LATIMES.COM/SPORTS THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020D5
MONTERREY OPEN
At Monterrey, Mexico
Purse:$251,750
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Singles
Second Round
Rebecca Peterson (6), Sweden, d. Kateryna Bon-
darenko, Ukraine, 7-6 (2), 7-5.
Marie Bouzkova (9), Czech Republic, d. Anna-Karolina
Schmiedlova, Slovakia, 6-4, 6-1.
Wang Yafan (8), China, d. Astra Sharma, Australia, 7-6
(5), 4-6, 6-3.
Leylah Annie Fernandez, Canada, d. Sloane Stephens
(5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles
Second Round
Georgina Garcia Perez-Sara Sorribes Tormo (1), Spain,
d. Lauren Davis, and Lara Arruabarrena, Spain, 6-2, 7-5.
Kateryna Bondarenko, Ukraine-Sharon Fichman, Can-
ada, d. Arantxa Rus, Netherlands-Tamara Zidansek, Slov-
enia, 7-5, 6-4.
Sabrina Santamaria and Ingrid Neel d. Renata
Zarazua, Mexico-Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Italy, 4-6, 6-4,
10-7.
Quarterfinals
Renata Voracova-Marie Bouzkova, Czech Republic, d.
Johanna Konta, Britain-Elina Svitolina, Ukraine, walkover.LYON OPEN
At Lyon, France
Purse: $251,750
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Singles
First Round
Sofia Kenin (1), d. Vitalia Diatchenko, Russia, 6-4,
6-3.
Oceane Dodin, France, d. Mandy Minella, Luxem-
bourg, 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles
Second Round
Lidziya Marozava-Vera Lapko, Belarus, d. Laura
Pigossi, Brazil-Rosalie van Der Hoek, Netherlands, 6-2,
7-6 (0).
Viktoria Kuzmova, Slovakia-Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine, d.
Oksana Kalashnikova, Georgia-Valeria Savinykh (3), Rus-
sia, 6-2, 6-1.
Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove-Bibiane Schoofs, Nether-
lands, d. Alison van Uytvanck-Greet Minnen, Belgium,
7-6 (4), 6-4.
Quarterfinals
Laura-Ioana Paar, Romania-Julia Wachaczyk, Ger-
many, d. Elixane Lechemia-Jessika Ponchet, France, 6-2,
4-6, 10-6.TENNIS RESULTS
The Chargers have
agreed to trade Russell
Okung to the Carolina Pan-
thers for Trai Turner in an
exchange of veteran, accom-
plished offensive linemen.
The deal can not become
official until the NFL new
league year begins on March
18.
Okung, 32, is a two-time
Pro Bowl tackle who started
36 games over the last three
seasons. Turner is six years
younger and has made the
Pro Bowl in each of the last
five years playing right
guard.
Michael Schofield, the
Chargers’ incumbent start-
er at right guard, is set to be-
come a free agent.
Offensive line is one area
general manager Tom Tele-
sco has targeted to upgrade,
this deal allowing him to be-
gin the process while getting
younger across the front.
Okung started 30 of 32
regular-season games in his
first two years after joining
the Chargers as a free agent
in March 2017. He suffered a
pulmonary embolism dur-
ing the team’s offseason pro-
gram in June, however, and
was limited to six games in
2019 because of health is-
sues.
Turner will bolster an in-
terior offensive line that has
struggled the last few sea-
sons. He was considered the
Panthers’ top lineman
among a group that, similar
to the Chargers’ situation,
was inconsistent.
Turner is signed for two
more seasons and is sched-
uled to make base salaries of
$8.5 million and $11 million,
respectively.
His addition, plus the re-
turn of veteran center Mike
Pouncey— who is still await-
ing medical clearance after
undergoing neck surgery —
could be vital for the Char-
gers in 2020.
— Jeff MillerBuffalo Bills defensive co-
ordinator Leslie Frazier is
adding assistant head coach
to his job title.ETC.Daytona shakes
up its schedule
NASCAR will hit the road
for its first race in 2021, part
of a schedule shakeup that
starts at Daytona Interna-
tional Speedway.
The track announced
several changes to the start
of the annual racing season.
They include running the ex-
hibition Busch Clash on the
3.56-mile road course that
winds through the Daytona
infield and packing seven
races as well as Daytona 500
pole qualifying into a six-day
span.
