Sports News Roundup: Coric comeback sends Tsitsipas tumbling out of US Open; Osaka survives scare to reach last 16 in New York and more

Djokovic says new players' body will welcome women Women professionals are taking part in discussions on joining Novak Djokovic's breakaway tennis players association, the men's world number one said on Friday, adding that he was "unpleasantly surprised" at the opposition from some players.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Rahm hoping to 'steal' another tournament from Johnson

Jon Rahm says he is hoping to "steal" another title from Dustin Johnson after they finished tied at the top of the leaderboard on 13-under-par in the first round of the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta on Friday. Rahm, ranked number two in the world behind Johnson, beat the American in a playoff at last week's BMW Championship after sinking a massive 66-foot putt.

Djokovic says new players' body will welcome women

Women professionals are taking part in discussions on joining Novak Djokovic's breakaway tennis players association, the men's world number one said on Friday, adding that he was "unpleasantly surprised" at the opposition from some players. Djokovic resigned as head of the ATP player council before the U.S. Open, along with members Vasek Pospisil, John Isner, and Sam Querrey, to form the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

Kvitova reaches fourth round with a win over Pegula

Czech Petra Kvitova struggled with unforced errors but still had enough weapons to defeat American Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-3 on Friday to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open. The two-times Wimbledon champion had 28 unforced errors and five double faults but moved up a gear when it mattered to win her first career meeting with baseline battler Pegula.

NFL notebook: Washington cuts RB Peterson

Adrian Peterson, the former NFL MVP and four-time All-Pro running back, was surprisingly released by the Washington Football Team on Friday. Head coach Ron Rivera said Peterson's leadership was valued, especially after Derrius Guice was released amid off-field turmoil this summer. Rivera said that he tossed and turned overnight in pondering breaking the news to Peterson.

New father McIlroy says playing with more freedom is paying off

Rory McIlroy said playing without expectations following the birth of his first child had helped him rediscover some of his best form as he shot a six-under 64 in the opening round of the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta on Friday. The Northern Irishman, who began the day in 12th at three-under, got his title defense off to a flying start just five days after his daughter Poppy was born and said that he was surprised by how quickly he found his groove.

Serena wary of Stephens threat in the third round

Serena Williams continues her push for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam trophy when she takes on Sloane Stephens on Saturday in an all-American clash of former U.S. Open champions. Williams has blitzed through the draw without dropping a set but faces a tricky third-round test against the 26th-seeded Stephens, whose run to the 2017 U.S. Open title propelled her to a career-high ranking of No. 3.

Djokovic brushes aside Struff to advance in New York

Top seed Novak Djokovic continued his dominance of Jan-Lennard Struff on Friday with a 6-3 6-3 6-1 win to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Djokovic, a three-time champion at Flushing Meadows, was never really pushed by the German, who has taken just one set off the Serb in their five career meetings.

Coric comeback sends Tsitsipas tumbling out of US Open

Croatian Borna Coric saved six match points as he rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to stun Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4) and send the fourth seed tumbling out of the U.S Open in the third round on Friday. In the sort of late drama that would on any other year have had the Flushing Meadows crowd baying for more, Coric staged a remarkable comeback at an empty Louis Armstrong Stadium to reach the fourth round after the fifth set tiebreak.

WADA to look at new sanctions after U.S. threat to pull funding

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday it will consider amending rules to punish stakeholders who withdraw funding after the United States threatened to pull its contributions unless reforms its demands are met. The WADA executive board meets on Sept. 14-15 where the threat of a U.S. pullout will be on the agenda after some governments expressed concern over a country being able to refuse to meet its funding commitments without facing any significant consequences.

Osaka survives scare to reach last 16 in New York

Former champion Naomi Osaka survived a third-round scare before grinding out a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 victory over fearless Ukrainian teenager Marta Kostyuk to reach the last 16 of the U.S. Open on Friday. The Japanese fourth seed initially looked like she would enjoy a routine day on the court but was forced to dig deep to secure victory after two hours and 33 minutes against an 18-year-old making her U.S. Open main draw debut.

(With inputs from agencies.)