Digest

Soccer

China youth team to play in Germany

China's under-20 national side could join the German fourth division for next season to prepare its players for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, German media reported on Thursday.

Only 19 teams have qualified for the southwest regional league, and the Chinese squad would play two matches against each of them, although not competing for an official ranking.

The German clubs involved will each receive $16,750 from the Chinese Football Association for playing the two games.

China has declared its intention to become a "world soccer superpower" by 2050.

Golf

Spieth opens with career-best round

Jordan Spieth used a red-hot putter to post the lowest opening-round score of his career on Thursday with a 63 at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

The 23-year-old Texan, coming off a disappointing tie for 35th at the US Open, made his eighth birdie of the round on the last hole to seize a one-shot lead in his first career appearance at the tournament.

Tied for second were Johnson Wagner and Brett Stegmaier after posting 64s in the morning. Spieth played in the afternoon at the par-70, 6,841-yard River Highlands course.

Spieth has finished in the top 10 six times in 15 events this year.

Athletics

Montano takes more baby steps

Five months pregnant and running an 800m in brutal heat, Alysia Montano lived up to the best traditions of the Wonder Woman superhero character portrayed on her running vest on Thursday.

The 31-year-old from New York shrugged off sweltering conditions to line up in the 800m heats as the US World Championship trials got underway in searing 43 C heat in Sacramento, California.

She finished a distant last place, trailing home in 2 min 21.40 sec at Hornet Stadium.

It was the second time Montano has run while expecting a baby following her appearance in 2014, when she was eight months pregnant.

Tennis

Federer into 15th Halle quarters

Eight-time champion Roger Federer reached the quarterfinals of the Halle grasscourt tournament for a 15th time on Thursday with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over German serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev.

Federer, the 18-time Grand Slam title winner who is building up for an assault on an eighth Wimbledon title next month, next faces defending champion Florian Mayer for a place in the semifinals.

The 134th-ranked Zverev made the quarterfinals by seeing off French sixth seed Lucas Pouille 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3.

Federer now has a 4-0 record against Zverev, including a win this year in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Agencies