Rafael Nadal returns a shot to Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev during their U.S. Open match in New York on Tuesday. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images) Rafael Nadal’s first match as defending U.S. Open champion was hardly a tour de force. He would fall behind in a set, then come back. Fall behind, then come back. His serve was [...]

Baltimore’s Matt Wieters, right, celebrates his home run with Vladimir Guerrero in the second inning Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images) Brian Tallet didn’t mince words or make excuses. Called upon to record his first career save, the Toronto Blue Jays left-hander didn’t get the job done. “Yeah, it was a pretty [...]

Scott Parker, top, scored five goals for West Ham United last season. (Ian Walton/Getty Images) Scott Parker handed in a transfer request at second-tier club West Ham on Tuesday as he looks to complete a move back to the Premier League with Tottenham. “I hope the fans will understand and respect my decision,” the 30-year-old [...]

Australian champions the Brisbane Roar say they have signed Canada midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran to a one-year contract. The Roar swooped on Nakajima-Farran when he became a free agent after completing a stint with Denmark’s AC Horsens. The 27-year-old has played 24 matches for Canada and has been based in Denmark since 2006. Brisbane coach Ange [...]

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins amassed 65 points (24 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games and was named WHL rookie of the year in 2009-10. (Nick Laham/Getty Images) Recent history suggests two of them will still be wearing NHL sweaters in October. As Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog and Jonathan Huberdeau pulled on the uniform of their new NHL [...]