Ferrer wins, Safin loses in Barcelona tennis
BARCELONA, Spain, April 21 (UPI) -- Last year's runner-up David Ferrer won and world No. 1 Marat Safin lost Tuesday in the first round of the $2.6 million Barcelona Open.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard beat Kazakhstani Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Russian Igor Andreev defeated Spaniard Alberto Martin 6-2, 6-2.
Safin, the Russian who was the 2000 Barcelona champ, lost to Argentine Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-1. Safin, a two-time major champion, announced months ago that this would be his final season on the ATP World Tour.
Four other seeds avoided opening-round upsets. No. 9 Czech Radek Stepanek defeated Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; No. 13 Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat Czech Jan Hernych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; No. 14 Swede Robin Soderling beat Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 6-4; and No. 16 Spaniard Feliciano Lopez beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-1.
Former French Open champ Gaston Gaudio, playing in only his second ATP match of the year, reached the second round by defeating fellow Argentine Diego Junqueira 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Red Sox shortstop Lowrie out 6-to-8 weeks
BOSTON, April 21 (UPI) -- Boston Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie had wrist surgery Tuesday and will not be playing the next 6-8 weeks.
"The big good news is that there's no damage to the TFCC, which is the cartilage, which is the potential problem," Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said. "Everything that was done today puts him on track to start swinging the bat in six weeks."
Lowrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list last Monday with a sprained left wrist. He had struggled this year with only one hit in 18 at-bats.
In 81 games last season, including 69 starts, Lowrie hit .258 with a pair of homers and 46 RBI.
Yankees outfielder Nady to rehab elbow injury
NEW YORK, April 21 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees reported Tuesday that outfielder Xavier Nady won't need season-ending surgery for his injured elbow as expected.
It now appears Nady's partially torn elbow ligament and will need therapy for a few weeks. It was originally thought Nady might be lost for the season when he left an April 14 game against Tampa Bay.
Nady, who had surgery in 2001, said he felt pain in the elbow during a throw from the outfield. He underwent numerous tests, including MRI exams and X-rays, to determine the severity of the problem.
The Yankees placed Nady on the 15-day disabled list on April 17, retroactive to April 15. In seven games this season, he is batting .286 with four doubles and two RBI.
NASCAR puts Earnhardt Jr., Mears on probation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 21 (UPI) -- NASCAR placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation Tuesday for the next six Sprint Cup Series races.
The probation was punishment for the two intentionally bumping each other after the conclusion of last Saturday's race at Phoenix International Raceway.
The two drivers made contact with 11 laps to go, causing Earnhardt to crash. Earnhardt then spun Mears on the cool-down lap. Mears retaliated, bumping Earnhardt on pit road.
NASCAR stated that Earnhardt and Mears violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor's car after the race had concluded) of the sanctioning body's current rule book.
The probation takes effect with this race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and concludes after the May 31 race at Dover International Speedway.