The tweaks eliminate two
traditional “dark days” at
the track during Speed-
weeks and should provide a
better fan experience lead-
ing into NASCAR’s premier
event, the Daytona 500.NASCAR Hall of Famer
driver Tony Stewart an-
nounced plans to drive in theXfinity Series race at India-
napolis Motor Speedway on
July 4.Stephen Curryis sched-
uled to return from a more
than four-month absence
with a broken left hand to
play for Golden State
against the Toronto Raptors
on Thursday night. The
Warriors announced that
Curry had been medically
cleared to play. The two-
time NBA MVP missed 58
games after falling on his left
hand Oct. 30 versus
Phoenix.The Ottawa Senators
fired Chief Executive Jim
Little less than two months
after he took the job, saying
his conduct was “inconsis-
tent” with the core values of
the team and the NHL. ...
New York Islanders defense-
man Johnny Boychuk
needed 90 stitches to his eye-
lid after being hit in the face
with a skate but suffered no
damage to his eye, said pres-
ident and general manager
Lou Lamoriello.A man who was a college
wrestler in the 1980s sued the
University of Michigan, al-
leging that a school doctor
molested him dozens of
times despite the university
knowing that he was a threat
to athletes. The lawsuit in
U.S. District Court in De-
troit is the first since victims
of late Dr. Robert E. Ander-son began to emerge a few
weeks ago. The man, identi-
fied only as John Doe, ac-
cused the university of fail-
ing to remove the doctor de-
spite complaints about him.Olympic steeplechase
champion Ruth Jebetwas
banned four years for dop-
ing.THE DAY IN SPORTS
Chargers trade Okung to the Panthers for Turner
staff and wire reports
ing health issues — on
Wednesday.
Globally, the outbreak
has forced schedule and lo-
cation changes for soccer
games, car races, a cycling
tour and other competi-
tions. At a news conference
on Wednesday, the leader of
the International Olympic
Committee faced a barrage
of questions about the 2020
Summer Games, which are
scheduled to begin in Tokyo
on July 24.
Though many countries
have been forced to delay
qualifying events, the IOC
has said on numerous occa-
sions that, in consultation
with the World Health Or-
ganization, it expects the
Games to take place as
planned.
“I can assure you I will not
get tired of repeating the
statement I made,” IOC
President Thomas Bach
told reporters. “The IOC is
fully committed, and we are
not participating in any kind
of speculation.”
Some health experts
agree it is too early to make
any predictions about the
spread and lethality of the
virus over the next six
months. Others have ex-
pressed concern about the
prospect of large public
gatherings.
There is a history of ex-
ternal forces disrupting the
sports world. The Olympics
were canceled three times
during the first and second
World Wars. NFL games
were played but not tele-
vised following John F. Ken-
nedy’s assassination in 1963
and baseball halted games
for almost a week after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist at-
tacks.
This time, American
sports officials have reacted
cautiously, instituting rela-
tively minor changes while
vowing to consult with
health officials, monitor the
situation and take steps as
necessary. Few have been
willing to discuss the poten-
tial for drastic action,
though Kasten acknowl-
edged: “We could, in the ex-
treme, wind up either can-
celing games or holding
games without spectators.”
College basketball faces a
particular challenge with
men’s and women’s confer-
ence tournaments and
March Madness prompting
hundreds of thousands of
fans to follow their teams
around the country in com-
ing weeks.
Staples Center is sched-
uled to host a men’s West Re-
gional beginning March 26.
“As a result of the latest
briefing update from the Los
Angeles County Public
Health Department, we
have posted messaging
throughout our venues re-
minding fans to engage in
safe hygiene practices and
to stay home if they feel un-
well,” a Staples Center state-
ment read. “We also have in-
creased access to hand sani-
tizers throughout the build-
ing.”
A campus task force at
Stanford has recommended
postponing or adjusting
events through mid-April.
Other schools, such as Chi-
cago State University, have
canceled road trips and
some home games.
The NCAA has estab-
lished an advisory panel to
address the issue.
“Today we are planning
to conduct our champi-
onships as planned,” Chief
Operating Officer Donald
Remy said in a statement.
“However, we are evaluating
the COVID-19 situation daily
and will make decisions ac-
cordingly.”
This announcement fol-
lows an NBA memo that was
circulated among teams and
later obtained by The Times.It recommends that players
limit physical contact with
fans, meaning no high-fives
or accepting pens and other
items for autographs.
“I think everybody has a
common sense feel of what’s
being reported and what’s
out there,” Lakers coach
Frank Vogel said after a
practice Wednesday, “and
we all have to be cautious.”
