Monica Seles named to tennis Hall of Fame
NEWPORT, R.I., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Monica Seles, who won 53 singles titles, including nine Grand Slams, was elected Thursday to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.
The 35-year-old Seles won the Australian Open four times, the French Open three times and the U.S. Open twice in her 15-year career.
Seles won eight of her nine slams by age 19.
Others chosen for the Hall of Fame Class of 2009 are Andres Gimeno in the master player category and Dr. Robert Johnson and Donald L. Dell in the contributors category.
Seles was born in the former Yugoslavia and moved with her family to the United States in 1987, when she was 13.
In April 1993, a fan attacked Seles during a match in Hamburg, Germany, and stabbed her in the back. The injury knocked her out of competitive tennis for more than two years.
Seles won her final Grand Slam, the Australian Open, in 1996.
Akron player No. 1 pick in MLS SuperDraft
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The expansion Seattle Sounders FC chose University of Akron forward Steve Zakuani with the first pick Thursday in Major League Soccer's SuperDraft in St. Louis.
"I'm excited. It's an honor for me, honestly, and it's a dream come true as well," the London-born Zakuani said.
Toronto FC, which had three first-round picks, chose Wake Forest midfielder San Cronin as the No. 2 overall pick.
The No. 3 choice was University of Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez, selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Connecticut forward O'Brian White was No. 4, chosen by Toronto. FC Dallas got University of Michigan forward Peri Marosevic with the fifth pick.
MLB announces new post-season rules
NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball announced two rule changes Thursday, both applying to post-season games.
One rule states that if a game is called, it will be suspended regardless of the score or how many innings have been played.
The change results from a 2008 World Series game in which the Tampa Bay Rays tied the Philadelphia Phillies before umpires stopped play in the sixth inning. If the Rays had not tied the score in their half of the inning, the win would have gone to the Phillies under the old rules. As things turned out, the contest was suspended and the Phillies won the series two days later.
The other change eliminates coin tosses to determine home-field advantage in tie-breakers to decide a division title or wild-card entry. Instead, the home club will be decided by statistical comparisons, including the teams' success against one another.
Braves sign Derek Lowe for four years
ATLANTA, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Braves have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with veteran right-hander Derek Lowe, the team announced Thursday.
Financial terms were not disclosed but the Atlanta Journal Constitution said this week the deal would be worth about $60 million.
The Braves called a Friday news conference to introduce Lowe, who will be in his 13th major league season.
The 35-year-old Lowe, who was a free agent, was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Lowe is 126-107 lifetime with 85 saves and an ERA of 3.75. He also pitched for the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox.
The 6-foot-6 Lowe won three games for Boston in the 2004 World Series, won by the Red Sox.
