PARIS, June 4 (Reuters) – Coco Gauff huffed and puffed into the French Open semi-finals with a 6-7(6) 6-4 6-1 victory against fellow American Madison Keys in a match both players will be quick to forget as they broke the 100-unforced errors barrier on Wednesday.

More than half of Gauff’s points came from Australian Open champion Keys’ soft mistakes and the world No. 2 got away with a total of 10 double faults.

The 21-year-old will need to make dramatic adjustments when she faces either France’s Lois Boisson or Russian sixth seed Mirra Andreeva for a place in Sunday’s final.

Keys, who was looking to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the second time after 2018, bowed out with her 60th unforced error to end a forgettable contest.

‘I’m happy to get through this match today, I have a lot more work to do, I’ll be ready tomorrow,’ Gauff said.

‘I changed something at 4-1 (in the first set). It’s tough to play against her because she hits the ball so fast, so low, I was just trying to fight for every point… to get the ball to the other side of the net.’

Gauff, who reached the final here in 2022, is the youngest woman to claim 25 main-draw wins at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis (1995-2000).

The opening set was a scrappy affair, with the first three games going against serve.

Keys secured the first hold to lead 3-1 and broke again before Gauff clawed back a break and held for the first time to close the gap to 4-3.

In a flurry of breaks, Gauff levelled at 4-4 and held once more to edge ahead, putting the pressure on Keys, who saved a set point to force a tiebreak.

While the quality was patchy at best, the drama was undeniable, with momentum swinging wildly. In the end, Keys edged the tiebreak as Gauff double-faulted three times, handing the opener to her opponent.

Things did not get better in the second set.

‘So many unforced errors,’ Gauff said on court, in one of the understatements of the season.

She levelled the contest as Keys looked out of sorts and cantered through the decider.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday ordered a woman who accused former MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault to pay the 2020 NL Cy Young award winner more than $300,000 in damages for violating terms of a settlement agreement, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Attorneys for Bauer and Lindsey Hill, the woman whose allegations led to an MLB investigation and ultimately Bauer’s 192-game suspension, struck a deal two years ago to end their lawsuits against each other.

However, Bauer filed a new suit last October, alleging that Hill violated terms of their agreement by claiming multiple times on social media that she did receive financial compensation from him.

When Hill failed to contest the new suit, Judge Daniel Crowley ruled in Bauer’s favor and ordered her to pay $309,832.02 – $10,000 for each of the 22 alleged violations, plus attorney’s fees and interest.

After the decision, Hill acknowledged in a post on X that she ‘refused to participate in this suit in any way shape or form’ and will appeal the decision.

‘He will never see a cent from me,’ she added.

Bauer won the 2020 NL Cy Young award with the Cincinnati Reds and signed a three-year, $102 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers the following offseason. However, he was placed on administrative leave in 2021 when allegations of sexual assault from multiple women led to an MLB investigation and an unprecedented 324-game suspension in April 2022. No criminal charges were ever filed.

His suspension was later reduced to 194 games, but the Dodgers chose to release him while paying most of the $35.3 million remaining on his contract. Bauer, 34, has since pitched in Japan and Mexico, but has not received any interest from an MLB team, despite a stated willingness to play for the league-minimum salary.

(This story was updated to add a video and new information).

There has never been a Grand Slam run quite like this.

Lois Boisson, who came into the French Open ranked No. 361 in the world, reached the semifinals on Wednesday after a 7-6, 6-3 upset of No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva. That was Boisson’s second straight shocker, having taken out No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula on Monday. 

She will face American Coco Gauff, the No. 2 seed, in Thursday’s semifinal. 

There’s not a lot of precedent for what Boisson, a 22-year old Frenchwoman, has done in her Grand Slam singles debut.

Since 1980, only two other players – Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati – have made the semifinals in their first major. 

From a rankings perspective, though, this is an even more surprising run. 

In 2017, Kaia Kanepi was became the lowest-ranked player at No. 418 to reach a Slam quarterfinal at the U.S. Open before her run ended against Madison Keys. 

On the men’s side, Mark Edmonson was ranked No. 212 when he improbably won the Australian Open in 1976 – though the tournament at that time rarely attracted top players from outside of Australia. 

And, of course, there’s the 2021 U.S. Open when Emma Raducanu came out of qualifying to win the title ranked No. 150 in the world, though the situation was a bit different since the 18-year old Raducanu had flashed quite a bit of talent a couple months earlier reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Boisson, however, really had no track record on the WTA Tour – and particularly playing at this level. 

