Month: January 2025

19-year-old American Learner Tien upset No. 5 seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) at the 2025 Australian Open, in a 4-hour, 49-minute match that began Thursday night and ended early Friday morning at Margaret Court Arena. Tien now becomes the youngest American man to reach the Australian Open’s third round since 18-year-old Pete Sampras did so in 1990. Tien reached two junior Grand Slam singles finals in 2023, at the Australian Open and U.S. Open, and played one semester of college tennis at Southern California before turning pro that year. He previously lost in the first round in all three of his previous Grand Slam singles appearances at the U.S. Open.

Tien, ranked No. 121, converted 9 of 15 break point chances, while the Russian Medvedev converted just 10 of 24 break points opportunities. Medvedev held advantages of 20-7 in aces, but totaled 82 unforced errors, compared to Tien’s 79. Tien totaled 53 winners, compared to Medvedev’s 52 in the victory.

Tien said on the ESPN broadcast: “Belief is a big thing in succeeding and winning, in general. I always go on the court believing that there’s a chance I can win. I wasn’t trying to think of the match as anything more important than any other match I’ve ever played. I was just going to go out there, have fun, see what I could do. I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been, but whatever. I was definitely hoping it wouldn’t go to a fifth-set breaker, but I’m just happy to get a win. I really appreciate all you guys staying out here. I know it’s late. I have no idea what time it is.”

Tien will go on to play No. 69 Corentin Moutet of France in the third round. No. 4 Taylor Fritz, No. 20 Ben Shelton, No. 8 Emma Navarro and No. 11 Danielle Collins were among the top Americans to advance to the third round of the 2025 Australian Open through wins Thursday in Melbourne.

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Baseball icon Bob Uecker, the legendary Hall of Fame Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer, died Thursday at the age of 90.

Uecker’s family said in a statement: “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Bob. To many, he was an announcer and entertainer whose humor and voice transcended the game, but to us he was so much more. Bob faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023, which he met with the same strength and resilience that defined him. Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter. He brought joy to countless listeners through his wit, charisma, and love for baseball, Milwaukee, and all of Wisconsin, creating a legacy that will forever be cherished. While his contributions to the game are noteworthy, it is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time as we grieve and celebrate the man we were so lucky to call ours.”

Uecker, known as “Ueck” and “Mr. Baseball”,  made his MLB debut as a player in 1962 with Milwaukee, and also played with the St. Louis Cardinals (a team led by Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson which won the World Series in 1964), Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Uecker hit just .200 throughout his six season career before moving onto the broadcasting booth, joining the Brewers radio broadcast team where he became an instant hit with fans. The 2024 season marked Uecker’s 54th as a Brewers broadcaster. In 2003, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame where he was presented with the Ford C. Frick Award, the sport’s highest broadcast honor.

The Milwaukee Brewers posted on social media on Uecker’s death: “We are heartbroken to announce that Brewers icon & Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker passed away today at the age of 90”. They also shared in a statement: “Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundtrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss. He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend. Bob loved people; his presence warmed every room and he had a way of welcoming all of us into his world as if we were lifelong friends.”

In to his baseball and broadcasting career, Uecker acted in roles on the 1989 movie “Major League” and later the sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” from 1985 to 1990, where he portrayed sportswriter George Owens on the ABC sitcom about a suburban Pittsburgh family of five and their British butler.

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The NBA announced Wednesday the rescheduled dates for some of the games postponed last week due to the wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as inclement weather that took place in Atlanta. The league announced new dates for three of those games, and they also rescheduled six other games to accommodate those new dates.

The changes will affect nine teams (the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers:

• The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 19 after their Jan. 9 matchup was originally delayed.
• The Hornets will return to L.A. on March 16 to face the Los Angeles Clippers, after their Jan. 11 contest was affected by the wildfires.
• The Atlanta Hawks will welcome in the Houston Rockets on Jan. 28 after winter-weather conditions postponed their Jan. 11 game.

The Lakers have one more game (their Jan. 11 matchup with the Spurs) that needs to be rescheduled. In the meantime, both Los Angeles teams resumed their regular schedule Monday night. Lakers coach JJ Redick said: “I think a group functions best when you draw strength from each other. Then it’s our job to go give strength, and give hope and give joy. Sports are a lot of things and sports can certainly provide an escape and a distraction and hopefully sports, and tonight, can provide some joy as well. Sports really work well when the team, the organization has a connection to the city and the fans feel a connection to the team. And then it just flows in some sort of eternal circle of that. The Lakers have that with the city of Los Angeles. Having played here before and lived here, I’m well aware of that relationship. And part of the reason I wanted to coach here was to participate in that.”

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Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers announced Wednesday morning that he will forgo his senior season and is declaring for the NFL Draft.

Ewers’s agent shared the quarterback’s decision to Pete Thamel prior to Ewers posting his video, with Thamel sharing on social media:  “Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is declaring for the NFL draft, his agent Ron Slavin told ESPN. The decision ends a career at Texas that saw him go 21-5 as a starter the last two years revive and lead the Longhorns to the school’s only two CFP appearances.”

Ewers shared in a video posted on social media: “My entire life, I’ve dreamed about playing football on the 40 Acres. These past three years have been some of the best years I could have imagined. The relationships I’ve built between coaches and teammates will last forever. I’m truly thankful for the opportunity to play football in my home state for the best university in the world. With prayer and careful consideration, I’m officially declaring for the NFL Draft.”

Ewers came to Austin as a transfer from Ohio State; in three seasons and 36 games the QB threw for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns, completing 64.9% of his passes. Ewers led the Longhorns to a Big 12 title, 21-5 record and back-to-back appearances in the national semifinal over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and will be remembered as the quarterback who brought Texas back to national contention and as one of the top four passers in school history. Ewers had previously told ESPN’s “College GameDay” that he did not expect to return to college football next year, and hope his legacy at Texas would be that he was “a great teammate that pushed his teammates to be the best that they could be, but pushed himself to be the best that he could be, so he’s able to say things like that. And, you know, one of the best to ever do it here.”

Ewers’ departure puts Arch Manning – son of Cooper Manning, grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning – as the Longhorns starter in 2025. Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four TDs this season.

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