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Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer awarded ITF Philippe Chatrier Award

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Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer awarded ITF Philippe Chatrier Award
Sport

Sport

Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer awarded ITF Philippe Chatrier Award

2024-07-07 20:16 Last Updated At:20:20

LONDON (AP) — Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer has been awarded this year's ITF Philippe Chatrier Award for her contributions to the sport.

The International Tennis Federation said the award will be presented Sunday at a ceremony at London's Natural History Museum.

The Philippe Chatrier Award is named after the ITF's former president and has been given out since 1996 as the governing body's highest award for services to tennis.

Vergeer has won a total of seven Paralympic gold medals and 21 Grand Slam wheelchair singles titles.

(asterisk)Tennis has given me so much and I will always work hard to make sure that everyone – regardless of age, gender, or disability – can enjoy its many benefits for years to come," Vergeer said in a statement. "The ITF has made a significant contribution to the continued growth of wheelchair tennis, so it is very special for me to receive this recognition from them.”

Previous winners of the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award include Justine Henin, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Rod Laver and Martina Navratilova.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE - Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands holds her gold medal after winning the women's wheelchair tennis final at the 2012 Paralympics games, Sept. 7, 2012, in London. Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer has been awarded this year’s ITF Philippe Chatrier Award for her contributions to the sport. The International Tennis Federation said the award will be presented Sunday July 7, 2024, at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands holds her gold medal after winning the women's wheelchair tennis final at the 2012 Paralympics games, Sept. 7, 2012, in London. Dutch wheelchair tennis standout Esther Vergeer has been awarded this year’s ITF Philippe Chatrier Award for her contributions to the sport. The International Tennis Federation said the award will be presented Sunday July 7, 2024, at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer in a five-run outburst before Detroit got an out, and the Cleveland Guardians unleashed their lights-out bullpen to complete a four-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Tigers in an AL Division Series opener on Saturday.

Thomas' shot — on his first career postseason swing — helped the Guardians cool off the Tigers, who stormed into the playoffs with a second-half surge before sweeping AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round.

Tanner Bibee pitched 4 2/3 innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt swung the door open to baseball's best bullpen to finish off the Tigers. Relievers combined for 4 1/3 hitless innings to finish the largest shutout victory margin in Cleveland postseason history.

Detroit struck 13 out times and didn't get a runner past first in the final four innings.

Cleveland's bullpen was as advertised. Rookie Cade Smith (1-0) replaced Bibee and struck out all four batters. Tim Herrin took care of the seventh, Hunter Gaddis the eighth, and Emmanuel Clase, who led the AL with 47 saves, worked the ninth.

David Fry added a two-run, sixth-inning double for the AL Central champion Guardians, who were unaffected by not playing for almost a week with a first-round bye.

Game 2 is Monday, when the Tigers will turn to Tarik Skubal, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, to try and even the best-of-five series.

The 2,327th meeting between Detroit and Cleveland was the first between the franchises and Central division rivals in the postseason.

It was as good as over after one inning.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has made the right decisions for months as his young club went from being under .500 at the trade deadline to qualifying for the postseason with a 33-13 flourish since Aug. 11.

Hinch used his bullpen in Game 1 from the start and it backfired.

The Guardians sent nine batters to the plate in the first with Thomas' moon shot into the left-field bleachers opening the 5-0 lead. Cleveland became the first team in AL postseason history to score five runs before recording an out.

Steven Kwan got it rolling with a leadoff double against Tigers starter Tyler Holton (0-1) and Fry walked. José Ramírez followed with a hard hopper to third that Zach McKinstry misplayed for an error, allowing Kwan to score.

Josh Naylor's RBI single made it 2-0 and Hinch pulled Holton after just four batters to bring in Reese Olson — the move blew up in seconds.

Thomas, who batted just .143 with 33 strikeouts in his first month with Cleveland after being acquired from Washington in July, made his first postseason at-bat with the Guardians unforgettable.

He turned on Olson's first pitch — a slider down the heart of the plate — and launched it over the wall, sending the majority of 33,548 fans inside Progressive Field into a frenzy.

Bibee admitted feeling nerves ahead of the opener, and he showed some in the first.

He gave up a one-out single and hit Riley Greene with two outs, prompting a visit from pitching coach Carl Willis. Bibee got Colt Keith on a lazy fly for the final out on his 27th pitch.

Taking the mound in the second with a five-run lead helped Bibee settle in. The right-hander gave up four hits and struck out six.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb, a candidate to start Game 3, was added to the ALDS roster after finishing the regular season on the injured list with a blister on his middle finger. Cobb's postseason experience — he beat Cleveland in the 2013 wild-card round with Tampa Bay — certainly helped his cause along with being a former teammate of Vogt's. Cobb was acquired in a July trade from San Francisco.

UP NEXT

Skubal led the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). The left-hander is expected to face Guardians RHP Matthew Boyd, who spent eight seasons with the Tigers and remains close friends with Skubal.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee is greeted as he returns to the dugout after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee is greeted as he returns to the dugout after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry celebrates a hitting a double at second base during the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry celebrates a hitting a double at second base during the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, right, steals second base as Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney takes the throw in the third inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, right, steals second base as Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney takes the throw in the third inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, throws the ball to first base after forcing out Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith (33) at second base on a double play ball hit by Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, throws the ball to first base after forcing out Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith (33) at second base on a double play ball hit by Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Fans cheer in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Fans cheer in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, right, greet each other before Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, right, greet each other before Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Tim Herrin pitches in the seventh inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Tim Herrin pitches in the seventh inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Cade Smith pitches in the sixth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Cade Smith pitches in the sixth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton (87) is taken out of the game in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton (87) is taken out of the game in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) is greeted at the plate by teammates Josh Naylor, rear and third baseman Jose Ramirez, second right, in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, right, after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) is greeted at the plate by teammates Josh Naylor, rear and third baseman Jose Ramirez, second right, in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, right, after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan celebrates his double at second base in the first inning during Game 1 of the baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan celebrates his double at second base in the first inning during Game 1 of the baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

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