Sports briefs
Allgaier wins Xfinity race at Mid-Ohio
Justin Allgaier passed rookie Austin Cindric with four laps left and held Saturday to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Allgaier used the sixth restart of the race to squeeze by Cindric, then held off a challenge on the 72nd lap for his third series win of the year. He also won at Dover and Iowa for JR Motorsport.
Cindric, the pole-sitter for Team Penske, finished 2.05 seconds back after leading 59 of the 75 laps on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course.
Daniel Hemric was third, followed by Matt Tifft and Ryan Truex. Series leader Christopher Bell was 11th.
Cindric built a seven-second lead before the fifth caution came out on the 60th lap. Cole Custer rubbed tires with Tyler Reddick, spinning him and causing a rear right flat tire for Reddick, who could not get his car off the course.
On the restart, Cindric raced clear of everyone, but Elliott Sadler spun Bell out of the way for second place.
Cindric is the grandson of the late Jim Trueman, who once owned the track and was the car owner when Bobby Rahal won the 1986 Indianapolis 500. Trueman, the founder of Red Roof Inn, died of cancer 11 days later. Cindric’s mother was Trueman’s daughter and his father is the president of Team Penske.
Greek teen
in tennis first
Greek teen Stefanos Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four straight top-10 players in an event since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990, outlasting Kevin Anderson 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (7) on Saturday to reach the Rogers Cup final.
Tsitsipas, who will be 20 today, will face the winner of the late match between top-ranked Rafael Nadal and Karen Khachanov.
“Playing in a Masters 1000 final is the best thing that can happen on your birthday,” Tsitsipas said. “I cannot believe it.”
Tsitsipas beat the fourth-seeded Anderson after topping seventh-seeded Dominic Thiem, ninth-seeded Novak Djokovic and second-seeded defending champion Alexander Zverev to reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semifinal.
Tsitsipas fired an ace at 7-7 before converting his third match point of the deciding tiebreaker when Anderson’s return sailed long. The South African had a match point of his own at 7-6, but Tsitsipas came through with a brilliant backhand crosscourt winner to pull even.
At The Meadows
Because of the luck of the draw, Prospect Hill and Demon Onthe Hill never have met in Pennsylvania Sires Stakes competition. Now, with one preliminary leg remaining, the two are on the road to a heavyweight clash in the championship, as each won his third straight PASS split Saturday at The Meadows.
The $181,388 event for freshman colt and gelding trotters, known as the Florida Pro, was contested over three divisions, with Osterc taking the other split. Yannick Gingras enjoyed a PASS double behind Demon Onthe hill and Osterc. The $252,000 final is set for Sept. 1 at The Meadows.
Hammered down to 1-5, Prospect Hill had to duel for the early lead harder than winning driver Andy Miller might have liked, reaching the point in 28.4. But the son of Muscle Hill-Louise Kemp was unchallenged thereafter, drawing off to down Flippen Creek by 4-1/4 lengths in 1:56.2. White Tiger rallied following a poor start for show.
Also a 1-5 favorite, Demon Onthe Hill let the air out of the balloon early, waltzing to the half in 59 before coasting home in 1:56.3. The pocket-sitting Klutzy was second, 3/4 lengths back, while Fashion Possessed completed the ticket.