Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Athletics: Trinidad deny U.S. seventh successive 4x400 world title
Trinidad and Tobago denied United States a seventh successive world 4x400 meters relay title when Lalonde Gordon overhauled Fred Kerley on the final straight to win a breathtaking final at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday. The U.S led for most of the race and appeared to be on course for another win after Michael Cherry ran a strong third lap to extend their lead before handing the baton to Kerley.
Olympics: Ireland's Rio ticket agent was front for banned seller, says report
The agent at the center of an alleged scheme to illegally pass Ireland's tickets for the 2016 Rio Olympics to touts was "not genuine" and was used to hide the involvement of banned ticket reseller THG, a Irish government report said on Monday. The Olympic movement was rocked during the Rio Games when Europe's top official, head of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) Patrick Hickey, was arrested in a dawn raid on a luxury beachfront hotel by police investigating the alleged scheme.
Federer's pullout from Cincinnati hands number one spot to Nadal
Roger Federer has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open with a back injury, meaning Rafa Nadal will return next week as the world number one for the first time since 2014. Federer, who has participated in the Ohio warm-up tournament for the U.S. Open on seven occasions, said he had picked up the injury in Montreal, where he lost to Germany's Alexander Zverev in the final.
Golf: American Schubert wins U.S. Amateur
American Sophia Schubert won the U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday, beating Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland 6&5 in the 36-hole final at San Diego Country Club in southern California. Schubert, competing in her first U.S. Women's Amateur, became the first player over the age of 19 to win the title in nine years.
Matsuyama announces marriage and fatherhood, surprising Japan
Hideki Matsuyama announced on Monday that he has been married since January and is now a father, news which caught Japanese media and fans by surprise. Though numerous Japanese reporters follow Matsuyama every second of the day that he spends on a golf course, the world number two was able to keep his nuptials and fatherhood under wraps for months.
Golf: Winning one major is a great year, says Spieth
A major season that began with the Masters favorite falling down stairs ended with one of the game's best young players capturing the PGA Championship, a reminder of the ephemeral nature of the most unpredictable of sports. Dustin Johnson was the focus of the golf world on the eve of the Masters, coming off three successive victories, having ascended to the world number one ranking and for a few months an unstoppable juggernaut.
Nishikori skips Cincinnati Masters due to injury
Japan's Kei Nishikori has become the latest top 10 player to pull out of this week's Cincinnati Masters after the world number nine withdrew from the U.S. Open warmup event due to pain from a long-standing right wrist injury. The 27-year-old, who had been seeded fifth and given a first-round bye, had flown to the host city before making the call to withdraw.
NFL player sits out national anthem to protest Virginia violence
Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett remained seated during the playing of the U.S. national anthem before a pre-season National Football League game to protest deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia over the weekend, his team said. With his gesture on Sunday, the 31-year-old defensive end became the latest NFL player to use the playing of the Star Spangled Banner anthem as a protest forum.
Soccer: Ronaldo hit with five-match ban after shoving referee
Cristiano Ronaldo was banned for five matches for pushing the referee after he was shown a red card against Barcelona in Real Madrid's 3-1 Spanish Super Cup first leg victory on Sunday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on Monday. Ronaldo was sent off in bizarre fashion, collecting a yellow card for taking his shirt off during a goal celebration before being shown a second for diving.
Gavrilova hangs on to defeat Mladenovic at Cincinnati Open
Australian Daria Gavrilova shook off an uncertain second set to defeat France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-0 7-6(6) on Monday at the Cincinnati Open. After cruising through a perfect first set, the 23-year-old Gavrilova needed to save a set point in the competitive second set to hand the 13th-seeded Mladenovic her third straight loss.