Nascar: McMurray in a hurry at Infineon

Sonoma, CA (Sports Network) - Jamie McMurray captured the pole for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 from the Infineon Raceway road course. But the big story is that neither Jeff Gordon nor Jimmie Johnson were allowed to qualify. Both cars failed pre-race inspection and the cars were not allowed on the track for practice or qualifying.

Without Gordon, a five-time winner in Sonoma and the holder of the qualifying record, the No.26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford won the pole with a lap of one minute, 17.521 seconds (77.521 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was McMurray's first of the season and third of his Nextel Cup career. His last pole was in 2005 at Pocono.

"We unloaded and our engineering team gave us a really good car," said McMurray.

Starting on the front row with McMurray will be Robby Gordon who posted a time of 77.533 seconds.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (77.546) and road course specialist Boris Said (77.606) will make up row two.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Tony Stewart (fifth), Jeff Burton (sixth), Kasey Kahne (eighth), Ryan Newman (ninth), Carl Edwards (15th), Martin Truex Jr. (18th) and Juan Montoya (32nd).

Gordon and Johnson will be allowed to repair their cars and practice on Saturday - if they pass inspection. They will start 41st and 42nd in the race.

"The body was out of the range with what we thought was acceptable in the template inspection," said NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.

"It's important to know this is a Car of Tomorrow penalty," Poston added. "The inspection process and NASCAR's response to Car of Tomorrow violations are going to be more severe.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was penalized 100 points and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for an illegal rear wing bracket on a COT in May.

The No.5 and No.25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets both passed their inspections without incident.

More penalties or suspensions will be determined next week, if necessary.

The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Sunday at 5 p.m. (et).

LPGA: Kims share Wegmans LPGA lead

Pittsford, NY (Sports Network) - Mi Hyun Kim and In-Kyung Kim shared the lead Friday after the second round of the Wegmans LPGA.

In-Kyung Kim shot a five-under 67, while Mi Hyun Kim had a four-under 68 to join her at seven-under 137.

They had a two-shot lead on Angela Stanford, who posted a three-under 69 to move into third place alone at five-under 139.

World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa shot a 71 and shared fourth place with Lindsey Wright (70) at four-under 140. Cristie Kerr, the overnight leader, stumbled to a 75 and led a group of four players at 141.

Kerr played her last 10 holes at five-over par and closed with a double-bogey at the par-four 18th.

The leaders, meanwhile, said they felt comfortable at 6,204-yard Locus Hill Country Club, which isn't like the courses in their native Korea.

"We have a lot of mountain courses," said Mi Hyun Kim, a 30-year-old eight- time winner on the LPGA Tour. "A lot of up and down. But this is not like that. This is kind of flat."

Flat and narrow, good for short hitters who can keep the ball in the fairway.

"I think I have a great short game. I'm not a big driver, but I think I have great shot. That's how I work," In-Kyung Kim, a 19-year-old rookie, said. "The greens are really small and tight. Also, the fairways are tight and the wind is blowing. I think I'm pretty comfortable with this golf course."

The younger Kim had six birdies during a nine-hole stretch from No. 4 and was bogey-free until dropping a shot at the 18th, where she three-putted from 35 feet.

Her birdies included three putts from 20 feet or longer.

"Hopefully, tomorrow, I can make a [few] more birdies," said Kim, whose best finish in her rookie season is a tie for fourth place at the LPGA Corning Classic.

Mi Hyun Kim had five birdies and a bogey for her 68. She would have held the lead alone if not for a sub-par tee shot with a rescue club at the par-three fifth.

Kim knocked her the ball 30 feet past the hole, then three-putted for bogey.

"Almost every hole, I hit the fairway. My second shot almost hit every green. So I feel very comfortable with my swing and short game," she said. "I have a lot of confidence."

The cut line fell at four-over 148 with 72 players making the weekend. Among those who missed the cut were Birdie Kim, Laura Diaz, Juli Inkster and Julieta Granada.

