Capriati advances, Sampras loses
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Defending champion and top-seeded Jennifer Capriati defeated Rita Grande ot Italy Monday to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. But, Pete Sampras was ousted by Russia's Marat Safin.
The quarterfinals will get under way Tuesday with the top attraction being the match between Monica Seles and Venus Williams.
Safin, the No. 9 seed, fired 22 aces and committed almost half as many unforced errors as Sampras for a grueling 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 victory. Safin will next take on South African Wayne Ferreira, who won a five-set thriller over Spain's Albert Costa, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 9-7.
Capriati withstood an exhausting 62-minute second set in defeating the 20th seeded Grande, 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) , eventually prevailing on her third match point.
In the quarterfinals, Capriati will take on eighth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France, who also had a difficult time of it before ousting Marlene Weingartner of Germany, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5.
Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters and sixth-seeded Justine Henin won to set up an all-Belgium quarterfinal match. Clijsters needed only 45 minutes to demolish Janette Husarova of Slovakia 6-0, 6-2. Henin notched a 6-0, 6-3 victory over No. 11 Elena Dementieva of Russia.
Cavaliers' top scorer out with injury
CLEVELAND, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Forward Lamond Murray, the Cleveland Cavaliers' leading scorer this season,was placed on the injured list Monday following surgery to repair a broken nose.
Murray, who is averaging 16.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday's contest at the Los Angeles Clippers when he was elbowed by Clippers forward Darius Miles.
He had surgery Monday morning at the Cleveland Clinic and is expected to be sidelined for two weeks. When he returns, Murray will wear a facial shield to protect the nose.
The injury is another blow for the Cavaliers (13-27), who suffered a 109-103 defeat to the Clippers for their ninth straight defeat.
To take Murray's roster spot, Cleveland activated guard Trajan Langdon, who missed nine games after being placed on the injured list Jan. 4 with a right ankle sprain. Langdon is averagingst 2.6 points in 16 contests this season.
U.S. facing dangerous Cuban soccer foe
PASADENA, Calif.,Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The United States soccer team faced a dangerous Cuban squad Monday NIGHT in CONCACAF Gold Cup competition.
Mexico meanwhile takes on Guatemala in what should be an easy match for the Mexicans.
Cuba is not considered a good team but is one the U.S. cannot afford to underestimate. Further, the Cubans brought the best their country has to offer, and that includes two very fine strikers in AlbertoDelgado and Ariel Betancourt. Also, Lazaro Dalcourt, widelyconsidered the finest Cuban player of all-time, will anchor thedefense and trigger the counterattack.
The U.S. does not have anything close to a full-strength team.
