Rangers buy out star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's contract
FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2017, file photo, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist celebrates his 400th career win, after an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, in New York. The New York Rangers have bought out the contract of star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The New York Rangers bought out the contract of star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday, parting ways with one of their greatest players in franchise history after 15 mostly spectacular seasons. “We would like to thank Henrik for his immeasurable contributions to the New York Rangers,” Rangers President John Davidson said. His Henrik Lundqvist Foundation strives to create positive change in the lives of children and adults throughout the world through education and health services.
AP Was There: McEnroe wins tiebreaker, Borg wins Wimbledon
One rivalry is known for one particularly memorable match involving one particularly memorable tiebreaker: John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg in the 1980 Wimbledon final. McEnroe won the tiebreaker 18-16; Borg won the title. Seven match points, and I failed to do it. He served like a master in the final set and became Wimbledon champion for the fifth straight time. McEnroe himself had six set points in the tiebreaker before he cracked Borg with a backhand return at 18-16.
AP Was There: Nadal edges Federer 9-7 in 5th at Wimbledon
One memorable head-to-head rivalry is Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal, who have met in nine Grand Slam title matches, an Open era-record for men. He just played fantastically.Indeed he did, earning Spain its first Wimbledon mens title since Manolo Santana won in 1966. A forehand winner put Federer ahead 9-8, and when Nadal missed a backhand return, the match was even. Federer has led the rankings for a record 231 consecutive weeks, and Nadal has been second for a record 154. Nadal lost to Federer in the 2006 Wimbledon final in four sets, and the 2007 final in five.
AP Was There: Graf beats Navratilova at Wimbledon again
Graf won the match to reach the semifinals of the tournament, where she will meet Chris Evert. One memorable head-to-head rivalry was Steffi Graf vs. Martina Navratilova, who met in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1987-89. Graf overpowered Navratilova in the final set to win her second straight womens championship 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 on a history-making day at the All England Club. Last year, Navratilova won the first set and led 2-0 in the second before Graf won 12 of the last 13 games. Trailing 3-1 in the final set, Navratilova had one last chance to get back in the match.
AP Was There: Navratilova tops Evert for 1st Slam title
The AP is republishing stories about a handful of such matches while the canceled grass-court Grand Slam tournament was supposed to be played. The following story, about their first meeting in a Wimbledon final, was sent July 7, 1978. But when Evert twice a Wimbledon champion went from 0-2 to 4-2 in the final set, it seemed that her coolness and experience would prevail. That left Navratilova needing only to hold service for the title, and she did it without dropping a point. Evert set a pattern for the tentative match by dropping the opening game in each of the three sets.
John McEnroe will read you tennis rules until you fall asleep
1959: American tennis star John McEnroe is born in Wiesbaden, West Germany. John McEnroe describing the maximum permitted length and width of a regulation tennis racket, as per Appendix II of the International Tennis Federation rulebook. McEnroe, the legendary American tennis star known for his aggressive on-court demeanor and his famous four-word catchphrase, has released an audio recording of tennis rules intended to help listeners drift off. I'm just a stickler for rules and making sure they're applied accurately," McEnroe explains on the recording, which is titled "But seriously, the rules of tennis." McEnroe won three Wimbledon titles and four US Open crowns during his lengthy playing career, before working as a television analyst on British and US television.