PGA Tour: Toms, Williamson share Travelers lead

Cromwell, CT (Sports Network) - David Toms posted a five-under 65, while Jay Williamson carded a four-under 66 Friday to grab a share of the lead after two rounds of the Travelers Championship.
Toms and Williamson completed two rounds of eight-under-par 132. First-round leader Hunter Mahan struggled to a one-over 71 and is one stroke back at minus-seven.
Charles Warren and Olin Browne both shot 67 for the second straight day to join Chris DiMarco (70) in a tie for fourth at six-under-par 134.
The round was completed despite a 21-minute weather delay due to heavy rain.
Toms started round two on the 10th tee at the TPC at River Highlands and got off to a flying start.
The former PGA champion sank a six-footer for birdie on No. 10. He came right back with a birdie at 11 from 15 feet out.
Toms made it three straight as he sank a birdie putt from just inside five feet at the 12th. He hit an eight-iron to nine feet at the 16th to get to seven-under.
At the par-four second, Toms holed a wedge shot from 81 yards out for eagle to grab the out-right lead. However, he dropped a shot on the seventh to fall back into share of the lead.
"Obviously, the key to my round was getting off to a good start," said Toms. "Those first few holes, if you make a couple of bogeys and get it going the other way, it's can be one of those days where you're just fighting to make the cut. I birdied the first three holes, and it set me up for a good day. Four-under my first nine holes with the wind howling pretty good, it was a great nine holes of golf."
Williamson, who is playing this week on a sponsor's invitation, got his round going with a birdie on the par-four second. After six straight pars, he birdied the ninth to make the turn at minus-six.

The 40-year-old parred the first seven holes around the turn. Williamson poured in back-to-back birdies from the 17th to gain a share of the lead.

"I drove it well today, even though I had a screw loose on the 12th hole," said Williamson. "I kept it below the hole and made some really good four-, five-, six-foot putts to keep the momentum."

Former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman carded a two-under 68. He was joined in a share of seventh at five-under-par 135 by Michael Sim (70), Steve Marino (67), Michael Allen (69) and Fred Funk (65).

Shigeki Maruyama, Corey Pavin, Kenny Perry, Joey Sindelar and Heath Slocum are one stroke further back at minus-four.

The cut line fell at one-over-par 141 with 79 players making it to the weekend. Defending champion J.J. Henry made the cut on the number after struggling to a three-over 73 on Friday.

Among those who missed the weekend were Stuart Appleby (143), Masters champion Zach Johnson (145) and Darren Clarke (146).

Spanish Soccer: Osasuna signs striker Portillo

Pamplona, Spain (Sports Network) - Osasuna signed Real Madrid striker Javier Portillo, who was on loan with Gimnastic last season, to a four-year contract.
Portillo, 25, had 11 goals last season.
Osasuna finished 14th in the Spanish La Liga but made a run to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup.

NFL: Steelers ink DT Hoke

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday signed veteran defensive tackle Chris Hoke to a three-year contract extension through 2010.

Hoke has appeared in 45 games, 11 of which he started, having originally signed with the club as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Brigham Young in 2001.

Starting 10 games at nose tackle for injured starter Casey Hampton in 2004, Hoke had his best season with 27 tackles and two sacks for the Steelers, who led the NFL in rushing and total defense.

Italian Soccer: AS Roma signs Brazilian defender Juan

Milan, Italy (Sports Network) - Italian Serie A runner-up AS Roma signed Brazil defender Juan from Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga on Thursday.

Currently with Brazil for the Copa America, Juan signed a four-year, $8.44 million contract with Roma.

As part of the signing, Roma has agreed to visit Leverkusen, which finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, for a preseason friendly July 29.

Spanish Soccer: Barcelona's Puyol suffers knee injury

Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Barcelona captain Carles Puyol tore a knee ligament Wednesday and could miss the start of next season.

Puyol, 28, was injured in a friendly against Mameldoi Sundown in South Africa. He will undergo surgery on his left knee immediately and is expected to miss about three months.

He will miss preseason training and a few early-season games with Barcelona as well as Spain's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Iceland and Latvia.

WTA: Li pulls out of Wimbledon

Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - China's Na Li announced her withdrawal from Wimbledon 2007 on Thursday, citing a rib injury.
Li was penciled in as the 18th seed at the All England Club, where she reached the quarterfinals in her main draw debut here a year ago. She became the first-ever Chinese player to land in the Wimbledon round of eight.
The 25-year-old Li joins a growing list of withdrawals that already includes Russians Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva. Myskina was the 2004 French Open champ.
Wimbledon '07 will commence Monday.

ATP: Ancic to miss Wimbledon

Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Croat Mario Ancic withdrew from Wimbledon 2007 on Thursday, citing a continuing illness.
Ancic, who was slated as the 18th seed at the fortnight, has been sidelined for months with mononucleosis and also missed the recently-concluded French Open.
The 6-foot-5 Ancic was the last man to beat Roger Federer at the All England Club, which he did with a first-round victory back in 2002. The tall Croat reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2004 and was a quarterfinalist here last season.