Before the Clippers’game Tuesday night in Okla-
homa City, reserve guard
Lou Williams was signing
autographs for fans who
leaned over the tunnel
railing. As soon as he fin-
ished, a team security guard
waiting nearby squirted a
glob of sanitizer into his
hands.
One NBA official called it
a “fist-bump-only league
right now.”Major League Baseball
has issued similar advice
during spring training, a
time when teams make an
effort to interact with fans
after games or at special
events.
Players have been told to
get flu shots and avoid tak-
ing balls or pens from spec-
tators; teams have been
warned about disinfecting
clubhouses.“Would you tell our play-
ers to carry their own Sharp-
ie for autographs?” Kasten
said. “I’m going to ask more
doctors before we carry out a
policy.”
Additional concerns have
been raised about scouts
traveling overseas. Tampa
Bay Rays first baseman Ji-
Man Choi, who is from South
Korea, has reportedly been
giving interviews to media
from his homeland away
from the rest of the team,
saying: “I just want to be
cautious, especially around
the players.”
The NHL has banned
business travel outside of
North America for its em-
ployees and will quarantine
scouts returning from Eu-
rope.
Though there are no
plans for postponing the
playoffs next month, NHL
Commissioner Gary Bett-
man told the Canadian
Press that the situation is
“day to day” and that the
league is “aware of and fo-
cused on all possibilities.”
The NFL, which has its
draft in late April, said it is
similarly monitoring devel-
opments.
Locally, the 2020 L.A.
Marathon is scheduled for
Sunday and organizers are
offering to defer entries until
next year for runners who
must travel from affected
countries. This comes
shortly after the Tokyo Mar-
athon abruptly downsized
its field to elite and wheel-
chair athletes only.
Otherwise, official re-
sponses from Southern Cali-
fornia pro teams and uni-
versity athletic depart-
ments followed a similar
theme: a wait-and-see ap-
proach amid daily news re-
ports.
A spokesman for AEG,
which operates Staples Cen-
ter and Dignity Health
Sports Park where teams
from the NBA, WNBA, NHL,
MLS and XFL play, said his
company will follow the
guidelines set forth by
health and county officials.
For now, “the teams are
being administered essen-
tially by the league,” said
AEG’s Michael Roth, who
pointed out while one league
might postpone games, an-
other could play as sched-
uled. “We’re providing a safe
and clean venue for every-
body, and if the team shows
up to play, if the league
wants to play, we’re opening
our doors.”
A spokesman for LAFC,
which consistently sells out
its 22,000-seat stadium in
Exposition Park, said the
conference call with county
health officials included
some discussion of worst-
case scenarios.
“And obviously the worst
is the city can come in and
cancel events,” said Seth
Burton, the team’s vice pres-
ident of communications.
“And another option would
be for games to be played
with no fans.
“Everyone knows that
could happen,” he contin-
ued. “But, hopefully, we’re
not there yet.”Times staff writers Kevin
Baxter, Mike DiGiovanna,
Ryan Kartje, Jeff Miller,
Andrew Greif, Soumya
Karlamangla, Helene
Elliott, Arash Markazi and
Jack Harris contributed to
this report.Coronavirus threatens sports events
[Virus, from D1]
United States
NBA:In a memo sent to
teams Sunday, the league
and the NBA Players’ Assn.