Here are three things to know about the most captivating story at this year’s French Open:

Lois Boisson was part of a viral controversy earlier this year

At a WTA 250-level tournament in Rouen, France in April, Boisson defeated Britain’s Harriet Dart 6-0, 6-3. The match would not have gotten much attention except for the fact that a flustered Dart asked the umpire if she could direct Boisson to wear deodorant. ‘She smells really bad,’ Dart said. A video clip of the moment blew up on social media, with Boisson responding in a lighthearted manner, posting an image of herself on Instagram with a deodorant stick photoshopped over a tennis ball. 

Lois Boisson’s life and career will change immediately 

Before this tournament, the biggest accomplishment of Boisson’s career was a WTA 125-level title in Saint Malo, France last year. For that effort, she earned a payday of $13,040. But that was big stakes compared to the prize money Boisson has been playing for since turning pro, traveling through the minor-league levels in Europe. 

Before the French Open, Boisson’s total prize money in 2025 was $21,100. Now, even with a semifinal loss, she will take home a little more than $784,000 and rocket up to 65 in the world rankings. That’s significant, as it means Boisson will automatically qualify for nearly any tournament she wants to enter over the coming months – including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open where even first-round losses are worth close to six figures. 

There were some signs of talent before an injury

Last spring, Boisson was starting to break through, winning 23 of 24 matches and reaching a career high of No. 152 in the rankings. As a result, the French Tennis Federation had awarded Boisson a wildcard into Roland Garros – but she was unable to play after tearing her left ACL shortly before the tournament. 

Boisson returned to competition after nine months of rehab and started to show some form at the ITF-level, reaching a final and winning a title in her last tournament before the French Open. Of course, the competition was significantly lower as the highest-ranked player she beat in that event was No. 141. 

The native of Dijon, France went unnoticed when the Roland Garros draw came out but quickly established herself with an upset of No. 24 Elise Mertens in the first round. Still, when Boisson drew Pegula in the round of 16 she had never faced a top-10 player much less beaten one. 

Now, she’ll have an opportunity to knock off another one with a rowdy French crowd behind her Thursday when she faces Gauff. 

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final begins today and features a rematch of last year’s dramatic series.

The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers will face off Wednesday night for Game 1 in Edmonton, Alberta, with the Panthers seeking their second consecutive title. Florida built a 3-0 lead in the 2024 Final before Edmonton rallied to win three in a row. The Panthers won 2-1 in the decisive Game 7 to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

The Oilers are aiming for their first championship since 1990 and Canada’s first since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. Edmonton also has the NHL’s best player in Connor McDavid, who has won three MVP awards, five scoring titles, one goal title and made seven All-Star appearances. The Panthers will counter with Aleksander Barkov, who won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward for the second consecutive season.

Here is how to watch Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final:

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 1? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta on Wednesday.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 1 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 1

Date: Wednesday, June 4
Location: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Stanley Cup Final Game 1 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

All odds via BetMGM (as of Tuesday, June 3)

Spread: Oilers (-1.5)
Moneyline: Oilers (-130); Panthers (+110)
Over/Under: 6

The Trump administration has declared June to be “Title IX Month,” and says it will celebrate “with actions to protect women in line with the true purpose of’ the landmark legislation that opened athletics and academia to girls and young women.

Hallelujah!

This means the Trump administration will finally crack down on all of those schools that, a half-century on, are still shorting their female athletes of both resources and facilities, right? It’s going to work with Congress to enact meaningful reform so the Center for SafeSport does, indeed, make sport safe from predatory coaches and support staff? Restore funding to the Department of Education so it can conduct robust Title IX investigations? Insist the NCAA ensures that women athletes aren’t being left behind by NIL and whatever the new structure of college sports looks like?

Oh, my bad.

The administration’s interest in Title IX is solely to use it as yet another cudgel to bully and erase transgender women. To promote fearmongering and hate over fewer than 10 NCAA athletes and 100 or so participating in youth and college sports.

This obsession over the genitalia of the teeniest, tiniest fraction of the population is, quite frankly, weird. Yet the right-wing has perpetuated the idea that transgender women are a threat to our very existence, and the Trump administration, never missing an opportunity to rile up its base, has run with it.

According to this White House, transgender people are so big and so strong they’re a marauding horde about to overrun the playing fields and podiums. They’re also supposed to be too weak to fight in the military, but never mind that contradiction! Keep your eyes focused on this “threat.”

Except transgender women are not, and never have been, the real danger facing women and women’s sports. Or women in larger society, for that matter.