Horse Racing: Jiggs Coz favored in 148th Queen's Plate

Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racecourse has attracted a field of nine Canadian-bred three-year- olds. The 1 1/4 mile race is the preeminent thoroughbred event in Canada and the first leg in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Plate Trial winner Jiggs Coz has been made the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Owned by Jim Dandy Stable, Jiggs Coz will be ridden by David Clark from post six. Clark won Queens Plate in 1981 with Fiddle Dancer Boy and in 1985 aboard La Lorgnette.
Jiggs Coz is trained by Sid Attard and will try to become the first winner of the Plate Trial to win the Queen's Plate since Alydeed in 1992. Earlier this year Jiggs Coz won the Queenston Stakes and has career earnings of $323,116.
The 3-1 second choice is Marchfield who was second in the Plate Trial. A half- brother to Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches, Marchfield will break from post seven with Patrick Husbands in the saddle.
Marchfield is owned by Melnyk Racing and trained by Mark Casse last year's champion trainer in Canada. Melnyk was co-owner of 1988 Queen's Plate winner Archer's Bay. Husbands swept the Canadian Triple Crown in 2003 with Wando.
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Twilight Meteor as the 4-1 morning-line third pick for Sunday's Queen's Plate. The 5-2 post-time favorite in the Lane's End Stakes will be ridden by John Velazquez from just to the inside of Jiggs Coz. Pletcher and Velazquez teamed up to win the Belmont Stakes with Rags to Riches.
Twilight Meteor is owned by Peachtree Stable and finished sixth in the Lane's End to Hard Spun. He was third in the Straight Deal Stakes after opening 2007 with a win in the Hallandale Beach on the turf.
Velazquez and Pletcher collaborated last year to finish second in the Plate with Sterwins. Pletcher won the 1998 Plate with Archers Bay.
Here is the complete field for the Queen's Plate in post position order: Cobrador, Emile Ramsammy 20-1; Daaher, Alan Garcia 15-1; Include Us, Robert Landry 20-1; Alezzandro, Todd Kabel 15-1; Twilight Meteor, John Velazquez 4-1; Jiggs Coz, David Clark 9-5; Marchfield, Patrick Husbands 3-1; Leonnatus Anteas, Jono Jones 6-1 and Mike Fox, Emma-Jayne Wilson 12-1.
The first leg in the Canadian Triple Crown has a scheduled post-time of 4:37 p.m. (et).
The second leg is the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at 1 3/16 miles on July 15 at Fort Erie, and the final jewel is the $500,000 Breeders Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the grass on August 5 at Woodbine.

PGA Tour: Mahan leads weather-plagued Travelers

Cromwell, CT (Sports Network) - Hunter Mahan fired an eight-under-par 62 on Thursday to lead during the suspended first round of the Travelers Championship.
There were two different stoppages on Thursday with the first lasting about an hour. After the second delay, officials decided to call the action for the day.
The first round will resume at 7:30 a.m. (et) Friday morning with the second round going off as scheduled.
Chris DiMarco was the early leader through most of Thursday's opening round until Mahan flew by him. DiMarco, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, shot a six-under-par 64.
Brad Faxon, the champion here two years ago, Bob Heintz, Michael Sim and Kenny Perry are knotted in third place at five-under-par 67 at the TPC at River Highlands.
Mahan, who tied for second last year, flew out of the gate on Thursday. He ran home a 25-foot birdie putt at the first, then made it back-to-back birdies at the par-five second.
The former Oklahoma State standout sank a 12-footer for another birdie at three, then polished off four in a row with an eight-footer at the par-four fourth.
Mahan ran into trouble at the seventh. After a long drive left him a nine-iron approach, he hammered the shot over the green. Mahan could not save par and fell to minus-three.
He reclaimed the lost stroke at nine when his five-footer found the bottom of the cup.
Armed with some momentum, Mahan once again put together a strong run of golf early on his back nine. He holed a pair of five-foot birdie putts at 11 and 12, then two-putted from 30 feet for a birdie at the par-five 13th. Mahan capped off another four birdies in a row with a tap-in birdie at the par-four 14th.
At the par-three 16th, Mahan battled the wind and lost. His seven-iron landed in a greenside bunker and he converted a clutch six-footer to save his bogey.
Mahan hit his drive down the fairway at 17.

