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Rams don’t
blame travel
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Before Sean McVay jumped on his second 15-hour flight in less than two days, he insisted the Los Angeles Rams’ unorthodox travel plan for Australia wasn’t the reason his Super Bowl-contending team took a thrashing from the San Francisco 49ers in its season opener.
If the coach is right, that’s actually more dismaying and concerning than the other scenario. That means the Rams were completely unprepared to face their most familiar foe.
That means their high-priced, star-studded roster couldn’t even keep it close with the Niners, a strong team still considered to be only third best in the NFC West.
The 27-7 defeat was the second-worst loss by a Super Bowl betting favorite to open a season and the Rams’ first loss in an international game under McVay.
Zverev reaches
US Open final
NEW YORK (AP) -- Alexander Zverev will play for his second Grand Slam title this year after beating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) on Friday in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Zverev will play next against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, who played later Friday for the right to give the U.S. a man in Sunday’s final. Both have been semifinalists in Flushing Meadows but neither has reached a major final.
The U.S. is still seeking its first men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won in New York in 2003. Zverev finally broke through at the French Open this year.
Sabalenka and
Rybakina advance
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. Open women’s final is a matchup of the top-ranked player in the world for almost the past two years against her successor at No. 1. Aryna Sabalenka faces Elena Rybakina for third time in a Grand Slam final and 18th overall. Sabalenka has been atop the rankings for 99 weeks. Her reign ends Monday when Rybakina is set to take over, regardless of who wins Saturday.
Sabalenka cruised past Jessica Pegula to get to this point, while Rybakina rallied to beat Coco Gauff in the other semifinal.
A.J. Brown
out with injury
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks because he’s being placed on injured reserve with a right ankle injury. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the move.
Brown was injured in the second half of New England’s season-opening 13-10 loss at Seattle on Wednesday night.
Europe and
US at 4-4
DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) -- The opening day of the Solheim Day started with smoke blowers and party music blasting out of a boisterous first tee. It ended in nervy silence on No. 18 as veteran European player Carlota Ciganda stood over a 12-foot putt to tie the match against the Americans.
Ciganda delivered by pulling off an unlikely par after world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin left birdie putts short to gain a half-point with rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez. It left the teams tied at 4-4 after a Day 1 that had a little bit of everything at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Falcons turn
to Rush at QB
ATLANTA (AP) -- Cooper Rush will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback on Sunday at Pittsburgh after Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out on Friday with an oblique injury suffered in Thursday’s practice.
Falcons first-year coach Kevin Stefanski says undrafted rookie Jack Strand will be the backup. The late change in plans for the season opener came after Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa will open the season as the starter and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive.
Penix did not play in a preseason game as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.