Sports News Roundup: Halep punishes Anisimova to reach last 16; A's, Braves, Dodgers advance and more

Highlights: French Open day six Highlights of the sixth day at the French Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, on Friday (all times GMT): 1525 GARCIA STUNS MERTENS WITH COMEBACK WIN Vikings GM senses turnaround coming No offseason and another coaching staff change put the Minnesota Vikings behind the 8-ball.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Halep punishes Anisimova to reach last 16

Top seed Simona Halep extracted brutal revenge on American teenager Amanda Anisimova with a 6-0 6-1 victory to move ominously into the fourth round of the French Open on Friday. Anisimova caused a huge upset last year when she comfortably beat Romanian Halep, then the defending champion, in the quarter-finals, but could not reproduce that form as she received a 54-minute claycourt lesson.

MLB roundup: A's, Braves, Dodgers advance

The Oakland Athletics rallied from an early deficit and used eight pitchers Thursday to post a 6-4 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox in the decisive Game 3 of their American League wild-card series. Oakland's first postseason series win since 2006 advances the second-seeded AL West champion into the AL Division Series against the sixth-seeded Houston Astros. The White Sox were trying to advance in the postseason for the first time since winning the 2005 World Series.

Highlights: French Open day six

Highlights of the sixth day at the French Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, on Friday (all times GMT): 1525 GARCIA STUNS MERTENS WITH COMEBACK WIN

Vikings GM senses turnaround coming

No offseason and another coaching staff change put the Minnesota Vikings behind the 8-ball. That's the estimation of general manager Rick Spielman, who said he senses Minnesota is close to turning around an 0-3 start into winning football.

Thiem eases past Ruud to reach French Open fourth round

Third seed Dominic Thiem was not at his best but still had enough firepower to see off Norway's Casper Ruud with a 6-4 6-3 6-1 win and march into the French Open fourth round on Friday. U.S. Open champion Thiem, who has lost the last two finals at Roland Garros to Rafael Nadal, struggled with his serve in the opening set, facing six break points, but improved as the match progressed under the closed roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Report: Two more Titans test positive for COVID-19

Two more Tennessee Titans players tested positive for COVID-19, ESPN reported Friday morning. That brings the total positives in the organization to 13 -- seven players and six others.

Honda to quit F1 to focus on zero-emission technology

Japan's Honda Motor will end its participation as an engine supplier in the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of the 2021 season to focus on zero-emission technology, it said on Friday. The decision was made at the end of September and the company does not intend to return to F1, Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo said in an online news conference.

F1 faces fundamental questions after Honda pullout

Stefano Domenicali will have some fundamental questions to address when he takes over as Formula One chief executive in January, starting with the relevance of the sport to manufacturers in an increasingly electric age. Honda's shock announcement on Friday that it will depart at the end of 2021 leaves the pinnacle of motorsport as a series with only three engine manufacturers and no sign of any newcomers.

Local favourite Garcia holds her nerve to beat Mertens in thriller

The French Open came alive under the Philippe Chatrier Court roof as home hope Caroline Garcia battled back to beat 16th seed Elise Mertens 1-6 6-4 7-5 in a third-round thriller on Friday. Garcia, who has never quite delivered on her early career promise, was roared on by several hundred fans as she finally claimed victory on her sixth match point.

NBA Finals Game 1 draws lowest TV rating in history

Despite featuring the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and having two major-market teams playing in the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night drew record-low TV ratings. The game -- a 116-98 Lakers win -- drew 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to overnight ratings. The previous low was 8.06 million viewers for Game 3 of the 2003 NBA Finals between the New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs.