Sports briefly: French Open will allow fans in stands

Spectators will be allowed at the French Open this month despite the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country, organizers said Monday.

They unveiled the health protocols for the clay-court grand slam, which will take place at Roland Garros in western Paris from Sept. 27 after being postponed from its May start due to the pandemic.

Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari, after their spectator-free U.S. Open match on Monday, questioned how the French can open the doors to fans but the players have to be in a bubble. The French are restricting the players to two hotels.

"If there are fans, then we should be able to stay elsewhere, then," Williams said. "Yeah, that's interesting, because there is no private housing but there's fans."

Williams was OK with fans in attendance, but wanted to know more from French Open organizers about "how we will be protected."

No. 1 Barty will skip French Open

Top-ranked Ash Barty will not defend her French Open title because of concerns over traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Last year's French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly," Barty, who won her first major title last year at the French Open, said in a statement Tuesday. "I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament."

The 24-year-old Australian said the main reasons for her decision where the health risks associated with COVID-19 and her interrupted preparation. She hasn't been able to work with her coach recently because of domestic state border closures in Australia.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe says Chase Brice's game experience at Clemson helped him earn the Blue Devils' starting quarterback job for Saturday's season opener at No. 10 Notre Dame.

Brice is a graduate transfer who spent the past two seasons as Trevor Lawrence's backup with the Tigers. He was battling redshirt junior Chris Katrenick and redshirt sophomore Gunnar Holmberg for the starting job in preseason camp before the school announced Sunday night that Brice had won that position battle.

• Southern Mississippi coach Jay Hopson said that he has stepped down and co-offensive coordinator Scotty Walden will take over as interim coach.

Hopson went 28-23 and reached three bowl games since taking over before the 2016 season.

WNBA: DeWanna Bonner scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and the Connecticut Sun clinched a playoff spot with an 85-70 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

College basketball: Dwight Anderson, who earned the nickname "The Blur" because of his speed on the court at Kentucky and Southern California, has died. He was 61. Anderson died Saturday. The cause was not immediately known.