In Sports from United Press International

Rockets to make Ming top pick

NEW YORK, June 26 (UPI) -- The path has now been cleared for the Houston Rockets to select the player they covet, 7-5 Yao Ming of China, with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night.

Team officials spent the last three days in China negotiating with the Shanghai Sharks, Yao's homeland team, to secure his release from the Chinese Basketball Association and confirmed Wednesday morning that all issues have been resolved.

"I received a letter early this morning from Chinese Basketball Association Chief Executive Xin Lancheng confirming that all of his concerns had been addressed," said Rockets General Counsel Michael Goldberg in a statement. "We are looking forward to drafting Yao Ming with the first overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft. The fact that we arrived at such a mutually beneficial understanding in such a short period of time illustrates the spirit of cooperation and trust that existed throughout these discussions. There were many rounds of congratulations exchanged this morning with Chief Executive Xin, Yao Ming's representatives, and officials from the Shanghai Sharks."

Both the Chinese government and Chinese Basketball Association were reluctant to part with Ming unless compensated and given assurances that Yao will participate in international competition.

Yao will be the first pure international player selected first overall, and the tallest, but he will not be at the draft proceedings, instead preparing for a four-team tournament with the Chinese national team.

At 296 pounds with the ability to run the floor and hit jumpers, Yao would fit nicely with the Rockets, who are loaded at guard and not really considering Duke point man Jay Williams, the top American collegian available.

That would leave Williams to the Chicago Bulls, who pick second.

The Golden State Warriors also covet Williams but pick third and likely will select forward Mike Dunleavy Jr., Williams' teammate at Duke.

Sampras, Safin, Agassi all out at Wimbledon

LONDON, June 26 (UPI) -- Legendary Americans Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are both out at the Wimbledon Championships just three days into the event.

Sampras, the sixth seed and a seven-time champion, crashed and burned, falling in a second-round match to George Bastl of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, at the All-England Club.

Agassi, the third seed, 1992 champion and runner-up to Sampras in '99, suffered a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 defeat at the hands of Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.

This will mark the first Wimbledon Championships in 12 years that will feature neither Sampras nor Agassi in the quarterfinals. In 1990, Sampras lost in the first round and Agassi did not enter the tournament.

Sampras, considered by many the best-ever grasscourt player, won his record seventh Wimbledon singles championship in 2000, but hasn't claimed a title anywhere since -- a drought of 30 tournaments.

He had won 56 of his previous 57 Wimbledon matches before losing to another Swiss player, Roger Federer, in the fourth round last year.

"This is more of a shock to me. As predictable as I've been over the years here, you're going to have a match like this once every 10 years and it happened today," Sampras said. "It's going to be a tough flight home, a tough next couple of weeks, just knowing that this is going on and I'm not here."

Sampras, 30, was especially downcast, considering Bastl has the lowly world ranking of 145, and only got into the tournament as a lucky loser.

Bastl, 27, had not won at Wimbledon before his first-round victory over Denis Golovanov of Russia.

"I gave myself chances because I had been practicing on grass for the last three weeks here in England and played a few warmup tournaments," Bastl said. "I knew coming into this match, I had won already three matches, so my confidence was good. I knew my game was improving match after match."

Sampras won his opening-round match in straight sets Monday against Martin Lee despite having an injury described as an "acute strain in the lower right ribs."

Agassi lost to a player who never had advanced past the second round at the All-England Club, but Srichaphan, the Thai No. 1 reached his first career ATP final in January at the hardcourt event in Chennai, India.

In 1999, Agassi, 32, became the fifth man to win all four Grand Slam titles in his career by capturing the French Open. 1991 marked the last year at least one major tournament was not won by either Sampras or Agassi.

Also, the No. 2 seed, Marat Safin of Russia, was upset as well. The former U.S. Open champion was beaten by Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1).

Blackhawks re-sign Steve Thomas

CHICAGO, June 26 (UPI) -- The Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday re-signed veteran right wing Steve Thomas, who missed 47 games last season with a broken left ankle.

Terms were not disclosed.

Thomas, 38, signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Blackhawks last July and had 11 goals and four assists in 34 games. After suffering the broken ankle, he returned for the final seven games of the regular season and played in all five playoff games in the first- round loss to St. Louis.

Thomas, an 18-year veteran, has 397 goals and 484 assists for 881 points in 1,110 games. He has 106 goals and 107 assists in 265 games with the Blackhawks.

Thomas has recorded 40-plus goals in a season twice, 30 or more four times and has exceeded the 20-goal mark 10 times.

He began his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984 and also has played for the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

Ferrari race team fined $1 million

PARIS, June 26 (UPI) -- The Formula One Italian-based Ferrari team and drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello Wednesday were fined $1 million by the International Automobile Federation for the debacle at the Austrian Grand Prix last month.

The fine was levied following the drivers' conduct on the podium and not the track outcome directed by team orders. Schumacher handed Barrichello the winner's trophy and insisted Barrichello stay on the top podium while he went to the second-place step during the traditional ceremony.

"As always Ferrari respects the decision made by the FIA, but wishes to make no comment," said a Ferrari team press officer.

The uproar was a result of the May 12 Grand Prix in Austria when Ferrari ordered Barrichello to allow the four-time champion Schumacher to pass with some 100 yards to the checkered flag and claim the 10 points. The Brazilian driver had led the entire race to that point.

Implications of the decision was nothing new to Formula One, where teams have two drivers and the one in a run for the driver championship is given favor by his partner. The incident was widely criticized in the motorsports industry, but FIA was in no position to sanction Ferrari for the race tactics.

