Shin, Wie advance in match play event
GLADSTONE, N.J., May 21 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Jiyai Shin was one of eight South Koreans who advanced Friday into the third round of the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Michelle Wie also reached the third round and Amanda Blumenherst moved on with a lopsided victory over Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb.
Both the third round and the quarterfinals will be played Saturday at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club. The semifinals and final will take place Sunday.
Shin, ranked No. 1 in the world, defeated Hee-Won Han 3-and-1. Shin will meet Beatriz Recari in the third round after Recari defeated Azahara Munoz 2-and-1.
Wie put together a 5-and-4 triumph over Hee Young Park to set up a third-round meeting with Karine Icher. If both Wie and Shin win their third-round matches, they will meet in the afternoon quarterfinals.
Blumenherst posted a 7-and-6 triumph over Webb and will face fellow-American Angela Stanford in the third round. Stanford eliminated Pat Hurst 4-and-2.
Other than Wie, Blumenherst and Stanford, the only other American left in the tournament is Morgan Pressel.
Pressel won her second straight extra-holes match Friday, defeating Sophie Gustafson on the first hole of sudden death.
Report: Favre has ankle surgery
MINNEAPOLIS, May 21 (UPI) -- Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre reportedly underwent surgery Friday on his injured left ankle.
The NFL Network quoted a league source as saying the procedure had taken place.
Favre issued a statement last month saying his injured ankle was not debilitating and that his return to action was not dependent on surgery. Nevertheless, the repair of his ankle will renew speculation that the all-time pro football passing leader might return for another season.
Favre, 40, has played 19 years in the league. He helped lead the Vikings to the NFC title game last season before they fell to eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans.
He also underwent surgery last year for a partially torn biceps tendon before coming back to play for Minnesota. He was injured late in the 2008 season while with the New York Jets.
Favre threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. His quarterback rating of 107.2 was second to Drew Brees of New Orleans.
Federer, Serena top seeds in Paris
PARIS, May 21 (UPI) -- Roger Federer and Serena Williams were made the No. 1 seeds Friday for the French Open, which begins Sunday on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
Federer completed a career grand slam by winning the French Open last year. Rafael Nadal's string of four straight French titles was stopped when he fell in the fourth round to Robin Soderling.
Nadal will be seeded second this year, followed by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Soderling. Andy Roddick will be the leading American at No. 6.
Williams will open the tournament with a match against Stefanie Voegele and could wind up playing Justine Henin in the quarterfinals. Henin, who won the French Open in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, has defeated Williams in their only two meetings at the tournament.
Venus Williams was seeded second, Caroline Wozniacki third and Jelena Jankovic fourth.
Beckman equals course record at Nelson
IRVING, Texas, May 21 (UPI) -- Cameron Beckman equaled the course record with a 9-under 61 Friday and moved into a share of the lead after 36 holes of the Byron Nelson Championship.
Beckman had to share the spotlight, however, with 16-year-old amateur Jordan Spieth, who survived the midway cut by three shots and was tied for 22nd place.
The opening round of the tournament was completed early Friday after having been interrupted by rain and lightning Thursday. There was a seven-way tie for the lead when the first round was completed, but Beckman then made nine birdies on the TPC-Las Colinas course.
He is in search of his fourth PGA Tour victory and second this year.
Blake Adams shot a 64 to tie Beckman for the lead at 10-under 130. Jason Day was alone in third at 131 while Steve Elkington and Jeff Overton shared fourth place at 133.
Hot, sultry conditions prevailed Friday and, with a lack of wind, low scores were commonplace. No one shot lower than 66 in the opening round, but there were 11 scores lower than that in the second round.
Spieth, a local high school student who was given a sponsor's exemption to play in the event, put together rounds of 68 and 69 to open the tournament. Among those missing the cut were Vijay Singh, Brad Faxon and Stuart Appleby.
