Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Djokovic overcomes slow start to extend win streak

World number one Novak Djokovic brushed aside Briton Kyle Edmund 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-2 on Wednesday after a sluggish start to remain unbeaten in 2020 and move into the third round of the U.S. Open. On a hot, humid day at Flushing Meadows, Edmund was left bathed in sweat while a cool and collected Djokovic stayed on course for his 18th Grand Slam title and improved his 2020 match record to 25-0.

Underdog Nagal looking forward to Thiem test at U.S. Open

Sumit Nagal does not expect to dominate Austrian Dominic Thiem like his near namesake and idol Rafa Nadal when they meet in the U.S. Open second round on Thursday, but the 23-year-old Indian is relishing the challenge on the biggest stage. Nagal on Tuesday became the first Indian to win a singles match at the U.S. Open in seven years when he beat Bradley Klahn and immediately set his sights on Thiem who has reached two French Open finals, losing both to Nadal.

Fans will return to PGA Tour events when it’s safe, says Monahan

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Wednesday the road to this week’s final event of a season interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak has been a long one and that it may still be some time before fans are allowed back at tournaments. The Tour Championship, which begins on Friday at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, will be the 14th consecutive PGA Tour event held without fans since play resumed in mid-June after a three-month COVID-19 hiatus.

Mask after mask, Osaka brings protest to international audience

Naomi Osaka stepped into the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a mask that read “Elijah McClain” ahead of her second-round U.S. Open victory on Wednesday, harnessing tennis’s global appeal in her fight for racial justice. The 22-year-old’s mask honored McClain, the 23-year-old Black man who died after a violent encounter with Aurora, Colorado, police officers in 2019.

Penalty costs Alaphilippe yellow as Van Aert wins easy stage

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe lost the overall lead in the Tour de France to Briton Adam Yates after being handed a 20-second penalty for illegal feeding at the end of stage five, won by Belgian Wouth van Aert on Wednesday. Van Aert was fastest in the sprint at the end of the 183km ride from Gap that was remarkable mainly for featuring no breakaway, an almost unprecedented scenario in normal racing conditions in the modern era.

No sign of slowdown as Osaka beats second-round challenger at U.S. Open

Former champion Naomi Osaka made quick work of second-round opponent Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-2 at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, in a lopsided matchup at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in which she showed no sign of slowing down. A dominant Osaka came roaring out of the gate, winning the first five straight games in near-pristine form, committing just four unforced errors in the first set and winning 10 of her 12 first-serve points.

Highlights: U.S. Open day three

Naomi Osaka continued her charge towards a second U.S. Open crown by thrashing Italian Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-2 in the second round on Wednesday, while top seed Karolina Pliskova crashed out following a 6-1 7-6(2) loss to Caroline Garcia. Osaka, who withdrew from her Western & Southern Open final last week with a left hamstring problem, walked onto the court with her leg wrapped in medical tape but was barely troubled in the lopsided match to set up a meeting with Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

‘Not easy’ during U.S. Open, but Djokovic moving forward with players body

Novak Djokovic is finding it tough to deal with issues related to his breakaway players’ body in the middle of the U.S. Open but the world number one says he is moving forward with it as more professionals join the cause daily. Djokovic resigned as head of the ATP player council last week, along with members Vasek Pospisil, John Isner, and Sam Querrey, to form the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

Tsitsipas grinds down Cressy to reach the third round

Stefanos Tsitsipas weathered a serve-volleying storm from Maxime Cressy before grinding the American wildcard down 7-6(2) 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round of the U.S. Open. In a slow-burning contest of short, sharp points, fourth seed Tsitsipas had to fight off a set point against the French-born Cressy, who thrashed down 21 aces and chipped-and-charged relentlessly on a muggy night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Former New York Mets star pitcher Tom Seaver dies at 75

Tom Seaver, the Hall-of-Fame pitcher who won more than 300 games during his Major League Baseball career and led the New York Mets to their unlikely 1969 World Series championship, has died at the age of 75. Seaver, who was nicknamed “The Franchise” and “Tom Terrific” because of how valuable he was to the Mets, died in his sleep on Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, the Baseball Hall of Fame said in a statement.