Defending Western & Southern Open champion Rafael Nadal withdraws due to wrist injury

CINCINNATI (July 30, 2014) – Western & Southern Open defending champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2014 tournament due to a right wrist injury. Nadal has also withdrawn from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto, which precedes the Western & Southern Open.   “Unfortunately I injured my right wrist yesterday during practice and after the tests I have undergone today in Spain, including an MRI, and checking with my doctors, I will have to stay out of competition for at least 2-3 weeks. I am sorry and wish the best to the tournament and thank all of the fans for their support,” said Nadal. “I’m extremely disappointed that I am unable to defend my titles and compete in Toronto and Cincinnati this year. I was looking forward to coming and playing again after my great results last year.” Rafael Nadal in 2011 (photo by Christopher Johnson, globalite via wikipedia commons)   “It is very unfortunate that Rafa is unable to defend his title. He is a great champion, and his run to the title last year electrified our fans. We will miss him, and we wish him a very speedy recovery,” said tournament director Vince Cicero. “The men’s field remains incredibly strong, with five-time champion Roger Federer, two-time champion Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic, who is on a quest to become the first to complete the Career Golden Masters with a title here. We’re looking forward to welcoming these men along with the top WTA stars to Cincinnati in just nine days.”   Nadal is one of five players to withdraw due to injury, joining Nicolas Almagro (foot), Alexandr Dolgopolov (knee), Tommy Haas (shoulder) and Florian Mayer (groin). The withdrawals have allowed five players direct entry into the field, headlined by two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. Also joining the field are Julien Benneteau, Denis Istomin, Yen-Hsun Lu and Gilles Simon.   Twenty-three of the Top 25 players on the ATP World Tour remain entered in the Western & Southern Open. All 39 of the Top 39 ranked players on the WTA are on the initial entry list for the women’s tournament.   Both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Western & Southern Open will consist of 56-player singles fields. Four men and up to five women will be awarded wild cards into the tournament. In addition, a two-round qualifying tournament will be held August 9-10 in which an additional seven men and 12 women will earn berths into the W&S Open. The main draw will be made on the evening of August 8.   The Western & Southern Open is one of only five tennis events in the world, outside of the grand slams, where the best men and women play during the same week at the same venue. About the Western & Southern Open The Western & Southern Open will be held August 9-17, 2014 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, OH. The tournament is one of the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events on the men’s tour and a Premier 5 event for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), making it one of only five events in the world outside of the grand slams with events of that caliber occurring during the same week at the same venue. The tournament is also one of the last stops on the Emirates Airline US Open Series before the US Open in New York. Since 1974, the tournament has contributed more than $9 million directly to its beneficiaries: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth.

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Pete Holterman; COURTESY ATP TOUR, WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

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Arkansas Men’s Golfer Nicolas Echavarria advances with a bogey-free round at Western Amateur

CHICAGO, Ill. – Behind a bogey-free four-under 67 in Wednesday’s second round, Arkansas men’s golf junior-to-be Nicolas Echavarria finished tied for seventh after the opening two rounds of stroke play at the 112^th Western Amateur to advance to Thursday’s final two rounds of stroke play at The Beaver Country Club.

The field of 156, which includes 50 of the world’s top 100 players, was cut down to the low 44 scores and ties following Wednesday’s round. The low 44 scores and ties will take the course again on Thursday for 36 holes of stroke play which will determine the top 16 players that will move on to match play.

Nicolas Echavarria

Echavarria found himself just inside the top 44 scores cut to begin the day after a first round one-under 70 on Tuesday. Playing in one of the final groups to take the course on Wednesday, Echavarria navigated the 7,016-yard Donald Ross design with a bogey-free 67 that moved him up 13 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for seventh. Echavarria did his damage on the back nine, carding three consecutive birdies on holes 12-14 – none of which are par 5s – en route to shooting a 32 on the side.

Echavarria will enter the third round of stroke play with plenty of momentum, playing his last 22 holes bogey-free with five birdies. He is one of just 14 players in the field to finish under-par in each of the first two rounds.

Fellow junior-to-be Taylor Moore opened with an even-par 71 in Tuesday’s first round, but fell just short of the low 44-scores cut after a three-over 74 on Wednesday.

For more information on Arkansas men’s golf, follow @RazorbackMGolf on Twitter.

– ArkansasRazorbacks.com || On Twitter @ArkRazorbacks || Facebook.com/ArkansasRazorbacks –

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Patrick Pierson; COURTESY ARKANSAS MEDIA RELATIONS

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Indians, Cardinals get together for another trade; Masterson dealt away

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Indians name Carolina Mudcats catcher Jeremy Lucas Minor League Player of the Week

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Indians on Tuesday announced that Single-A Advanced Carolina CA JEREMY LUCAS has been named Indians Minor League Player of the Week for the period of July 21-27. The Indians Player of the Week Award recognizes an individual performance from within the Indians Player Development System and is announced each Tuesday through the end of the Minor League season.

Jeremy Lucas C (courtesy Carolina Mudcats)

Originally drafted by the Indians in 12th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana State University, Lucas has already established career-highs in virtually every offensive statistical category just 104 games into the 2014 campaign. Lucas spent the majority of the 2013 season with the Lake County Captains where his .316 (25-79) batting average w/ RISP locked him into the middle of the Captains lineup. The West Terre Haute, IN native was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 35thround of the MLB June Amateur Draft out of West Vigo HS in Indiana, but did not sign.

Lucas, 23, hit .407 (11-27) with 4 doubles, a home run, 5 RBI and a 1.095 OPS (.429 OBP/.667 SLG) in 6 games for the Mudcats this week, including a season-high 4-hit performance (4-5, HR, 4 RBI) on Friday at Potomac. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound backstop has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games dating back to July 7, batting .355 (22-62) with 8 doubles, 2 homers and 10 RBI over that stretch. Lucas has cut down 22% (16-72) of attempted base stealers this season, the 5th-highest rate in the Carolina League, and currently leads all CL catchers with a .993 fielding percentage. On the season, Lucas has collected a team-high 91 hits (.272, 91-355) and leads all Mudcats’ batters with 24 doubles, 9 homers and 51 RBI.

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY CLEVELAND INDIANS MEDIA RELATIONS; COURTESY MLBpressbox.com

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MLB issues statement on LA Dodgers/Time Warner dispute over distribution of games

(courtesy Free-Extras.com)

PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY MLB MEDIA RELATIONS; COURTESY MLBpressbox.com

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