TENNIS
Novak Djokovic demonstrated his desire to finish the season as the No. 1 men’s player for a record eighth time by beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Djokovic was competing in his first singles match since mid-September when he played for Serbia in the group stage of the Davis Cup.
Djokovic can widen the gap with No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the race for the year-end top spot after Alcaraz lost to qualifier Roman Safiullin on Tuesday.
Alcaraz is the only player who can overtake Djokovic after Daniil Medvedev dropped out of contention after he was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) earlier.
Djokovic had racked up 500 more points than Alcaraz this season before the Paris Masters.
WTA FINALS: U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff double-faulted four times in a row while serving for the second set and wound up losing 6-0, 7-5 to three-time major title winner Iga Swiatek in round-robin action at Cancun, Mexico.
BASEBALL
MAJORS: After four seasons as Aaron Boone’s bench coach, Carlos Mendoza is a managerial candidate on the other side of town.
The Yankees’ bench coach has interviewed for the Mets’ vacant managerial job, according to reports. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns declined to comment.
The 43-year-old has coached within the Yankees’ organization since 2009 after playing 10 seasons of minor league ball in the Bombers’ and San Francisco Giants’ systems.
Mendoza never reached the major leagues.
HORSE RACING
DEATH: Geaux Rocket Ride was euthanized, four days after getting injured during a workout leading up to the Breeders’ Cup and struggling to recover after surgery.
The colt’s owner, Pin Oak Stud, posted the news of the death on social media.
It’s the second death this week leading up to this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
Practical Move, a contender in the $1 million Dirt Mile, collapsed on the track after a gallop Tuesday. Breeders’ Cup officials said his death was due to “a cardiac event.” A required necropsy will determine the official cause.
COLLEGES
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard says freshman forward Gus Yalden is taking a temporary leave of absence from the team to deal with a family matter.
Yalden will remain in school and continue receiving student-athlete services and support, but he won’t participate in team-related activities at this time.
Yalden was rated as the nation’s No. 128 recruit in his class, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.
Wisconsin opens the season Monday by hosting Arkansas State.
FOOTBALL: Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall has not been cleared to practice or play and will miss his second straight game since taking a hard hit to the helmet last month.
Coach Tim Beck said McCall is considered to have a concussion from when he got hit as he slid with the ball against Arkansas State on Oct. 21.
McCall, the three-time reigning Sun Belt Conference player of the year, was carted off the field and spent the night at an Arkansas hospital for observation before returning to campus.
• Central Michigan Coach Jim McElwain said now-suspended Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions’ name was not on his team’s pass list to have sideline access and scout Michigan State during a season-opening game in September.
Photos circulating on the internet suggest that Stalions was on the Chippewas’ sideline during the Sept. 1 game. The Wolverines played and beat rival Michigan State 49-0 last month.
McElwain said Tuesday that Central Michigan is aware of the photo with “the sign-stealer guy,” and is investigating.
SOCCER
MLS: Lionel Messi evidently won’t be playing in China this month after all.
Inter Miami announced its planned trip to China for a pair of exhibition matches has been called off. The team announced the trip last month, with a pair of games originally scheduled for Nov. 5 and Nov. 8.
Inter Miami said the reason was “unforeseen circumstances.” The tour promoter, NSN, said the decision to cancel was out of respect to Chinese officials following the death last week of the country’s former second-ranking leader, Li Keqiang. He was China’s top economic official for a decade.
Comments are no longer available on this story