World Sports News in Brief

Djokovic disqualified from US Open after striking line judge with ball

World number one Novak Djokovic was sensationally disqualified in the US Open fourth round on Sunday (Sep 6) after striking a line judge with a ball following a point during the first set of his match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.

Sep 6, 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York, USA; Novak Djokovic discusses with a tournament official after being defaulted for striking a lines person with a ball against Pablo Carreno Busta (not pictured) on day seven of the 2020 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Sep 6, 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York, USA; Novak Djokovic discusses with a tournament official after being defaulted for striking a lines person with a ball against Pablo Carreno Busta (not pictured) on day seven of the 2020 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Djokovic was becoming frustrated after squandering three set points when Carreno Busta served at 4-5, 0-40, then suffering a fall. Having dropped serve to trail 5-6, he swatted a ball reasonably hard to the back of the court, inadvertently striking a female line judge in her throat. It was a shocking end to the top seed’s hopes of winning an 18th Grand Slam title and moving within two of the men’s record total won by Roger Federer.

* Dustin Johnson posted his best round of the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday, carding a third-round 64 to sit five shots clear of the field as he guns for his first FedExCup championship.

* American Shelby Rogers ousted sixth seed Petra Kvitova in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday, winning 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(6) in one of the most tightly-contested matches of the tournament so far.

* Germany's Johannes Vetter produced the second longest javelin throw in history when he threw 97.76 metres at the Tour Gold event in Chorzow, Poland on Sunday. Jan Zelezny's record has stood the test of time since he threw 98.48 metres in 1996 but 27-year-old Vetter's effort on his third attempt came close, landing 72 centimetres shy of the Czech's mark.

* Germany were still waiting for their first-ever Nations League win after they gave a tired performance and were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland on Sunday. Ilkay Gundogan gave Joachim Loew's side the perfect start with a clinical goal in the 14th minute but Silvan Widmer earned their smaller neighbours a deserved draw just before the hour.

* Spain coach Luis Enrique was taken by surprise by the self-confidence and spark he saw in teenaged forward Ansu Fati, who became his country's youngest ever goalscorer by netting in a 4-0 win against Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday. Fati, who turns 18 on Oct 31, turned in a sensational all-round display in his first start for Spain and struck his first goal for his country to make it 3-0 in the 32nd minute.

* Alexander Zverev slammed down 18 aces en route to demolishing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2 6-2 6-1 in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday.

* Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva reached the US Open quarter-finals with a 6-3 2-6 6-4 victory over eighth seed Petra Martic in a see-saw encounter at Flushing Meadows on Sunday.

* American John Catlin won his maiden European Tour title at the Andalucia Masters on Sunday, holding off former world number one Martin Kaymer in a thrilling battle that went down to the final hole.

* Italy coach Roberto Mancini will rotate his team for the Nations League match against the Netherlands on Monday in a bid to reduce the risk of injury to his players. Mancini's side drew 1-1 at home to Bosnia on Friday and he said he was reluctant to make players play twice in four days, at the start of the new season.

* Barcelona forward Luis Suarez is due to sit a language test on Monday in a bid to obtain Italian citizenship that would enable him to move to Serie A champions Juventus, Italian and Uruguayan media said Sunday.

* Wolverhampton Wanderers completed a second signing in as many days when they secured the services of Brazilian left back Marcal from Olympique Lyonnais on a two-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Sunday.

* Jennifer Brady produced a fearless brand of tennis to topple 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-4 and reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the US Open on Sunday.

* France's Pierre Gasly took a shock Italian Grand Prix win for Italy-based AlphaTauri on Sunday in a race packed with suspense and surprises after Formula One's top teams made mistakes or failed to finish. McLaren's Spaniard Carlos Sainz chased Gasly across the line at a spectator-free Monza, with Racing Point's Lance Stroll completing a youthful podium.

* The Renault Formula One team will be renamed Alpine F1 from 2021, competing in French colours to showcase the carmaker's sportscar brand, new company CEO Luca de Meo announced on Sunday.

Reuters