DE Smith in long-term deal with Steelers
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Defensive end Aaron Smith agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL team announced Wednesday.
Smith, 30, has one year left on his previous contract and is now signed with the Steelers through the 2011 season. The agreement is reportedly worth $25 million.
Last season, he had 61 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks. Smith was a fourth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 1999 draft and has played in 118 NFL games for the Steelers. Only three players -- offensive guard Alan Faneca, cornerback Deshea Townsend and wide receiver Hines Ward -- have been with the team longer.
Freshmen top Robertson Trophy finalists
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Texas' Kevin Durant and Ohio State's Greg Oden, both freshmen, were listed among the five finalists for the nation's college basketball player of the year.
The award is called the Oscar Robertson Trophy and is voted on by members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
In addition to Durant and Oden, finalists are North Carolina sophomore Tyler Hansbrough, Florida junior Joakim Noah and Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker.
Durant averages 24.7 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. Both statistics are among the top five in the country. Oden has averaged 15.3 points and 9.5 rebounds in helping the Buckeyes reach the No. 1 spot in the USA Today coaches' poll.
Hansbrough has scored 18.7 points and had 7.6 rebounds a game while Noah, who helped Florida to the national title last season, has chipped in 12 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest. Tucker is second in the Big Ten with a 19.9-point scoring average. The Oscar Robertson Trophy has been awarded annually since 1959. This year's award will be presented March 30 in Atlanta.
Davydenko out in Dubai tournament
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko and No. 6 Tomas Berdych were ousted in second-round play Wednesday at the $1.5 million Dubai Tennis Championships.
Four other seeded players, including world No. 1 Roger Federer and defending champion Rafael Nadal, advanced to the Dubai quarterfinals.
Davydenko was felled by Olivier Rochus in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 decision and Berdych was dumped by Mikhail Youzhny, who won last week's tournament in The Netherlands, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
Youzhny moved into the quarterfinals against Nadal, who was a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) victor over Igor Andreev. Rochus meets fifth-seeded Tommy Haas, who eliminated Florent Serra, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, Wednesday.
Federer extended his match win streak to 38 with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Daniele Bracciali. Seventh-seeded Novak Djokovic, a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 winner over Rainer Schuettler, next draws Federer.
Also Wednesday, Robin Soderling topped Dominik Hrbaty, 6-3, 7-5, and Fabrice Santoro beat Gilles Simon, 6-4, 6-2. Soderling and Santoro face off in the quarterfinals.
Seven seeded players in Qatar quarters
DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Justine Henin was pushed in the second set Wednesday but held on for a second-round victory in the $1.34 million Qatar Open tennis tournament.
Henin got past Alicia Molik 6-2, 7-6 (11-9) on a day in which seeded players rolled in the tournament. Henin is seeking her second consecutive tournament title, having won last week at Dubai.
Henin is paired with fifth-seeded Patty Schnyder, who roared past Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 6-4, in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Julia Goerges, 7-5, 6-1, on Wednesday. Her quarterfinal opponent will be eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone, who advanced when Mara Santangelo retired one game into the third set with a left wrist injury.
Martina Hingis, the third seed at Qatar, swept past Maria Kirilenko, 6-2, 6-2, to earn a quarterfinal slot against No. 6 Daniela Hantuchova, who was a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3 against Eleni Daniilidou.
The fourth quarterfinal sends fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic against Kateryna Bondarenko. Jankovic defeated Maria Elena Camerin. 6-0, 6-2, and Bondarenko moved on in a walkover over Sania Mirza.
