NEW YORK -- The Latest on the U.S. Open (all times local):11:05 p.m.Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 U.S. champ, is into the third round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2012.Del Potro swept 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday. The Argentine may be ranked 142nd after three left wrist surgeries, but hes been playing like the major champion he is the last couple of months. Since the start of Wimbledon, hes posted victories over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka and won an Olympic silver medal.In a match that featured a behind-the-back shot by Johnson and a between-the-legs shot by del Potro, the Argentines serve -- not his big forehand -- was the difference. He had 15 aces and won 85 percent of the points on his first serve.Johnson has never been past the round of 16 at a major. He had noted last week that if del Potro received a wild card into the U.S. Open, it was possible the Argentine could eliminate an American in the first round. As it turned out, del Potro knocked Johnson out in the second round -- while getting lots of support from a crowd that appreciates the Argentines past championship and his injury comeback.---10:35 p.m.American qualifier Jared Donaldson has picked up the first two Grand Slam match wins of his career to advance to the third round of the U.S. Open.The 19-year-old Donaldson, who is currently ranked No. 122, defeated Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday, following up on his 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 upset of 12th-seeded David Goffin in the first round.Donaldson lost in the first round of the U.S. Open in 2014 and 2015 and failed to qualify for any other major. He says hes not satisfied with his success so far, reminding reporters, Im still 120 in the world. I want to be top 10, top five, No. 1.---10 p.m.When Serena Williams speaks, Nike listens.Asked at a news conference at Wimbledon about how she feels to considered one of the greatest female athletes of all time, she replied she would rather be thought of as one of the greatest athletes of all time.Now Nike, who sponsors Williams, has introduced a new ad timed to coincide with the U.S. Open that declares the 22-time Grand Slam winner the greatest athlete ever, after dropping the word female from its own onscreen copy.Asked about that honor following her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Vania King, Williams said she feels almost vindicated that a company so big as Nike can recognize just athletes and not put a sex behind it.She says a young girl growing up just wants to be the greatest. She doesnt want to be only labeled as a female athlete.---8:35 p.m.Serena Williams tied Martina Navratilovas professional-era womens record with her 306th career victory in a Grand Slam match, beating Vania King 6-3, 6-3 to reach the U.S. Opens third round.Hitting 13 aces Thursday night with the roof closed at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams improved to 306-42 in matches at major tournaments, a winning percentage of .879.Music power couple Beyonce and Jay Z sat behind Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou in the players guest box.Only Roger Federer, with 307, has won more Grand Slam matches than Williams in the Open era, which dates to 1968.Williams can match Federers total by beating 47th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden on Saturday.---6:35 p.m.It took 3 hours, 2 minutes, equaling the fifth-longest U.S. Open womens singles match on record, for 17th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia to get past Kristina Mladenovic of France and reach the third round.Pavlyuchenkova, a quarterfinalist in New York in 2011, came out on top 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (5) on Wednesday.Heres how tight the match was: Pavlyuchenkova won 125 points, Mladenovic 124.Mladenovic was one of three players provisionally suspended by the French tennis federation on Sunday for damaging its image at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.The time of Pavlyuchenkovas victory was the same as for a loss by Venus Williams loss at Flushing Meadows in 2013, and also for a win by Caroline Wozniacki in 2011.The longest U.S. Open womens match went 3:16, when Sam Stosur beat Nadia Petrova in three sets in the third round in 2011.---5:50 p.m.Kei Nishikori seized the momentum after a long rain delay and won his second straight four-set match at the U.S. Open.The sixth-seeded Nishikori beat 20-year-old qualifier Karen Khachanov 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the third round. When rain halted action, the players had split the first two sets and were knotted at 4-4 in the third.Returning to the court after more than 2+ hours, Nishikori promptly won the next two games to clinch the set. The 2014 U.S. Open runner-up was down a break in the fourth but won the last five games to close out the victory. He had seven double-faults.Khachanov, who was making his Grand Slam debut, beat another qualifier in the first round. He broke into the top 100 this summer and is currently ranked 95th. This was his first career meeting with a top-10 player.---5:45 p.m.Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has been fined $10,000 by the U.S. Open for a vulgar comment directed at a spectator during his first-round loss.Among various other fines announced by the tournament Thursday were $3,000 apiece for Fabio Fognini of Italy and Steve Johnson of the U.S.Tomic said after his loss Tuesday that he apologized to the fan afterward for the first-set exchange.Tomic also said: He definitely baited me the whole set for me to say that. But I do apologize if there were people around that heard.He and Fognini were both cited for unsportsmanlike conduct. Johnson was fined under the category of abuse of rackets and equipment.Fognini was given a point penalty for removing a line judges sunglasses during a match he wound up winning Tuesday.Fognini, the husband of 2015 U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta, said afterward in Italian to reporters: They have their rules. You know, the Americans are different in every way. Of the four Slams, this, as far as Im concerned, is the worst -- for a number of reasons.