Venus Williams in Wimbleon semifinals
LONDON, July 3 (UPI) -- Top seed and defending champion Venus Williams barely broke a sweat Tuesday in advancing to the semifinals at the Wimbledon tennis championships.
Williams inched closer to her third consecutive Wimbledown crown Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-0 dismantling of Russian Elena Likhovtseva at a rain-soaked All-England Lawn and Tennis Club. All that stands in the way of Williams advancing to the finals for the sixth time in her last nine Grand Slam events is sixth seed Justin Henin of Belgium.
Henin edged fourth seed Monica Seles, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) in a hard-fought match and earned a chance to avenge her loss to Williams in last year's finals.
Williams, one of three American women in the final six, improved to 8-0 all time against Likhovtseva, who had never gotten past the fourth round in nine previous appearances here. Williams is seeking to become the first female to win three straight titles here since Steffi Graf did it from 1991-1993.
Henin won a battle of attrition with Seles, who failed in her quest to win the only Grand Slam title that has eluded her. Henin lost to Williams, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, in last year's final.
One women's fourth-round match was completed before the skies opened up. American Jennifer Capriati rebounded from a disastrous second set on Monday to defeat unseeded Elena Daniilidou, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Capriati improved to 4-1 in her career against Daniilidou, who was making her second appearance here. Capriati, who has reached the semifinals here twice, is seeking her fourth Grand Slam title.
On the men's side, two fourth-round matches from Monday took place with one player getting through before the rain halted play. No. 27 Xavier Malisse of Belgium and No. 23 Greg Rusedski of Britain played the fifth set of their marathon with Malisse advancing, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Malisse, 21, became the first Belgian to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since 1924. He has never won a title on grass and is appearing in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time in his career.
Rusedski's departure puts additional pressure on No. 4 seed and hometown hero Tim Henman of Britain, who faces unseeded Brazilian Andre Sa on Wednesday.
Tuesday's other men's match--between wild card Mark Philippoussis and unseeded Richard Krajicek was halted after four sets. The match, halted after Krajicek took the fourth set, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (5-7), will be completed Wendesday.
Pedro Martinez pulls out of All-Star Game
BOSTON, July 3 (UPI) -- Three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez pulled out of the All-Star Game Monday night, citing the opportunity to rest and attend to personal matters.
Martinez made the announcement shortly after he struck out 14 Toronto Blue Jays over eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory. The righthander ran his record to 10-2 and dropped his ERA to 2.85 -- third in the American League.
On Sunday, Martinez was named to his fifth All-Star team, but he is scheduled to take the mound Saturday, three days before the Mid-Summer Classic in Milwaukee, and has battled a bad shoulder the past two seasons.
Martinez said the decision was based on his recent injury, this weekend's start, and the consideration he has for his teammates, who are counting on their ace to guide them to the playoffs.
As usual, he has been invaluable for Boston this season. The Red Sox are just 3-8 in their last 11 games, with the only wins coming in games he started.
Rangers sign Kasparaitis
NEW YORK, July 3 (UPI) -- The New York Rangers, in desperate need of improving their defense, Tuesday signed hard-hitting defenseman Darius Kasparaitis.
In missing the playoffs for the fifth straight time last season, the Rangers were among the worst defensive teams in league, ranking 29th in goals allowed with 258.
Monday, the Rangers also made a huge splash in free agency, signing gritty center Bobby Holik away from the rival New Jersey Devils. That deal was worth a reported $45 million over five years.
Kasparaitis, 29, split last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. In 80 games, he registered two goals and 12 assists with 142 penalty minutes.
A 10-year veteran, Kasparaitis is widely considered among the hardest hitters in the game at his position. He comes to a team that he often haunted while with Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders. In 648 career games, Kasparaitis has collected 21 goals, 129 minutes and 1,119 penalty minutes.
Starzz Dydek suspended one game
NEW YORK, July 3 (UPI) -- Utah Starzz center Margo Dydek was suspended for one game Tuesday for flagrantly elbowing Cleveland center Ann Wauters in Sunday's WNBA contest.
The eblow to Wauters' head was delivered with six minutes left in the first half of Utah's victory in Cleveland. The 7-2 Dydek will sit out Wednesday's game against Houston.
In her fifth season, Dydek is averaging 12.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and a league-leading 3.5 blocks per contest for the 9-4 Starzz.
Bengals sign Westbrook for 3 years
CINCINNATI, July 3 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals addressed their concerns at wide receiver Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with free agent Michael Westbrook.
Westbrook, who turns 30 on Sunday, spent his first seven seasons with the Washington Redskins after being selected fourth overall in the 1995 draft. Westbrook reportedly turned down a three-year, $4 million deal in February to stay with Washington.
Without a winning season since going 9-7 in 1990, the Bengals have been aggressive in free agency the last two offseasons. Westbrook joins former Redskins quarterback Gus Frerotte as the Bengals' biggest additions.
In Cincinnati, Westbrook likely will take the starting spot of veteran Darnay Scott, the fourth leading receiver in club history who has battled injuries the last two seasons.
Last season, the 6-3, 221-pound Westbrook had 57 catches for 664 yards and four touchdowns. He started every game, making a complete comeback from a torn left ACL that sidelined him for most of the 2000 season. In 79 career games, Westbrook has 277 receptions for 4,280 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Red Sox place Baerga on DL
BOSTON, July 3 (UPI) -- Carlos Baerga, who has fashioned a rather impressive comeback this season with the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday was placed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
The 33-year-old infielder, who made the Boston roster out of spring training, suffered the injury in Monday's 4-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He left the game in the third inning and was placed on the disabled list prior to the opener of the Red Sox's day-night doubleheader Tuesday with Toronto.
