WASHINGTON -- Top seed and former champion Sloane Stephens crashed out of the Citi Open in Washington as she suffered a stunning 6-2 7-5 first-round loss to Swede Rebecca Peterson on Tuesday while teenager Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff also fell in straight sets.

In the just-concluded Riga Grand Prix tournament Wesley So eliminated Pentala Harikrishna in the first round 2.5-1.5. They had two draws in the classical games but Wesley won the rapid tiebreaks with one win and one draw.

LeBron James just can’t get any slack. Even his mere attendance at a basketball game of his son’s team has been placed under scrutiny. Admittedly, he calls attention to himself in manners other parents can’t and those from the outside looking in may deem overenthusiastic at best. Joining players’ pickup lines to throw down dunks and celebrating to the point where he becomes the focus of attention instead of the action on the court isn’t normal by any means. Which is why he has been pilloried by armchair pundits and on social media.

THE WINNING WAYS of the Letran Knights in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association continued on Tuesday after they raced to a fifth straight win with an 89-84 victory over the Mapua Cardinals in league action at the FilOil Flying V Arena.

THE now-on a roll San Miguel Beermen go for a spot in the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup when they reengage with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game Three of their best-of-five semifinal series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

WOUND up at the raw end of their respective ONE Championship matches last time around, Filipino Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and American Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez seek to bounce back when they collide on Aug. 2 at “ONE: Dawn of Heroes” here in Manila.

THE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings staved off elimination in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup after winning over the TNT KaTropa, 80-72, in Game Three of their best-of-five semifinal series on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

THE CEBU Leylam F.C. Niños claimed the inaugural Philam Vitality KAMPEON 7s Cup crown in style, beating Maharlika F.C. Manila in an intense final showdown, 5-3 during the culminating day of the event Sunday at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig.

Last Sunday the Philippine Olympic Committee held special elections for top officials aimed at setting the house in order after the organization was rocked by leadership issues recently.

Not a few quarters were looking for a shoot-out heading into the deciding round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka had all but obliterated TPC Southwind in their penultimate 18, carding 62 and 64, respectively, to set up a final pairing. It didn’t matter that 10 players posted scores within four strokes of the pace; as far as pundits were concerned, the focus remained with the multiple major winners, and not simply because they had momentum on their side. Parenthetically, the pride of Memphis, Tennessee, was set up as a birdie haven, allowing for low scores across the board and fueling anticipation for more red marks with the hardware on the line.

ON THE VERGE of returning to the Philippine Basketball Association finals for the first time in over two years, the TNT KaTropa seek to take advantage of the opportunity and close out the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in Game Three of their best-of-five Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series today at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

ONE OF JUST two teams left sans a loss in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the College of Saint Benilde Blazers look to continue to roll when they return to league action today at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.