Nadal opens Wimbledon against Russell
LONDON, June 17 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal will open defense of his Wimbledon title against American Michael Russell, tournament officials said Friday in releasing the men's singles draw.
Nadal, the world's top-ranked player and the winner of two of the last three tournaments at Wimbledon, has never played Russell, a 33-year-old veteran who is yet to win an ATP title.
The men's draw split the top 16 seeds evenly between the top and bottom halves of the bracket.
Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych in last year's final but that won't be the matchup July 3 in the 2011 final because Berdych, if the draw plays out, would meet Nadal in the quarterfinals.
Also in the top half of the draw is fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who is a potential semifinal foe for Nadal. Eighth-seeded Andy Roddick and No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are in Murray's quarter.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, 41-1 this year, has fifth-seeded Robin Soderling in his quarter of the draw, with possible semifinal opponent third-seeded Roger Federer and No. 7-seed David Ferrer also in his half.
Federer is the only player to have beaten Djokovic this year and has six Wimbledon titles among his 16 Grand Slam championships. However, Federer hasn't won a major tournament since the 2010 Australian Open.
Wimbledon could have all-Williams final
LONDON, June 17 (UPI) -- Two-time defending champion Serena Williams could meet sister Venus in the singles final of the 2011 Wimbledon tournament, the draw released Friday revealed.
The Williams sisters own nine Wimbledon titles between them, including the last four -- Venus in 2007 and 2008 and Serena in 2009 and 2010 -- and have played each other for the championship four times.
The draw indicates that possibility again, with the sisters placed in different halves of the bracket. However, both are coming off injuries. Serena Williams has played just two tournament matches since hurting her foot shortly after winning at Wimbledon last year. Venus Williams was injured in the Australian Open this year.
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is looking for her first Grand Slam title but faces a tough road at Wimbledon. Six Top 10 seeds -- including Serena Williams -- are in her half of the draw. In the quarterfinals she could face fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova while the other quarter of the bracket features Serena Williams and French Open champion Li Na, the No. 3 seed.
No. 9-seeded Marion Bartoli and 10th-seeded Samantha Stosur are also in the top half of the draw.
No. 2-seeded Vera Zvonareva, who lost to Williams in last year's Wimbledon final, tops the bottom half of the bracket, with fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka a potential semifinal opponent. No. 6-seeded
Gulutzan to coach Dallas Stars
DALLAS, June 17 (UPI) -- Glen Gulutzan, whose previous coaching experience was in the American Hockey League, has been named the coach of the NHL Dallas Stars.
Gulutzan, 39, coached the Stars' AHL affiliate for the last two years, taking the Texas Stars to an 87-56-17 record. The team advanced to the Colder Cup Finals in 2010.
"I am thrilled to be the head coach of the Dallas Stars," Gulutzan said on the team's Web site. "Having worked with the organization over the last two seasons, I am very familiar with our personnel and that will be a big advantage for me.
"We are a young team with a strong nucleus and I'm very excited about what we can accomplish. I look forward to working with [General Manager] Joe Nieuwendyk and his entire staff to build a hockey club that will win and compete for Stanley Cups."
Gulutzan replaces Marc Crawford who was fired at the end of this season. The Stars were 79-60 in two seasons in Dallas but the team didn't qualify for the playoffs either year.
Schedule set for 2011-12 bowl games
ARLINGTON, Texas, June 17 (UPI) -- A total of 35 bowls, including the BCS championship game in New Orleans, have been approved and the schedule set for the 2011 college football post-season.
The bowl season is to begin Dec. 17 with the New Mexico Bowl, which will showcase teams from the Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences, in Albuquerque.
The BCS championship is set for Jan. 9 in New Orleans.
Because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday in 2012, games traditionally on that day have been pushed back on the schedule. The Rose Bowl is to be played Jan. 2 and the Sugar Bowl is Jan. 3. The Orange Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 4 and the Fiesta Bowl for Jan. 5.
Those games are part of the BCS arrangement. The Cotton Bowl, not part of the BCS deal, will be Jan. 6.