Baerga, who did not play in the major leagues in either of the last two seasons, was hitting .303 with two homers and 16 RBI in 132 at-bats. He has played second and third base, and served as the designated hitter for the Red Sox this season.
To fill Baerga's roster spot, the Red Sox recalled veteran righthanded reliever Wayne Gomes from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League. He was 2-2 with a 2.18 ERA and four saves for Pawtucket.
SEC names Slive new commissioner
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 3 (UPI) -- Mike Slive, the only commissioner that Conference USA has ever had, Tuesday was named to a similar post in the Southeastern Conference.
Slive replaces Roy Kramer, one of the most powerful figures in college sports, who announced his retirement after 12 years on the job. Slive, who chairs the NCAA's Infractions Appeal Committee, inherits a conference under intense scrutiny.
Two SEC football programs, Alabama and Kentucky, are on probation, and several other schools could face sanctions pending the outcome of investigations.
Slive, the commissioner of Conference USA since 1995, is an attorney who once operated a firm that helped schools deal with penalties imposed by the NCAA. Slive, 61, and a University of Virginia law school graduate, was selected by the chief executive officers of the 12 Southeastern Conference institutions. He is scheduled to begin his duties as SEC Commissioner on Aug. 1, 2002.
Slive has served on various NCAA boards and committees. Presently, he is the chair of the first NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee and the National Letter of Intent Appeals Committee. He is also chair of the Board of Directors of NCAA Football USA and is the President of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA). Last month, he was named to the Executive Committee of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Marquette Sports Law Institute.
Slive was also on the NCAA Management Council from 1997-2002, serving on the Membership Subcommittee and the Subcommittee to Review Automatic Qualification.
His leadership has translated into valuable national television exposure for Conference USA with television partner ESPN Inc., as well as appearances on ABC and CBS. C-USA also developed a syndicated television network for women's and Olympic sports.
While his tenure with the SEC has been a lucrative one for the conference, Kramer may best be remembered for devising the Bowl Championship Series for college football. Kramer had been SEC commissioner since 1990, helping the league's exposure by negotiating multi-million dollar broadcast deals with CBS, ESPN and Jefferson Pilot. During his stint, the league also has added Arkansas and South Carolina, and instituted a conference championship game for football.
Woods withdraws from Western Open
LEMONT, Ill., July 3 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods Tuesday morning withdrew from the $4 million Western Open, which begins Thursday at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Ill., because of an undisclosed illness.
The two-time Western champion had planned to make the tournament his final tune-up before he goes after the third leg of the single-season Grand Slam at the British Open, which will be played July 18-21 in Muirfield, Scotland.
Woods, who won The Masters and U.S. Open earlier this year, will remain in Florida to recuperate before leaving for England later this month.
Woods has played in the Advil Western Open seven of the past eight years, including every year since 1997, his first full season on the PGA Tour. In addition to his 1997 and '99 Western titles, he also won the Western Amateur in 1994.
Despite Woods' withdrawal, the tournament still will have a strong field, including Scott Verplank, Nick Price, Bob Estes, Mike Weir, who finished second and third in 1999 and 2001, respectively, Justin Leonard, Stuart Appleby and defending champion Scott Hoch.
Cujo signs with Red Wings
DETROIT, July 3 (UPI) -- The Detroit Red Wings, who last month won their third Stanley Cup in six years, have signed Curtis Joseph to replace future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, their recently retired six-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Joseph has spent the last four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, reaching the playoffs each year.
According to the web site TSN.ca, Joseph will take less money from the Red Wings than the three-year, $26-million deal that the Maple Leafs offered.
Hasek, who won the Hart Trophy twice while with the Buffalo Sabres, earned $8 million last season, when he added a Stanley Cup to his resume.
The 35-year-old Joseph went 29-17-5 with a 2.23 goals-against average last season, and became an unrestricted free agent Monday. His rights were acquired by the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. The Flames sent a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft to Toronto and Calgary will receive compensatory picks.
Joseph has been one of the top goalies in the NHL, but never has won a Vezina Trophy or reached the Stanley Cup Finals. He won consecutive Game Sevens in the first two rounds of the playoffs before the Maple Leafs suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Six of the Eastern Conference finals.
Joseph spent his first five NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1995. A member of the 1998 and 2002 Canadian Olympic teams is 346-260-81 with a 2.78 GAA In 706 career games In the playoffs, he is 58-58 with a 2.53 GAA in 118 games.
Team Brazil receives heroes' welcome
BRASILIA, Brazil, July 3 (UPI) -- Brazil's World Cup champions received a hero's welcome Tuesday upon returning home from Japan where earlier this week they won their fifth title as the game's greatest soccer team.
The team plane landed at the military air base in the capital, Brasilia, after receiving a fighter jet escort during the last leg of their trip from East Asia.
Japan and Korea co-hosted this year's World Cup, the first time in its 72-year history that two nations shared the honor. On Sunday, Brazil blanked Germany 2-0, avenging a humiliating 3-0 loss four years earlier to host France.
Unable to contain their excitement, members of Brazil's armed forces on hand at the base broke military protocol and hounded the players for autographs, even asking Milene Domingues, the wife of star playmaker Ronaldo, for her signature.
Team Brazil was then paraded to Palacio do Planalto, the presidential palace, where an estimated half a million fans gathered in the adjacent plaza to laud the team for its triumph.
