BERLIN >> Defending champion Italy crashed out of the European Championship after losing to Switzerland 2-0 in the last 16 on Saturday.

Goals in each half from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas gave the Swiss their first win over their southern neighbor for 31 years and set up a quarterfinal against England or Slovakia in Düsseldorf on July 6.

Italy’s elimination means the titleholder has gone out in the last 16 for the third successive Euro after Portugal in 2021 and Spain in 2016.

Switzerland hadn’t beaten Italy since 1993, and notched only a ninth win from 62 attempts.

Germany beats Denmark 2-0 to advance >> Germany went from despair to delight in the space of a minute as a couple of big VAR calls set the host nation on its way to a storm-affected 2-0 win over Denmark and a place in the European Championship quarterfinals.

It was Germany’s first win in the knockout stage of a major tournament since 2016.

Pro basketball

Source: James intends to sign new deal with Lakers >> LeBron James is not opting into what would have been a $51.4 million contract for this coming season and instead will seek a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision said.

The move is among those coming just ahead of the NBA’s free agency period, which formally opens at 3 p.m. on Sunday, though at least $1.2 billion in contracts already have been agreed upon because of new rules that allowed teams to speak with their own players about new deals — in many situations — starting on the day after the NBA Finals.

Cycling

Bardet wins hot and hilly opening Tour de France stage >> Two-time podium finisher Romain Bardet won the opening stage of the Tour de France and claimed the yellow jersey for the first time.

Combined with severe heat, one of the most challenging opening legs in recent memory created problems for Mark Cavendish and many other riders as cycling’s biggest race began in Italy for the first time.

Tadej Pogacar, who is aiming to follow up his Giro d’Italia title with a third Tour trophy, and two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the main pack, though.

Bardet, the Frenchman who finished second in 2016 and third in 2017 and is racing his last Tour, attacked with slightly more than 530 miles to go. He caught up with his DSM-Firmenich PostNL teammate Frank van den Broek, who was in an early breakaway, and the pair just barely held off the onrushing peloton in the flat finish.

Tennis

Djokovic says his knee feels good >> Novak Djokovic says his right knee has responded well after surgery to repair a torn meniscus less than a month ago and he considers himself ready to contend at Wimbledon, where he has won seven of his 24 Grand Slam trophies.

Speaking at a pre-tournament news conference, Djokovic said that while he was “very much in doubt of making” it to the All England Club after getting hurt at the French Open on June 3, he is far more optimistic after a week of practices at the site of the grass-court major that begins Monday.

His first-round match against qualifier Vit Kopriva is scheduled for Tuesday.

Baseball

Mets honor Mays, Grote with uniform patches >> The New York Mets debuted uniform patches honoring Willie Mays and Jerry Grote that will remain on all their jerseys for the rest of the season.

A circular patch with Mays’ No. 24 was added to the left sleeve of the City Connect tops New York wore for its home game against the Houston Astros. Mays, who died on June 18, concluded his Hall of Fame career with the Mets from 1972-73 and had his number retired by the club on Old-Timers’ Day two years ago.