stated they are “closely
monitoring the coronavirus
situation” and are in consul-
tation with the Centers for
Disease Control and Pre-
vention. The memo also
recommended that players
avoid giving high-fives while
interacting with fans and
avoid borrowing pens and
markers from fans request-
ing autographs.MLB:The league has
established a task force to
deal with issues related to
coronavirus in the coming
months, according to a
memo sent to high-ranking
baseball officials Tuesday
obtained by ESPN. Baseball
has no plans to cancel or
ban fans from attending
games. The memo advises
players not to shake hands
with fans and not use pens
and markers from fans to
sign autographs.NFL: NFL Media re-
ported Tuesday that the
league is “closely monitor-
ing developments” related
to coronavirus and that it is
still planning to hold the
NFL draft in Las Vegas on
April 23-25. In addition,
individual pro days for
draft-eligible players will
begin as scheduled on
Thursday.NHL:Commissioner
Gary Bettman said Wednes-
day that the league is moni-
toring the coronavirus
outbreak but declined to say
whether games could be
altered, canceled or re-
scheduled. All NHL employ-
ees have been barred from
traveling outside North
America for business pur-
poses. Scouts based in
Europe have to stay in Eu-
rope or be quarantined
upon arriving in North
America, Bettman said.NCAA:The college ath-
letics sanctioning body says
it is monitoring the out-
break but that it has no
plans to make changes for
the upcoming men’s and
women’s basketball tourna-
ments. Missouri-Kansas
City and Chicago State
announced they are cancel-
ing trips to Seattle for
scheduled Western Athletic
Conference men’s basket-
ball games this week. USC
announced all athletic
events are being played as
scheduled.MLS: The league has
created a task force to moni-
tor the coronavirus out-
break. Sports teams in Los
Angeles County, including
the Galaxy and LAFC, have
been warned they might be
asked to cancel games or
play them in empty stadi-
ums after the county de-
clared a health emergency
Wednesday to deal with the
coronavirus.Auto racing: NASCAR
and IndyCar said their
schedules will go on as
planned while also monitor-
ing the situation.PGA: The PGA Tour
announced Wednesday that
it has no plans to alter its
schedule beyond changes
that have already been
made with the PGA Tour-
Series China (delayed start
to season).LPGA:The league has
canceled three events in
response to the coronavirus
outbreak. Events scheduled
in Thailand and Singapore
were canceled last month,
and the Blue Bay LPGA on
Hainan Island in China,which was originally sched-
uled to be played Thursday-
Sunday, is also off the LPGA
calendar. Their next event,
the Founders Cup, is set to
be played as scheduled at
Wildfire Golf Club in
Phoenix from March 19-22.Santa Anita (horse
racing): The Arcadia-based
horse racing track said in a
statement Wednesday that
it is monitoring the situa-
tion and is “taking pro-
cedures necessary for the
health and safety and well-
being of our fans, staff and
horsemen, including adding
numerous hand-sanitizing
stations throughout the
facility.”L.A. Marathon:The Los
Angeles Marathon will run
as scheduled Sunday, race
officials announced. Organ-
izers of the marathon are
offering a deferral option to
runners traveling from
affected countries allowing
them to delay their partici-
pation until next year.International
International Olympic
Committee (Tokyo 2020Olympics):No plans have
been made to reschedule or
cancel the Olympics, sched-
uled for July 24 to Aug. 9.
“We remain very confident
with regard to the success of
these Olympic Games,” IOC
President Thomas Bach
said Tuesday. The IOC has
formed a task force that
includes representatives
from the World Health
Organization, the Tokyo
2020 organizing committee
and the Japanese govern-
ment to monitor the situa-
tion.Premier League:The
English league has informed
its clubs of a contingency
plan should large gatherings
be banned because of the
coronavirus spread. In the
meantime, the league has
advised teams to pay in-
creased attention to hy-
giene at stadiums and train-
ing grounds, reduce the
number of nonessential
visitors to team facilities
and minimize any face-to-
face meetings.Ligue 1: The French
league is altering its
pregame routines because
of the coronavirus. Hand-
shakes among players,
coaches and officials are
prohibited until further
notice. Players will continue
to be escorted to the field by
youth players but will hold
the youngsters by the shoul-
der, rather than by hand as
is customary.Serie A:Italy has closed
all sporting events to the
public amid a coronavirus
outbreak. More than 100
people have died in Italy,
and more than 3,000 have
been infected with
COVID-19.WTA: The Kunming
Open, which was scheduled
for April 27 to May 3 in An-
ning, China, has been can-
celed. The BNP Paribas
Open at Indian Wells is still
scheduled to begin Wednes-
day. “We are closely watch-
ing the developments with
the coronavirus. We remain
very positive about this
year’s BNP Paribas Open
and look forward to welcom-
ing everyone to Indian Wells
very soon,” tournament
officials said in a statement.Times staff writers Chuck
Schilken, Kevin Baxter,
Soumya Karlamangla, Jeff
Miller, Helene Elliott and
Bill Shaikin contributed to
this report.Sports leagues and federations across the world are addressing the spread of the coronavirus. While most North American
sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL are monitoring the situation, leagues in
other parts of the world are taking action by canceling events and playing in empty stadiums. Los Angeles County officials
have discussed the possibility of banning spectators from attending sporting events in Southern California in an attempt to
slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here is a sport-by-sport look at what leagues and federations are doing to address the
COVID-19 outbreak: — Austin KnoblauchGLOBAL SPORTS RESPONSE
WORKERS sanitize a facility in Naples, Italy. The
country is so hard-hit by the coronavirus that fans
have been banned from attending sporting events.Ciro FuscoEPA/Shutterstock