Hartsburg returns to NHL as Ottawa's coach
OTTAWA, June 13 (UPI) -- Craig Hartsburg, a former coach of NHL teams in Chicago and Anaheim, was hired Friday as the coach of the Ottawa Senators.
Hartsburg coached the Blackhawks for three seasons and was the coach of the Ducks for more than two. He has been the head coach of Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League for four seasons.
Hartsburg was signed to a three-year contract. Other terms weren't released.
Ottawa fired Coach John Paddock late last season after the team faded from a 16-4-1 start to a seventh-place finish in the NHL Eastern Conference and a first-round exit from the playoffs. General Manager Bryan Murray finished the season as the coach.
Hartsburg's NHL coaching record is 184-190-69 and he helped teams to the playoffs three times. He played in 570 games over 10 seasons, all with the Minnesota North Stars.
Nadal leads all-star semifinals at Artois
LONDON, June 13 (UPI) -- World No. 2 Rafael Nadal survived a three-tiebreaker marathon Friday in quarterfinal play at the $1.12 million Artois Championships tennis tournament in London.
The quarterfinal results Friday set up an all-star pair of semifinals Saturday that will feature four of the top eight men's players in the world. Nadal is paired against No. 6-ranked Andy Roddick and the other semi has fourth-rated Novak Djokovic playing No. 8 David Nalbandian.
Nadal had the toughest time reaching the semifinals, needing 2 hours, 24 minutes to finish off a 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) match against Ivo Karlovic. Nadal never had a break point Friday against Karlovic, who fired 35 aces at Nadal.
Roddick advanced to the semifinals without playing as sixth-seeded Andy Murray withdrew because of a thumb injury.
Djokovic was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over 11th-seeded Lleyton Hewitt in his match Friday while Nalbandian got by fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3).
Stern defends NBA referees
OS ANGELES, June 13 (UPI) -- NBA Commissioner David Stern has denied a claim by Tim Donaghy that other league referees have been involved in fixing calls during games.
Stern admitted that game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals between Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers was "not one of the best refereed games (but) the allegations about that game are not true. I find it to be less than fair that our officials now have to defend themselves from allegations by one of their fallen brethren."
His comments were made at a news conference before Thursday night's game 4 of this year's final between the Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Stern's news conference was held because of Donaghy's claim that he was not the only referee involved in making bogus calls, including the Lakers-Kings contest.
Several times Stern called Donaghy a "convicted felon."
Donaghy has entered a guilty plea to federal charges he shared inside information on NBA games with gamblers and will be tried this summer.
Nilsson leads golf event in France
LUMBRES, France, June 13 (UPI) -- A 7-under-par 64 in Friday's second round gave Christian Nilsson a two-stroke lead at the European Tour's Saint-Omer Open golf tournament in Lumbres, France.
The native of Karlstad, Sweden equaled the record at the Aa Saint Omer Golf Club with birdies on three of the last four holes in his bogey-free round.
His 36-hole total, 3-under 139, makes him one of two players in red figures along with fellow Swede John E. Morgan (72), whose total is 1-under 141.
"I feel really good at the moment," Nilsson said. "I had a lot of fun out there today, and not just because I played well. I'm not putting any pressure on myself. I'll just go out there (Saturday) and play my game, and hopefully the results will come."
A group of seven players, including first-round front-runner Roope Kakko of Finland (74), all share third place at even-par 142.
Report: Becker: Women's grunts 'sexual'
NEW YORK, June 13 (UPI) -- Former men's German tennis star Boris Becker told GQ magazine that grunting by women during their matches has become too "sexual."
In a recent interview with GQ, the three-time Wimbledon champion cited the grunt of the world's second-ranked women's player, Maria Sharapova, calling it "as loud as a police siren."
Sharapova's yell has exceeded 100 decibels, making it the loudest measured on the women's tour.
"Grunting serves no athletic purpose and should be banned," Becker told GQ. "I can't help thinking it's bad for their vocal chords. It can't be healthy and it can't go on. Grunting serves no athletic purpose and should be banned. It's symptomatic of all that's gone wrong with tennis these days."
Becker may be at odds with many coaches, who encourage their players to be as loud as possible, saying that it releases energy and helps them with their game.