LPGA Tour: Kerr leads Wegmans LPGA

Pittsford, NY (Sports Network) - Cristie Kerr fired a six-under-par 66 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Wegmans LPGA at Locust Hill Country Club.
Alena Sharp posted a five-under 67 and is alone in second place.
Suzann Pettersen, who won her first major title two weeks ago at the LPGA Championship, carded a four-under-par 68 and has sole possession of third place.
World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, SemGroup Championship winner Mi Hyun Kim and Ginn Open champion Brittany Lincicome are knotted in fourth place at three-under- par 69.
Kerr began her round on the back nine and flew out of the gate. She hit a nine-iron to 15 feet to set up birdie at the 10th and made it back-to-back birdies with a 25-footer at 11.
Kerr polished off three consecutive birdies when nine-iron approach at the 12th stopped three feet from the hole.
The American star parred her next four holes then reached the par-five 17th green in two with a five-wood. She two-putted for the fourth birdie of her round.
Unfortunately, Kerr promptly gave the stroke back. She missed the green at the par-four 18th, but chipped to 10 feet to give herself a chance for par. Kerr missed the putt, but she regained her ground on her second nine.
At the par-four first, Kerr knocked a nine-iron to 12 feet and holed the birdie putt. She cooled off a bit with five pars in a row, but a late flurry got her to the top of the leaderboard.
Kerr hit a five-iron at the 171-yard, par-three seventh and knocked her tee ball to 12 feet. She sank that putt and kicked in a three-footer for birdie at the eighth to move past Sharp.
Kerr has yet to win this season on the LPGA Tour, but a change in equipment might have helped on Thursday. She is using a putter she bought in a pro shop in Korea and needed only 26 putts.

NFL: Pacman charged in Las Vegas shooting

Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - Suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has been charged with two counts of felony coercion stemming from a shooting outside a Las Vegas nightclub on the weekend of the NBA All- Star Game in February.According to a statement from the Las Vegas police department, two other people -- Robert Reid and Sadia Morrison -- were also charged. Reid faces one count of felony coercion. Morrison, meanwhile, was has been charged with one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon, one count of felony battery with a deadly weapon, one count of felony coercion, one count of felony coercion with use of a deadly weapon and one count of burglary.
Arrest warrants have been issued for all three people.
Jones has had numerous run-ins with the law and his actions prompted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to levy a one-year suspension on April 10. Goodell said, at the time, the suspension could have been reduced to 10 games if certain conditions were met.
An appeal by Jones was filed, but he dropped it on May 12 after meeting with Goodell.
The Las Vegas incident occurred early in the morning of February 19 at the Minxx Gentlemen's Club. An unidentified black male shot three people after a melee inside and outside the club.
A bar bouncer was left paralyzed after the shooting, while two others suffered minor injuries.
Jones is charged with coercion for the battery, biting of and interference of the bar bouncer who was attempting to protect other patrons and employees. He also threatened to kill the bouncer, according to police reports.
Coercion is the act of threatening or physically interfering with a person trying to do something that he or she has a right and responsibility to do.
According to the criminal complaint and police investigation filed in Clark County, the incident started when two dancers in the club were fighting. Jones joined in the fracas because he knew one of the dancers.
The bar bouncer, Aaron Cudworth, tried to break up the fight by grabbing Jones and began escorting him to the exit. Jones then jumped on the stage and said he wasn't going anywhere before threatening Cudworth's life.
After Cudworth again grabbed Jones, Reid -- a 400-pound man acting as Jones' bodyguard -- knocked the two men down. Jones tried to throw punches at Cudworth, who was eventually bitten on the ankle by Jones.
Morrison, according to police, then hit Cudworth with a champagne bottle, but the bouncer was able to escort Jones out of the club. Morrison, at this time, continued with other illegal actions inside the club.
The police report continued that Jones, once outside the club, told Cudworth he would shoot him and began simulating a weapon in his clothing by reaching under his shirt.
Cudworth went back inside the club, but later returned outside the front doors because of another altercation. As he turned to walk back into the club, the unidentified male produced a semi-automatic handgun and fired approximately five or six times toward Cudworth, who was shot in the chest and left forearm.

NBA: O'Malley to leave Washington

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Washington Sports and Entertainment, which includes the Washington Wizards, president Susan O'Malley has opted to not to extend her contract with the company.
O'Malley became the first female president of an NBA franchise when she took control of the then-Washington Bullets in May of 1991. A 20-year veteran of the organization, O'Malley had immediate and remarkable success, turning around the business fortunes of the basketball franchise after only one season. Since then, her responsibilities grew to manage the entire Abe Pollin sports and entertainment empire.
Her term expires on June 30 and she will work with Abe Pollin, who is the chairman of Washington Sports and Entertainment, on selecting a successor for her position, and will stay on to advise Pollin through a transition period culminating with the Verizon Center's 10th Anniversary celebration in December...Full Story