---5:30 p.m.Venus Williams breezed through her second-round match at the U.S. Open.The seven-time major champ had spent 2 hours, 42 minutes on court in a tense three-set victory over 93rd-ranked Kateryna Kozlova on Tuesday. But against German veteran Julia Goerges on Thursday, Williams won 6-2, 6-3 in 78 minutes.She had just 17 unforced errors -- in complete contrast to the whopping 63 in her first-round win.The oldest player in the draw at age 36, the sixth-seeded Williams is coming off a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon, her deepest run at a major since 2010.---4:50 p.m.Play has resumed on the outer courts at the U.S. Open after a rain delay of more than 2+ hours.Sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori and No. 8 Dominic Thiem were among the players who had their matches halted Thursday. Nishikori split the first two sets against qualifier Karen Khachanov.With the new roof closed over Arthur Ashe Stadium, No. 2 Andy Murray was able to play his match with no delays.Eleven doubles matches were canceled Thursday because of the rain.---3:40 p.m.Wimbledon champ Andy Murray advanced to the third round at the U.S. Open with another straight-set victory.The second-seeded Murray beat Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium with play suspended on the outer courts. The heavy rain outside made quite a clatter on the new roof, and Murray said in his on-court interview that it was tough at first because it was hard to hear the ball.Murray jumped to a quick 5-2 lead in the first set, then it took about 23 minutes to get through the last two games as Granollers saved six set points and got back on serve. But Murray earned another break to finally clinch the set after 67 minutes, then cruised through the final two in 75 minutes combined.---2:15 p.m.Play has been suspended on the outer courts at the U.S. Open because of rain.Matches started an hour late Thursday after morning showers. Players were on court for just over two hours before the skies opened up again.The new roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium remained closed the whole time with matches taking place as scheduled.---1 p.m.Fifth-seeded Simona Halep beat 2015 French Open runner-up Lucie Safarova in straight sets to move on to the third round of the U.S. Open.Halep won 6-3, 6-4 under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday. On a rainy morning, the new roof was closed at the start of a match for the first time after it made its debut in the middle of Rafael Nadals win Wednesday night.Halep said in her on-court interview that she liked the calm conditions of playing indoors but she was a little bit cold. She added later that it was nice to not need to wait out a rain delay.---12:35 p.m.Play has started on the outer courts at the U.S. Open after a delay of just over an hour.Rain pushed back the start of every match Thursday other than the one at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which now has a roof.The $150 million retractable roof made its competition debut Wednesday night during Rafael Nadals win over Andreas Seppi, then was closed for the beginning of Thursdays day session to allow fifth-seeded Simona Haleps match against Lucie Safarova to start on time.---12:30 p.m.The U.S. Tennis Association announced a multi-year partnership with Adidas on Thursday to make the German sportswear giant the official sponsor of USTA player development.Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which gives Adidas a presence throughout the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. -- the headquarters of the organizations player development efforts -- and branding of the USTAs top-flight junior tournament series and league tennis.USTA Player Development general manager Martin Blackman says the partnership also makes Adidas the official outfitter of player development coaches to reflect the look and professionalism that exemplifies Team USA.Adidas is the sponsor of such stars as Ana Ivanovic and Angelique Kerber. The companys U.S. senior director of tennis David Malinkowski noted that the partnership could also help forge relationships with up-and-coming American tennis stars.---11 a.m.Venus and Serena Williams are set to play back-to-back, second-round matches Thursday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, which may need its new retractable roof for much of the day because light rain is falling and more is expected.No. 6-seeded Venus Williams will take on Julia Goerges of Germany in the afternoon, followed by No. 1 Serena Williams against Vania King in an all-American matchup to start the night session.Another key match comes in the nightcap on Ashe, when 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro takes on 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson. Del Potro, whose ranking dropped to No. 142 because of wrist injuries over the past 2 + years, has returned to Grand Slam play this year and made a strong run to the silver medal at the Olympics.The Wimbledon champ and Olympic gold medalist, No. 2-seeded Andy Murray, is also in action on Ashe, facing Marcel Granollers. Theyve played seven previous times, with Murray winning six. Air Max 97 Günstig Kaufen . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Air Max Fake Kaufen . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/air-max-90-fake-kaufen/max-90-off-white-billig.html . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Nike Air Max Tn Günstig . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Nike Air Vapormax Flyknit Schweiz . