Report: Air Tran dumps Michael Vick
ATLANTA, June 1 (UPI) -- Air Tran Airways has severed its ties to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who is the subject of illegal dogfighting allegations in Virginia.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday the airline will not renew its deal with Vick, which expired May 8.
"We decided to go in another direction," Air Tran spokesman Tad Hutcheson told the newspaper. "We still have a lot of football endorsers like Warrick Dunn and Brian Finneran. (Colts quarterback) Peyton Manning endorses us in Indianapolis. Our football ads typically start in August, and we're assessing our needs at the moment."
Vick owned a house in Surry County, Va., where authorities said pit bulls were being bred for fighting. He has been called a "heavyweight" in the world of dog fighting and some informants claim to have tape showing him betting hat a dogfight before he was drafted in 2000.
Vick has consistently denied any involvement or betting.
Donovan introduced as Magic's coach
ORLANDO, Fla., June 1 (UPI) -- Billy Donovan, who coached Florida to the NCAA tournament title each of the last two seasons, was introduced Friday as the coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
The Magic reportedly will pay Donovan $27.5 million over the life of the five-year contract. That would make him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA.
"The easy decision would have been for me to stay at Florida," Donovan said. "Or I could take the next step and do something that would really challenge me as a person, as a coach, and help me grow, help me get better. I've always been intrigued by the NBA and the 24 hours of basketball."
He replaces Brian Hill, who was fired May 23 after two consecutive losing seasons and a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs this season.
Donovan coached 11 seasons at Florida, building a basketball powerhouse at the traditional football power. The Gators were 261-103 under Donovan and were in the national title game three times.
Ljubicic upset in French Open third round
PARIS, June 1 (UPI) -- Seventh-seeded Ivan Ljubicic was upset Friday, a day that saw most highly seeded men post easy wins in the third round of the French Open.
World No. 1 Roger Federer, fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko and No. 9 Tommy Robredo all earned fourth-round berths with straight-set wins Friday but Ljubicic, a semifinalist in the clay-court French Open last year, was ousted.
Ljubicic was up two sets to one against Filippo Volandri but the Italian player rallied for a 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Federer needed just 91 minutes to dispatch Potito Starace 6-2, 6-3, 6-0. He broke Starace's serve six times and faced just three break points -- saving each -- himself.
He next goes against 13th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, who advanced with a 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-2 win Friday over Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Davydenko had little trouble in his 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, win over Michael Llodra while Robredo topped Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.
No. 15 David Nalbandian recorded a tough 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) win over Gael Monfils. Nalbandian and Davydenko are paired in the fourth round.
Henin, S. Williams advance at French Open
PARIS, June 1 (UPI) -- Justine Henin and Serena Williams advanced closer to a possible meeting of tournament favorites with wins Friday in the third round of the French Open.
Henin, the women's world No. 1 and two-time defending tournament champion, was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Mara Santangelo while Williams, the eighth-seed this week, defeated Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 6-4.
Both victories were clear but Santangelo and Krajicek at times pushed their higher seeded opponents. Still, Henin and Williams each need one more win to earn quarterfinals shots against each other Monday in what would be one of the highlight matches of the clay-court tournament's draw.
No matter how Serena Williams does, there will be no Williams sisters match this year as Venus Williams was bounced by fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
Jankovic next goes against Marion Bartoli, who upset 13th-seeded Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4 Friday. Sybille Bammer also posted an upset, knocking out No. 16 Na Li 6-4, 6-3, and wins the right to meet Henin in the next round.
Serena Williams is paired against No. 10 Dinara Safina, who rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Francesca Schiavone.
Also Friday, sixth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Samantha Stosur in a third-round match while 12th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova took out Olga Poutchkova 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in the tournament final second-round match.
New Zealand yacht takes challengers' lead
VALENCIA, Spain, June 1 (UPI) -- Emirates Team New Zealand claimed an 8-second victory Friday in the first race of the best-of-nine America's Cup challengers' finals off Spain.
The New Zealand boat led from the start in Friday's race and was able to just hold off a final charge from Italy's Luna Rossa.
Emirates Team New Zealand built its advantage on the two upwind legs, moving ahead by 12 seconds by the first turn and 11 seconds as the two yachts headed down the final section of the race.
Luna Rossa was able to slice a few seconds off the New Zealanders' lead but crossed 8 seconds after the winning boat.
The second race in the challengers' finals is scheduled for Saturday. The series winner sails for the America's Cup against defend.