"FIA condemns the way in which the Ferrari team gave and carried out its orders at the Austrian Grand Prix. However, we feel it is impossible to sanction the two drivers because they are bound by their contracts to carry out the team's orders," FIA said in a prepared statement. "FIA is fully aware that teams can decide which of their drivers will win the race as part of their overall quest for the world championship title. FIA is unable to sanction any of the Ferrari drivers for following team orders at the Austrian Grand Prix."

Formula One fans whistled and jeered the team and drivers for the disgraceful finish. That is when an embarrassed Schumacher urged Barrichello to the winner position on the podium.

On June 23 at the European Grand Prix in Germany, a similar situation presented itself, but Barrichello went on to take the checkered flag for the second time in his career.

Former NBA star Derrek Dickey dies

SACRAMENTO, June 26 (UPI) -- Derrek Dickey, a member of the 1975 Golden State Warriors' championship team and former broadcaster, died at his home Tuesday. He was 51.

Cause of death has not been disclosed.

Dickey suffered a near fatal stroke in November 1997, and served as a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

Dickey, a 6-7 forward, still holds the NBA Finals record for shooting 74 percent, hitting 17-of-23 from the field in Golden State's four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets. He ended his playing career after the 1977-78 season with the Chicago Bulls.

He spent three years as a broadcaster for the Sacramento Kings and also worked for ESPN, CBS, Jefferson Pilot and Raycom. His latest job was as a radio analyst for the Bulls.

The Bulls issued the following statement:

"We are shocked, stunned and saddened to have learned of the passing of Derrek Dickey. Derrek was with the Bulls for only a short time, but had a profound impact on everyone he met, especially in the way he dealt with adversity."

Dickey is survived by his wife, Sally, and three children.

Brazil earns meeting with Germany at World Cup

SAITAMA, Japan, June 26 (UPI) -- Ronaldo, the most famous athlete in the world's most popular sport, scored four minutes into the second half Wednesday night to give Brazil a 1-0 victory over Turkey and a berth in the World Cup championship game against Germany.

In a tournament filled with upsets and controversy, the title game will feature the most successful World Cup teams ever.

For the 13th time in the last 14 World Cups, the championship will include either Germany or Brazil. But for the first time in the event's 72-year history, they have both survived the month-long tournament to meet with soccer's biggest prize on the line.

The final will kick off in Yokohama, Japan next Sunday at 8 p.m. (7 a.m. EDT). Both teams will be making their seventh appearance in the championship contest. Brazil is 4-2 in title games and Germany is 3-3.

"Germany are a strong team with a great tradition and they deserve respect," said Brazilian coach Luis Felipe Scolari. "I want to extend my warmest congratulations to (German coach) Rudi Voeller.

"We both had difficulties qualifying and both reached the finals at the last moment. When we met at the draw, we hugged each other and told each other that maybe we would meet in the final. I'm sure we will hug each other again then. May the best team win."

Ronaldo, bothered by a thigh strain and a lack of fitness after an injury-plagued season in Europe, was able to score thanks to a complete collapse of the interior Turkish defense.

He received the ball from Roberto Carlos, who had counterattacked down the left side. Ronaldo moved into the penalty box and was surrounded by four defenders, none of whom closed to at least block his shooting lane.

With a wide open view of the goal, Ronaldo simply punched the ball toward the right corner. Although the shot was not a powerful one, it caught Turkish goalkeeper Rustu Recber by surprise. The 'keeper sprawled to his left and got a hand on the ball. But it trickled past him and into the corner of the net.

It was Ronaldo's sixth goal of the World Cup and ended Turkey's shutout streak at 327 minutes --- a stretch of soccer played against Costa Rica, China, Japan, Senegal and the first half against Brazil.

The game was also the fifth straight in the World Cup's knockout phase which produced no more than one goal.

"We are very happy about today's match, but we haven't got the title yet," Ronaldo said. "We shouldn't be too excited about it yet. The next match will tough, so we shouldn't be over-confident."

Ronaldo, twice named the world soccer player of the year, was substituted out of the game 19 minutes after he scored the goal.

"He has no problem with tiredness," Scolari said. "We took him off just to keep him fresh for the final."

Brazil dominated early and eventually outshot Turkey, 18-9. Renaldo had a shot on goal in the 23rd minute, Rivaldo tested the goalkeeper in both the 34th and 36th minute and Carlos drove a ball into the 'keeper's chest in the 43rd minute.

One of Turkey's best opportunities to score came in the 20th minute, when Alpay Ozalan's header from inside the box was batted away by a diving Saint Marcos.

Turkey, however, was often guilty of overpassing when a shot seemed the better alternative. The Turks, therefore, never put enough pressure on Marcos.

"We came to the World Cup to take part in the festival and make an impact and I think we have achieved that goal," said Turkey coach Senol Gunes. "I am proud of my players. They have done superbly. I'm sorry we couldn't give the Turkish people more happiness today."

The consolation prize for Turkey will be a spot in the third-place game Saturday night in Daegu against South Korea, which suffered a 1-0 loss to Germany Tuesday night.

Brazil earned its third straight appearance in the World Cup championship and will be trying to improve on its showing four years ago. On that occasion, the home-standing French humiliated the Brazilians, 3-0. And even though Brazil did win the World Cup in 1994, it could not manage a goal in regulation against Italy --- finally winning on penalty kicks in a match played in the Rose Bowl.

Germany's three World Cup wins came in 1954 (3-2 over Hungary), 1970 (4-1 over Italy) and 1990 (1-0 over Argentina).