Davydenko, Ferrer win Rotterdam openers
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Spaniard David Ferrer were opening-round winners Tuesday at the $1.2 million ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
The world No. 4 and second-seeded Davydenko beat Czech Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-3, and 2007 Masters Cup finalist and third-seeded Ferrer beat Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4, 7-5.
Swede Robin Soderling upset eighth-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and Frenchman Michael defeated Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).
In other first-round action, Frenchman Gilles Simon beat Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4 and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut beat Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-4.
Three-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is the top seed this week and will open play against Russian Dmitry Tursunov on Wednesday.
No. 2 and No. 3 seeds lose in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco and third-seeded Spaniard Carlos Moya were both eliminated Tuesday in the first round of the Copa Telmex tennis tournament.
Monaco lost to countryman Augustin Calleri 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 and Moya, last week's runner-up in Costa do Sauipe, was defeated by Argentina's Jose Acasuso 6-2, 6-4.
Moya won the title in this tournament in 1995, 2003 and 2006, and was a finalist in 2004. He entered Tuesday's match with a career mark of 22-3 at the Buenos Aires event, but lasted a little more than an hour against the unseeded Acasuso.
Monaco, who beat Italian Alessio Di Mauro in last year's finale, lost to the 31-year-old Calleri for the fourth time in five matches.
In other action Tuesday, fourth-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela beat Spaniard Santiago Ventura 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; fifth-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro beat Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2); sixth- seeded Russian Igor Andreev beat Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-4); and eighth-seeded Italian Filippo Volandri beat Chilean Nicolas Massu, the 2002 Buenos Aires champion, 6-4, 6-2.
Arkansas State basketball coach quits
JONBESBORO, Ark., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Arkansas State men's basketball Coach Dickey Nutt resigned Tuesday as the Indians wind down a losing season.
This was Nutt's 13th season with the Indians. Nutt had a 189-187 record with the school, including a 104-102 mark within the Sun Belt Conference.
"We are very grateful to Dickey Nutt for his many years of service to this university and to our athletic program, and wish Coach Nutt and his family the absolute best in the future," said Athletics Director Dean Lee.
Assistant coaches Shawn Forrest and Al Grushkin were named co-interim coaches.
Arkansas State is 9-17 this season and 4-11 in conference play with three regular-season games remaining before the conference tournament.
Big Red Machine GM, Broncos founder dies
CINCINNATI, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Bob Howsam, Reds general manager in the 1970s and one of the founders of the Denver Broncos, died Tuesday of heart failure.
Howsam, who would have turned 90 on Feb. 29, died at his Sun City, Ariz., home.
Howsam entered professional sports in 1947 as owner of the minor league Denver Bears. In 1959, Howsam, with his father Earl and his brother Lee, helped found the American Football League and the Broncos. The Howsams sold their interest in 1961.
Howsam was general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals when they beat the Yankees in the 1964 World Series, and took the same position in Cincinnati in 1967. His "Big Red Machine" won six division titles, four National League pennants and back-to-back World Series championships in 1975-76.
"Mr. Howsam played a very important role in the long history of this proud franchise," said Reds owner Bob Castellini. "He put together an organization that became the model for all of baseball."