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Simone Biles dominated. Aly Raisman killed it. But when American gymnastics fans poured out of Rios Olympic Arena on Tuesday, many of them were buzzing about Laurie Hernandez, the 16-year-old wunderkind from New Jersey. Though the first-time Olympian didnt post a top score during the teams gold-medal performance, Baby Shakira captivated the audience with her perky, effortless charm.California native Shawn Wright, who was attending the Games with her teenage daughter, Kailey -- they wore matching USA T-shirts -- said Hernandez was the biggest surprise of the afternoon. She just keeps getting better, she said. Kailey caught a glimpse of the young gymnast, whom she described as adorable, before her routine. I was like, Oh my god -- she winked.For Hernandez, Tuesdays performance was imbued with significance that went beyond her contribution to the teams overall result. One week ago, she announced on Instagram, where she has gained more than 200,000 followers since making the team, that she had decided to give up her scholarship to the University of Florida and embark on a professional career. In doing so, Hernandez invited endorsers to assess her potential as a brand representative.She also kicked off a new round of debate over whether young Olympians should go pro.For swimmers, track stars and gymnasts, its a uniquely fraught decision. Unlike football and basketball players, these athletes will never compete in a well-funded professional league; they can only hope to convert their fleeting moments in the spotlight into endorsement opportunities, most of which will dwindle in the months after the Games.And yet, despite this complicated dynamic, theres still a stigma attached to choosing a career over competing in college. When young athletes announce that theyve opted for the former, many adopt a tone of modest reluctance. Stars who choose the collegiate route -- such as swimming supernova Katie Ledecky -- are widely praised for avoiding the distractions of professional life.Consider this NCAA.com story on swimmer Missy Franklin, who chose not to go pro after winning four gold medals at the 2012 Olympics, leaving millions of dollars on the table. The feature, titled Able to Stay Golden, paints an idyllic picture of Franklins college experience and applauds the swimmer for having resisted the temptations that followed her sudden emergence. The temptations! The subtext, which permeates Olympics commentary, is clear: Female athletes who forgo endorsements are as pure as their unblemished bank accounts. They are Good Girls.This is preposterous for a number of reasons, the first of which is: Theres nothing sacred or moral about playing college sports. Biles and Hernandez will never be able to compete in college gymnastics -- but they can still go to college.Nastia Liukin, the all-around champion from the 2008 Games, says she made the decision to go pro at a young age with her future education in mind. I knew Id want to do gymnastics at an elite level, and when I was done with my career, Id want to focus on school, she says. For me, the decision was easy. Liukin, 26, who is working in Rio as a commentator for NBC, graduated from NYU earrlier this year.ddddddddddddAmateurism is often defended on the grounds that colleges cant afford to pay athletes for their labor. But thats not the issue here. Top Olympians dont want schools to pay them in excess of their scholarships; they want the opportunity to make money on the side. Sure, shooting leotard ads and energy drink commercials might occasionally pull them away from training -- but do you really think a school like UCLA, where Biles had committed before deciding to go pro last year, would turn down the chance to spotlight a celebrity student-athlete? Franklins final swim meet as a high school student famously sold out.The NCAAs rules on endorsements compels these women to essentially roll the dice on their careers before they turn 20 and make calculated bets on whether they can turn short-term stardom into long-term wealth.Its such a crapshoot, says Evan Morgenstein, a sports agent whos represented Olympians such as Dominique Dawes and Dara Torres. According to Morgenstein, unless an athlete garners copious screen time, its likely that his or her after-tax endorsement earnings wont surpass the cost of a college education. The NCAA does allow athletes to keep their Olympics bonuses, which top out at $25,000 per medal. There are a lot of cautionary tales of athletes who didnt become Michael Phelps, he says (Phelps opted not to compete in college, a decision that obviously worked out fine).Going pro in gymnastics, Morgenstein adds, is especially risky because rosters are shaped at the last minute. Hernandez, for example, announced her decision before team coach Martha Karolyi decided to exclude her from the all-around competition. Youre held hostage to the decisions of others, Morgenstein says.Timing is another variable. Biles, who won her first world championship the year after the 2012 Games, profited handsomely off of endorsements during the run-up to Rio. Hernandez didnt have that chance. When Franklin decided to remain an amateur in 2012, her college coach told Swimming World that, with a college degree, she would actually be more marketable. Four years later, this seems dubious; Franklin rescinded her amateur status just in time for Ledeckys ascent.Liukin says that, while she doesnt regret her decision to go pro at a young age, she does believe competing in college makes it easier for elite gymnasts to shift into civilian life. I stopped cold turkey, and that was a difficult transition, she says. It would be better, Liukin adds, if athletes didnt have to choose between making money and competing in college. That would be the best of both worlds.Hernandezs decision could very well pay off; with her talent and charisma, shes a marketers dream, as well as the first U.S.-born Latina to make the team in decades. She could compete in Tokyo in four years, profiting from another Olympics cycle; she could attend college when its all over and pursue an entirely different field. In the end, going pro was her choice. But its one that she -- and every other Olympian -- shouldnt have to make. ' ' '