scoring at least one run snapped in the third inning. Oakland scored in the final eight innings of Monday’s game and each of the first two innings on Tuesday. The A’s became the first team since Boston in 2013 to score in 10 consecutive innings. … Nicky Lopez extended his career best hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the third inning.

UP NEXT

Athletics: Tanner Roark will make his fourth start with Oakland since being traded from Cincinnati at the trade deadline. Roark (8-8) is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his first three starts for the A’s.

Royals: Jakob Junis (8-12) will look to bounce back from his previous start Friday in Cleveland, when he threw just four innings and gave up four runs and six hits.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — UPDATE-

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The ownership of the Kansas City Royals is open to the possibility of selling the franchise if the right buyer is found, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, and reports suggest that it could happen in the near future.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because they were not authorized to discuss any negotiations given the sensitive nature of the situation.

The Athletic reported earlier Tuesday that Royals owner David Glass was in discussions with a group led by Kansas City native and Cleveland Indians vice chairman John Sherman. But the depth of those talks is unclear, and one person told the AP the club has been open to offers for some time.

Sherman would need to divest himself of his shares in the Indians to buy the franchise.

“The Kansas City Royals are not in a position to make any comments on the published speculation regarding any potential sale of the ballclub,” the team said in a statement shortly before the first pitch of its game against Oakland. “The Royals will make no further statements at this time.”

Glass, the former president and CEO of Wal-Mart, was appointed interim chairman of the club in 1993 after the death of its beloved founder, Ewing Kauffman. The Glass family bought the team for $96 million in April 2000 with the understanding that the Royals would remain in Kansas City.

Earlier this year, Forbes calculated the franchise value at $1 billion.

The 84-year-old Glass, whose son Dan is the team’s president, has been a private but polarizing owner in Kansas City. He is credited with keeping the club in one of the smallest markets in baseball, but was scorned by many fans for years because of its frugal spending and losing ways.

That changed when Glass hired Dayton Moore as the general manager. The Royals began a long, slow build toward respectability, then poured heavily into payroll when a core group of players led by Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas reached the majors and Kansas City began to contend in the AL Central.

The breakthrough came in 2014, when the Royals reached the World Series for the first time since winning their first championship in 1985. They took the San Francisco Giants to Game 7, and they had the tying run on third base in the ninth inning, when they finally succumbed at Kauffman Stadium.

Driven by the disappointment of such a close call, the Royals returned largely intact the next year — and added crucial players such as Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto ahead of the trade deadline — and made another World Series run. This time, the club broke through against the New York Mets, rolling in just five games to its second World Series championship.
The timing of any potential sale makes sense. The Royals’ local television contract expires after this season, and it is likely any new deal would include a substantial increase in rights fees.

The club is also in the midst of another massive rebuild. They are barreling toward another 100-loss season, but they have a bevy of young prospects rising through the minor leagues, and the front office is hopeful the Royals will be contending again within the next two years.

KMBC TV out of Kansas City that there is a report that Kansas City Royals owner David Glass is in talks to sell the team, according to TheAthletic.com. Glass is reportingly in negotiations with John Sherman, the Vice Chairman of the Cleveland Indians.

Glass is reportedly negotiating with John Sherman, who is currently the vice chairman of the Cleveland Indians.

Glass bought the Royals for $96 million in 2000. According to Forbes, the team is now worth $1 billion.

Any sale would be subjected to the approval of Major League Baseball owners.

The Royals released this statement Tuesday evening:

“The Kansas City Royals are not in a position to make any comments on the published speculation regarding any potential sale of the ball club. The Royals will make no further statements at this time.”