UPI NewsTrack Sports

No easy U.S. Open draw for new No. 1 Nadal

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- New world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will open next week's U.S. Open against a qualifier but may have to face fourth-ranked David Ferrer before reaching the finals.

Nadal will be seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam event for the first time as he rode wins this year at the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics to the top of the rankings. He supplanted Roger Federer, who had been No. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks.

Nadal's shot at a third Grand Slam title this year could be tough as he has potential match-ups against local favorite James Blake, ranked ninth in the world, in the quarterfinals and Ferrer in the semis. There is also that potential final rematch with Federer, whom Nadal beat at the French and Wimbledon finals.

Federer, who has lost four of his last eight matches, could go against third-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. They met in last year's U.S. Open final, which ended in Federer's 12th Grand Slam title.

Federer opens his U.S. Open draw against Maximo Gonzalez.

If the draw plays to form, Djokovic would go against eighth-seeded Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals before that date with Federer.

Japan shocks USA for softball gold

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The seemingly robotic right arm of Yukiko Ueno gave Japan a shocking 3-1 win over the United States Thursday as well as the Olympic gold medal in softball.

Ueno pitched 28 innings over the course of two days, the last seven of them coming in the gold medal final.

Although the United States defeated Japan twice in the Olympics, the medal-round formula that is unique to softball brought those two countries together again to determine the champion.

Ueno lost a 4-2, 9-inning decision to the Americans to start the medal round Wednesday and then threw 12 innings later in the day before the Japanese finally defeated Australia 4-3. That left Australia with the bronze medal and put Japan into the title game.

Ueno was back in action Thursday, allowing only a solo homer to Crystl Bustos in the fourth inning and stranding seven Americans on base. Bustos hit a three-run homer off Ueno on Wednesday and her blast Thursday reduced the United States' deficit to 2-1.

The Japanese managed two runs against Cat Osterman, including a solo homer in the top of the fourth by Eri Yamada that turned out to be the game-winner.

The United States had won 22 consecutive Olympic contests and all three gold medals since the sport entered the Games in 1996.

The International Olympic Committee has voted to remove softball and baseball from the 2012 Games in London. Governing bodies for those sports have petitioned for their return in 2016.

Merritt leads American sweep in 400

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- LaShawn Merritt got the best of his rival Thursday and led an American sweep of the Olympic medals in the 400-meter run.

The United States earned six medals in track and field, but the only gold one was won by Merritt, who captured the biggest of his many battles with countryman Jeremy Wariner.

Wariner won the 400 in Athens and was the unquestioned best over that distance until Merritt surprised him with a victory at the American trials last month. Warnier seemed to regain control in races prior to the Olympics, but Merritt turned in a personal best of 43.75 Thursday to beat Wariner by a second.

American David Neville made a dive across the finish line to win the bronze by 0.04 of a second over Christopher Brown of the Bahamas.

Jamaica added to its medal total with Veronica Campbell-Brown winning the 200 for the second straight Olympics and Kerron Stewart adding a bronze to the silver she won in the 100. American Allyson Felix finished second.

Jamaica has collected nine medals in Beijing, two more than it had won in any other single Olympics. All nine of those have come in track and field events of 400 meters or shorter.

Other winners included Cuba's Dayron Robles in the 110-meter hurdles (where Americans David Payne and David Oliver finished second and third), Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic in the javelin throw, Nelson Evora of Portugal in the triple jump and Olga Kaniskina of Russia in the 20-kilometer walk.

The race walk took place in the morning during a driving rainstorm.

Instant replay headed for baseball

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball has reached an agreement with the World Umpires Association on limited use of instant replay before the 2008 season concludes.

It will apply on disputed home run calls.

The umpires had balked earlier this week when asked to become a part of the process.

The 30 major league ballparks are being wired with monitors so umpires on location can view replays of questionable home run calls -- fair or foul, in the park or out, and many installations are done, but some are being completed.

"We're not there yet," MLB's Senior Vice President of Public Relations Rich Levin told MLB.com after the agreement was reached Wednesday. "(But) this is another significant step."

"I told our members that it's just another tool that we can use to get the play right, not to look at it as a negative, but a positive," said WUA president John Hirschbeck.

The use of instant replay could start this month.

NFL union official Gene Upshaw dies

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Gene Upshaw, the Pro Football Hall of Fame guard who became the NFL Players Association executive director, has died at 63.

Upshaw's death, apparently due to pancreatic cancer, was announced Thursday by Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer who has represented the NFLPA in labor negotiations. The NFLPA Web site carried the announcement of Upshaw's death, saying he'd only recently learned he had cancer.

Kessler said Upshaw was not diagnosed until Sunday night "and he didn't tell anybody."

Upshaw is survived by his wife, Terri, and sons, Justin, Daniel and Eugene Jr.

Upshaw played 16 seasons for the Oakland Raiders. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time all-pro and played on two Super Bowl champions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.