When Title IX was passed 53 years ago this month, it was meant to lift the artificial constraints holding women back. And it has. Women now make up more than half the population in higher education, and the idea of telling a woman she can’t go to law school or med school because she would take a spot away from a man is now seen as, rightly, laughable.

The WNBA and NWSL are thriving, and U.S. women won the medal count at last summer’s Paris Olympics — just as they did in Beijing, Tokyo, Pyeongchang and Rio. Ratings and attendance for NCAA basketball, volleyball and softball are skyrocketing.

But there are still so many areas where women lag behind. Areas where an administration that was sincere about equity could make a difference.

A USA TODAY review in 2022 found that, for every $1 schools spent on travel, equipment and recruiting for their men’s teams, they spent 71 cents for their comparable women’s squads.

In just a two-year period, that added up to $125 million more spent on men than women in basketball, baseball and softball, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis.

Yet the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has never — not once — withdrawn federal funding from a school for these end-arounds of Title IX. And given the gutting of the Department of Ed under Trump, that’s not likely to change! I doubt Education Secretary Linda McMahon will even be asked about it when she appears Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce.

The NCAA has been crying to Congress and the White House for protection from the financial dumpster fire it created and fueled. A system that is increasingly funneling more money to male athletes and putting women’s teams in jeopardy.

You can find at least one story a day of a coach being arrested or convicted of abusing a young athlete. They might not get the attention of Larry Nassar’s hideous crimes, but one case of abuse of a child is one case too many. Yet Congress has slow-walked SafeSport reforms and done little to address its continuing funding issues.

But go on about the tens of transgender athletes in youth and college sports.

The work to level the playing field begun by Title IX is not complete; the Trump administration is right about that. It would rather throw bombs and sow division than do it, though, and that is nothing to celebrate.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

The 2025 NBA Finals are about to begin, and the discussion surrounding the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers thus far has often centered around having two small-market teams in the league’s marquee event. But perhaps that’s because one team was installed as a clear favorite as soon as the matchup became official, and the odds haven’t changed since then.

The NBA championship picks and predictions lean heavily in one direction when the Thunder face the Pacers in Game 1 on Thursday night, with a series that lasts only four or five games deemed the most likely Finals outcome by BetMGM. The 2025 Finals will feature the biggest underdog since the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 against the Golden State Warriors, according to Oddsshark.

Both the Thunder and Pacers have pulled off impressive postseason runs. Top-seeded Oklahoma City trounced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals behind league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after out-lasting Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 during the conference semifinals. The Pacers upset the top-seeded Cavaliers in the East semifinals and upended the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam emerging as playoff stars.

So who’s the favorite when the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers begin the 2025 NBA Finals? Here’s a breakdown of the odds, as well as series predictions, this year’s NBA Finals schedule and how to watch every game:

Who is favored in NBA Finals 2025?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are favored to win the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers, according to BetMGM.

NBA Finals 2025: Thunder vs. Pacers betting odds

NBA Finals Game 1 odds

The Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to take a 1-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, according to BetMGM (odds as of 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 4):

Spread: Thunder (-9.5)
Moneyline: Thunder (-425); Pacers (+320)
Over/under: 230.5

Thunder vs. Pacers NBA Finals series odds

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Game 1 as the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers, according to BetMGM (odds as of 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 4).

Series winner: Thunder (-700); Pacers (+500)

NBA Finals 2025 predictions

Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in five
Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six
Scooby Axson: Thunder in five
James H. Williams: Thunder in six
Jordan Mendoza: Thunder in six

Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo

NBA Finals 2025: Schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.
Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 4, June 13: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, June 16: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, June 19: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.*

Voting is officially underway for the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, scheduled for July 15 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

The 95th Midsummer Classic is the Braves’ third time hosting the game (1972 and 2000), pitting the American and National League’s best players against each other. The AL won the contest the past two years and holds an overall 48-44-2 advantage in the series.

Vote for 2025 MLB All-Star Game

Tuesday’s game caps off a big week in Atlanta, with the Futures Game on Saturday, MLB draft on Sunday and Home Run Derby on Monday night.

Here’s what to know about the 2025 MLB All-Star Game festivities:

When is the 2025 MLB All-Star Game?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is on Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves

When is MLB Home Run Derby?

MLB’s annual Home Run Derby is set for Monday, July 14 at Truist Park.

When is MLB draft?

The 2025 MLB Draft begins on Sunday, July 13 and is being held in the Atlanta area around the All-Star festivities.