TENNIS

Injured Serena Williams pulls out of Swedish Open

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams said a right elbow injury forced her to withdraw from the Swedish Open on Thursday.

Williams said she felt pain in the elbow in the first game of her first-round match Wednesday, four days after winning her sixth Wimbledon championship, but went on to beat Belgian qualifier Yasline Bonaventure, 6-2, 6-1.

Appearing downhearted, the 2013 Swedish Open champion said she wanted to do what was best for her body and made the right decision, despite it being a “really, really difficult decision.”

HALL OF FAME CHAMPIONSHIPS: Germany’s Dustin Brown beat sixth-seeded Sam Querrey 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to complete a rain-delayed match from a day earlier, advancing to the quarterfinals at Newport, Rhode Island.

In a quarterfinal match, 2009 champion Rajeev Ram advanced with a 2-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) victory over fifth-seeded Adrian Mannarino.

CYCLING

TOUR DE FRANCE: Chris Froome came out of the toughest Pyrenees stage, won by Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain, with his lead comfortably intact, leaving the Alps as the last major obstacle between the British rider and a second victory.

Rodriguez rode alone through driving rain on the final steep climb to take his second stage win of this Tour.

BASEBALL

NECBL: Sam Dexter went 5 for 5 with three RBI to lead the Sanford Mainers (16-13) to a 12-2 victory against the Valley Blue Sox (16-14) at Holyoke, Massachusetts.

NCBL: Former USM player Nick Grady drove in two runs for the Newburgh Newts (15-11) in a 7-2 win over the Old Orchard Beach Surge (11-17) at The Ballpark.

GOLF

PGA: Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 in warm conditions to take the first-round lead in the inaugural Barbasol Championship at Opelika, Alabama.

LPGA: South Korea’s Ha Na Jang birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 66 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Marathon Classic at Sylvania, Ohio.

HOCKEY

AHL: The Portland Pirates signed defenseman Yann Suave to a one-year deal.

Sauve played 25 games in the AHL last season, split between Springfield, St. John’s and Providence. He also played 13 games in the ECHL.

BASKETBALL

NBA: The Mavericks re-signed point guard J.J. Barea to a four-year, $16 million contract to provide depth behind newcomer Deron Williams.

Barea had agreed to a two-year deal at less than $6 million, but Dallas had more money under the salary cap after center DeAndre Jordan backed out of a deal.

FOOTBALL

NFL: The Steelers signed defensive end Cameron Heyward to a new six-year contract that will keep him with the team through 2020. The 26-year-old tied for the team lead with 7 1/2 sacks in 2014.

– From staff and news services