TENNIS

Murray suffers quick exit as Italian Open begins

Defending champion Andy Murray was eliminated by local favorite Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-4 before a raucous crowd Tuesday in his opening match in Rome.

Italy’s top player at No. 29, Fognini frustrated the top-ranked Murray with drop shots and other aggressive play.

The unpredictable Fognini led 5-1 in the second set and nearly let Murray force a third set with a series of errors, but finally closed it out when he served for the match for a second time.

MADRID OPEN: Ion Tiriac, the tournament organizer and former tennis player, said the WTA should apologize to his friend, Ilie Nastase, for criticizing his presence at the tournament’s trophy ceremony. Nastase has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation following his comments about Serena Williams’ unborn baby and foul-mouthed outbursts during a Fed Cup match between Romania and Britain in April.

COLLEGE

BASEBALL: Boston College sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring six runs in the eighth inning, erasing an 8-3 deficit and beating Maine 9-8 in a nonconference game in Boston.

The Black Bears (20-25) opened the scoring when Tyler Schwanz scored on a second-inning grounder, but the Eagles (22-26) answered with three runs in their half of the inning.

Jeremy Pena lined a solo home run in the third and Maine grabbed a 5-3 lead with three runs in the six, highlighted by a Brandon Vicens solo homer and a two-run single by Pena.

The Black Bears extended their lead with three runs in the top of the eighth.

HOCKEY

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: The United States came back three times at Cologne, Germany, to hand Russia its first defeat 5-3 and top Group A with its sixth straight win.

Kevin Hayes scored two goals in his second game at the tournament, and Anders Lee earned the winner as the U.S. outshot Russia, 35-19.

• Canada, the Group B leader, beat fourth-place Finland 5-2 with center Mitch Marner scoring two goals in Paris.

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester City beat visiting West Bromwich Albion 3-1 to move up to third place and ensure only a series of freak results will deny the team a top-four finish.

Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne scored first-half goals in the space of less than two minutes before Toure, who is waiting to discover if he’ll be offered a new contract after seven years at the club, strolled through to stroke in a third goal.

CYCLING

GIRO D’ITALIA: Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin dominated a time trial through Umbria’s winemaking region to take the pink jersey after the 10th stage at Montefalco, Italy.

Dumoulin, who also won time trials in last year’s Giro and Tour de France, set the pace on the 25-mile route from Foligno to Montefalco, where Sagrantino wine is produced.

AUTO RACING

INDIANAPOLIS 500: Will Power reclaimed the top spot on the speed chart by turning a fast lap of 224.656 mph.

Helio Castroneves, a three-time race winner, was in second place at 224.287. Power and Castroneves drive for the Chevrolet-powered Team Penske. Gabby Chaves of Harding Racing was third at 223.991.

– Staff and news service report