Djokovic struggles, still beats Simon

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic beat Gilles Simon 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in his opening match at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday night. It is the only Masters series event he has never won, finishing as the runner-up four times.

If he wins this week, he will become the first with titles at all nine ATP Masters events. Djokovic has beaten Simon eight straight times. The opening game of the third set went 20 points and 15 minutes, with Simon turning aside six break points.

Djokovic finally broke through for a 4-3 lead and served out the 2-hour, 9-minute match. The last set took 59 minutes. Djokovic had 36 unforced errors in the breezy evening conditions.

The tournament lost its other defending champion on Tuesday when Victoria Azarenka withdrew because of an injured right knee. Defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew before the tournament because of an injured wrist.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Venus Williams made quick exits after leaving their winning touch in Canada.

Two days after he beat Roger Federer for his second Masters title in Toronto, Tsonga fell to Mikhail fell to Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-4.

Williams knocked off sister Serena while reaching the finals in Montreal on Sunday, finishing runner-up. She lost to Lucie Safarova 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 in the first round Tuesday.

Fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova broke Madison Keys to go up 3-0 in the final set and held on for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win.

Davis Cup matches to be moved

LONDON (AP) — The International Tennis Federation ruled Tuesday that Davis Cup matches will be moved out of Ukraine and Israel because of security issues in both countries.

The ITF board of directors rejected an appeal by the Israel Tennis Association against last week’s decision to switch the Sept. 12-14 World Group playoff against Argentina to a neutral venue because of the conflict in Gaza. The match had been scheduled to be played in Tel Aviv.

The ITF said Israel has until Thursday to nominate a venue in another country.

The board also upheld an appeal by Belgium against the decision to play its World Group playoff against Ukraine, also on Sept. 12-14, in Kiev. Ukraine has five working days to nominate a neutral venue.

If Israel and Ukraine propose neutral venues that are accepted by the Davis Cup Committee, they will be considered the home nations and can choose the court surfaces.

If they refuse, the committee has the right to decide that the matches be held on neutral ground or in Belgium and Argentina.

Moore, McCoy share U.S. Amateur lead

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) — Taylor Moore and Lee McCoy were at 8-under 135 to earn medalist honors after stroke play Tuesday at the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Moore, a junior at the University of Arkansas, birdied four of his last five holes to shoot a 69 on the par-71 Highlands course. McCoy, a junior at Georgia, overcame a double-bogey with a stretch of five birdies in seven holes for a 68.

Cheng-Tsung Pan, Jimmy Beck, Sam Burns, Jonathan Garrick and Will Zalatoris were at 5-under 138.

The top 60 players have qualified for match play, which will lead up to the championship on Sunday. A playoff involving 17 players for the final four spots in the field will be held today on the Riverside Course.

Burns, an 18-year-old high school senior from Shreveport, Louisiana, shot a 66, the day’s low round, on the par-72 Riverside Course. He had seven birdies and one bogey.

Ollie Schniederjans of Powder Springs, Georgia, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, shot a 3-under 69 on the Riverside Course. He finished at 1-under 142 and advanced to match play.

Also advancing to match play was No. 2-ranked Robbie Shelton of Wilmer, Alabama, and Taylor Funk of Ponte Vedra, Florida, the son of eight-time PGA Tour winner Fred Funk.

The cut was at 2-over 146. Among those who missed was 13-year-old Will Thomson of Pittsford, New York, the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship. Thomson finished at 12-over 155.

NBA suspends Suns’ Tucker 3 games

PHOENIX (AP) — The NBA has suspended Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker for three games following his guilty plea to “super extreme” driving while intoxicated.

The suspension will be served at the beginning of the coming season.

Tucker was sentenced to three days in jail and 11 days’ home detention following his plea last week.