Novak Djokovic rallied for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Milos Raonic on Friday night in Mason, Ohio, to reach the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open, the only ATP Masters event he has yet to win.
After his passing shot finished the 2-hour, 30-minute match, Djokovic led the crowd in cheers and pumped his fist, ending a long day with an impromptu celebration. He beat defending champion Grigor Dimitrov a few hours earlier, completing a match suspended overnight because of rain, then returned a few hours later to play a rested opponent.
In the semifinals, Djokovic will face Marin Cilic, who also won twice Friday.
On the women’s side, top-ranked Simona Halep beat Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 6-4 early Friday afternoon, then returned and knocked off Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semifinals.
COLLEGES
FOOTBALL: Ohio State’s investigation into how Coach Urban Meyer handled allegations of domestic violence against a former longtime assistant coach will finish Sunday, the school announced, and investigators will deliver a report detailing their findings to university leaders next week. A decision on Meyer’s future at Ohio State by university president Michael Drake is expected shortly thereafter.
Ohio State ordered the investigation earlier this month after Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of former Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith, publicly contradicted Meyer’s claims that he had no knowledge she had accused her then-husband of domestic violence in 2015. Courtney Smith’s accusations prompted a police investigation in suburban Columbus that closed without criminal charges against Zach Smith, who has denied physically abusing his wife.
BASKETBALL
NBA: The Philadelphia 76ers confirmed an ESPN report that they have hired former Duke and WNBA star Lindsey Harding as a full-time scout.
Harding, according to ESPN, becomes only the second full-time female scout for an NBA team. The first was current Dallas Mavericks assistant Jenny Boucek, who worked for the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006.
WNBA: Jonquel Jones made five 3-pointers and scored 26 points, Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-79 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Connecticut (20-13), winners of 8 of 9, secured a bye for the first round of the playoffs.
• Natasha Cloud made a fadeaway jumper just before the buzzer to give the Washington Mystics a 69-67 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
Cloud took an inbounds pass with 3.8 seconds left, dribbled to the free-throw line, went behind her back and hit the winner. She was 1 of 10 from the floor before her first winner.
SOCCER
MLS: The FOX Sports broadcast of Sunday’s match between D.C. United and the New England Revolution will feature an all-female on-air crew for the first time.
The group will include play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington, analyst Danielle Slaton and sideline reporter Katie Witham.
It’s the first time any network has aired an MLS match with an all-female crew. It’s also believed the women are the first all-female trio to call a game among the top five men’s professional leagues.
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