Tennis

Murray upset; Williams sisters advance

Serena and Venus Williams moved into the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open on Thursday by handling the afternoon heat, humidity and wind in Mason, Ohio. The conditions were too much for Andy Murray.

Murray lost 6-4, 6-4 to France's Jeremy Chardy, an opponent he'd beaten easily the four previous times they had played.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish and Juan Martin del Potro also reached the quarterfinals.

On the women's side, Serena Williams won her 19th straight match — her last 12 in straight sets — by beating Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 6-3. Venus Williams beat Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 6-0.

College football

Report: Mathieu in rehab

Former Louisiana State star Tyrann Mathieu has checked into a rehab center and will not attend a college or play football this season, Mathieu's father told WVUE-TV in New Orleans.

Mathieu entered the Right Step center in Houston and is being mentored by former NBA player and coach John Lucas, Tyrone Mathieu told WVUE.

Idaho seeking independent status

Idaho is hoping to join the ranks of teams with independent status. School officials on Friday will make their case to the Idaho State Board of Education that playing outside of a formal conference is in the best long-term interests of the Vandals.

Idaho officials are also seeking permission to join the Big Sky Conference for other sports.

The Vandals now play in the Western Athletic Conference, but the league has been withering amid conference realignment.

Ex-coach accused in Ponzi scheme

Federal regulators have accused a Hall of Fame coach of running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded fellow coaches and his former players.

Jim Donnan, a coach at Marshall and Georgia during the 1990s, is accused of working with an Ohio businessman to cheat investors out of $80 million.

College basketball

Auriemma out

as Olympic coach

Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma said he has no interest in returning as coach of the U.S. national team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. "If you ask me right now, today, I would say it is somebody else's turn," he said.

WNBA

Fever downs Mystics

Erlana Larkins scored a career-high 16 points to help the host Indiana Fever defeat the Washington Mystics 84-66.

Tamika Catchings had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Fever (11-7). The double-double was the 76th of her career and tied her with Lauren Jackson for third in WNBA history.

In another game, Cappie Pondexter scored 21 points to lead the host New York Liberty to a 79-61 victory over the first-place Connecticut Sun (15-5). Plenette Pierson had 16 points to help New York (7-12) snap a three-game skid.

Baseball

Nebraska loses debut game at LLWS

Goodlettsville, Tenn., beat Kearney, Neb., 12-1, at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. Pitcher Brock Myers, who struck out eight in 4-1/3 innings, helped himself at the plate with a two-run homer in the fifth. It was the first time a team from Nebraska had advanced to tournament.

Petaluma, Calif., defeated Fairfield, Conn., 6-4 on a sun-splashed opening day. Japan also won its early game, 7-0 over Curacao, while Taiwan routed a team from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, 14-1.

Elsewhere

• Wide receiver Devon Smith has transferred from Penn State to Marshall.

• Philadelphia Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds received a six-year contract extension believed to be worth about $4 million per season.

• D.C. United acquired Colombian forward Lionard Pajoy and an international roster spot from the Philadelphia Union for midfielder Danny Cruz.

• The New York Red Bulls signed English midfielder Lloyd Sam.

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