Serena Williams returns in Fed Cup on Sunday
Serena Williams won’t be playing in either of Saturday’s Fed Cup singles matches as she returns to competitive tennis this week, five months after becoming a mother.
Williams will team up with Lauren Davis to face Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs in Sunday’s doubles match as the United States opens its Fed Cup title defense against the Netherlands in Asheville, N.C.
She isn’t currently scheduled to play singles either Saturday or Sunday. The U.S. still has the opportunity after Saturday’s play to alter its Sunday lineup.
Venus Williams will play Arantxa Rus and CoCo Vandeweghe faces Richel Hogerkamp on Saturday.
Serena Williams hasn’t played an official match since winning the 2017 Australian Open. Williams later revealed she was pregnant during that tournament. (AP)
Rhode Island tops Davidson • Cyril Langevine scored a career-high 14 points and added eight rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench to help No. 18 Rhode Island beat Davidson 72-59 and tie a school record with its 15th win in a row.
Jarvis Garrett scored 17 for the Rams (20-3, 12-0 Atlantic 10), who last won 15 straight in 1939-40.
Kellan Grady scored 19 for Davidson (13-10, 8-4). The Wildcats, who had won eight of their last 10, made 20 3-pointers in Tuesday’s victory over St. Joseph’s but shot just four of 17 from beyond the arc against URI.
URI held a 15-13 lead before scoring 12 of the next 13 points to open a double-digit lead it never relinquished. (AP)
Oregon receiver plans to transfer to Missouri • The Missouri football team is getting a second graduate transfer from Oregon. Wide receiver Alex Ofodile, a former all-state player at Columbia Rock Bridge High School, will leave the Pac-12 school and play for his hometown team, he told PowerMizzou.com. Ofodile caught four passes for 31 yards the last two seasons with the Ducks. He will have two years of eligibility at Missouri, starting this fall.
Ofodile is the son of newly promoted Missouri receivers coach A.J. Ofodile, who had been Missouri’s director of recruiting the last two years and moved into the receivers coach position last month. Ofodile caught 96 passes for 1,611 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior in high school and 2014 when he was the Class 6 offensive player of the year by the Missouri Football Coaches Association. Earlier this week former Oregon safety Khalil Oliver committed to join the Tigers this fall as a graduate transfer. (Dave Matter)
Top-seeded Goffin advances • Top seed David Goffin did not face a break point as he beat qualifier Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Open Sud de France.
Goffin next meets Richard Gasquet, who beat Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 6-2 at the indoor tournament in Montpellier, France.
Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faces Lucas Pouille in the other semifinal. Tsonga defeated Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-6 (1), while his French Davis Cup teammate beat Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-4. (AP)
U.S. men to play at Dublin • Ireland says it will play the United States in a men’s soccer exhibition in Dublin on June 2, a matchup of teams that failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The Football Association of Ireland announced the game Friday. The U.S. Soccer Federation doesn’t announce matches until it has a signed contract. (AP)
Ambush win in KC • The visiting St. Louis Ambush raced to a 4-0 lead and then held on for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Comets (5-12).
Jerjer Gibson scored twice to lead the Ambush (3-15), who also got goals from Raphael Nascimento, Dylan Hundelt, James Thomas, Corey Adamson and Hewerton Moriera.
The Ambush come back Saturday at 7:05 p.m., hosting Cedar Rapids Rampage (8-9) at Family Arena. Celebrating 30 years of professional indoor soccer in St. Louis, Saturday’s festivities will feature an alumni game featuring ex-players from the Ambush, Steamers and Storm at 5 p.m. (Joe Lyons)