Grand jury adds to its Bonds' list
SAN FRANCISCO, April 18 (UPI) -- The grand jury investigating whether San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds committed perjury in 2003 has reportedly subpoenaed Giants' trainer Stan Conte.
The San Francisco Chronicle, citing three unidentified sources familiar with the investigation, reported Tuesday that Conte has been added to the list of people to testify April 27 in front of a grand jury in San Francisco.
Bonds' personal surgeon, Dr. Arthur Ting, was subpoenaed last week, the Chronicle said. The paper reported last week that a federal grand jury is investigating whether or not Bonds committed perjury when he testified under oath that he never used steroids.
According to that report, Bonds testified in 2003 that he never used steroids in connection with an investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO), which was allegedly providing undetectable steroids to athletes.
Other professional athletes were also subpoenaed at that time and given partial immunity for truthful testimony.
Walberg named head coach at Pepperdine
MALIBU, Calif., April 18 (UPI) -- Vance Walberg was named head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine on Tuesday.
Walberg spent the last four years as head coach for Fresno City College, where he had a 133-11 record. Last season, Fresno City went 34-0 and captured the California State Championship.
He replaces Paul Westphal, who left the program in March after a 7-20 campaign with the Waves last season.
"After a thorough national search in which we interviewed several quality candidates, I am happy to announce the hiring of Vance Walberg as Pepperdine's new head men's basketball coach," said Athletic Director John Watson. "He has a proven track record of developing winning programs at both the high school and junior college levels."
Walberg was named California Junior College Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005. Prior to going to Fresno City College, Walberg spent 13 years at Clovis West High School.
Nadal, Ljubicic win Monte-Carlo openers
MONTE CARLO, Monaco, April 18 (UPI) -- Two of the top four seeds, Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Croat Ivan Ljubicic, were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $2.55 million Monte-Carlo Masters.
Second-seeded and defending champion Nadal defeated Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4, and fourth-seeded Ljubicic beat Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Nadal, the French Open champion, beat Argentine Guillermo Coria in a five-set finale here a year ago.
Nadal, 19, ran his clay-court winning streak to 37 matches and will meet French wild card Jean-Rene Lisnard in Wednesday's second-round action.
In an upset, Swede Robin Soderling defeated fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Two other top-eight seeds advanced, as a No. 6 Coria whipped Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-1 and No. 8 Spaniard David Ferrer beat Chilean Nicolas Massu 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
Renault unbeaten as F1 shifts to Europe
IMOLA, Italy, April 18 (UPI) -- The Formula One Series finally begins its European swing this weekend with a race on the famed Imola Circuit.
Defending series champion Fernando Alonso has come through the non-European portion with 28 points out of a possible 30 in his Renault. He holds a 14-point lead over teammate Giancarlo Fisichella and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen after just three races.
"Yes, a fantastic start," said Alonso. "The R26 performed really well, we had no mechanical problems, and it is always important to score a lot of points at the start of the year. We know Renault is the team to beat at the moment."
McLaren and drivers Raikkonen (22nd at Malaysia) and Juan Montoya (14th at Australia) are already in trouble. Ferrari and Honda are more competitive than in 2005 but are still a level below the top-two teams.
Ferrari claims to have worked out their early-season engine problems.