NHL: Bruins expected to name Julien head coach Thursday

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins have called a news conference for 10:30 a.m. (et) Thursday, at which time they are expected to name former Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils coach Claude Julien as their new head coach.
Julien would become the Bruins' fifth head coach since the start of the 2002-2003 season, following Dave Lewis, Mike Sullivan, Mike O'Connell and Robbie Ftorek, and the 28th different man to helm the B's in their 83-year history.
Julien's first year behind the bench in New Jersey this past season was terminated with less than a week remaining in the schedule despite leading his team to a 47-24-8 record.
The 47-year-old Ontario native began his NHL coaching career with Montreal in 2003 as a mid-season replacement for Michel Therrien, and was fired late in the 2005-2006 season. He has compiled a 120-94-17 mark over parts of four campaigns with the Habs and Devils.

Nascar: Gordon expects to race after birth of child

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Nextel Cup driver Jeff Gordon is expected to be in the driver's seat this weekend after his wife, Ingrid Vandebosh, gave birth to the couple's child on Wednesday.
Ella Sofia Gordon was born at 9:09 a.m. She weighed seven pounds, one ounce and was 20 inches long.
Gordon made the announcement on his Web site, adding that he will participate in all on-track activities for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway this weekend.
"It's been an absolutely incredible experience," Gordon said. "Ingrid came through amazingly and we're both really happy and overjoyed. We can't wait to get home and start our lives together as a family."
Gordon had asked Mark Martin to race in his place had the birth come on the weekend.

Europea PGA Tour: Daly out of BMW International Open

Munich, Germany (Sports Network) - John Daly, the 2001 winner, withdrew from this week's BMW International Open, citing personal reasons.
The tournament website reported that Daly informed event organizers Tuesday night that he could not leave the United States due to personal reasons.
"We are very sad that John won't be taking part, but we understand his decision," said tournament director, Marco Kaussler. "We hope that his private situation will resolve itself quickly and very much hope that he will be back taking part in the BMW International Open next year."
Two weeks ago, Daly showed up at the second round of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis with scratch marks on his cheeks. News outlets reported Daly told authorities his wife tried to stab him with a steak knife.
"While I slept at home last night, I was the victim of an assault by my wife," Daly's statement at the time said.
His wife countered that Daly attacked her first and the two have agreed to split.
Daly is still committed to next week's Buick Open on the PGA Tour.

English Soccer: Chelsea Football Club Threatens Legal Action Over Striker Speculation

London, England (Sports Network) - The BBC Reports from the UK that the Chelsea Football Club have threatened to take legal action over newspaper speculation linking striker Andriy Shevchenko with a return to former club AC Milan.
Chelsea say boss Jose Mourinho has not given any interviews to European papers over the 31-year-old striker's future.
"Chelsea and Jose Mourinho refute any of the comments that have appeared in European papers regarding Andriy Shevchenko," said a Blues statement.
"The club and Jose Mourinho are now considering legal action."
The statement added: "The manager has not given any interviews to any media outlets on this subject." Chelsea have consistently maintained Shevchenko will remain at the club even though he has struggled to adapt to English football following his 30m transfer from AC Milan last summer.
Shevchenko has been continuously linked with a return to the San Siro and only last week AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi said he confident of bringing the Ukraine striker back to the club.

WTA: Henin, Mauresmo charge into Eastbourne quarters

Eastbourne, England (Sports Network) - Top seeds Justine Henin of Belgium and Amelie Mauresmo of France were a pair of easy second-round winners Wednesday at the $600,000 International Women's Open, a final Wimbledon tune-up.
The top-ranked and reigning Eastbourne titlist Henin handled Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-1, while the reigning Wimbledon champion, two-time major titlist and former world No. 1 Mauresmo mauled Italian Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-3 on the grass courts at Devonshire Park International Tennis Centre.
The 2006 Wimbledon runner-up and reigning three-time French Open champion Henin beat Russian Anastasia Myskina in last year's Eastbourne finale. The six-time Grand Slam titlist was last year's Wimbledon runner-up to Mauresmo and just captured her fourth overall French Open title two weeks ago.
Henin's quarterfinal opponent on Thursday will be fifth-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova, while Mauresmo will meet sixth-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer.
Third-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova handled France's Nathalie Dechy 7-5, 7-5, while fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva defeated British qualifier Katie O'Brien 6-3, 6-4 and Vaidisova vaulted past British qualifier Elena Baltacha 6-3, 6-2.
In other second-round play, Peer pasted Japanese qualifier Aiko Nakamura 6-3, 6-2, eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France leveled British wild card Melanie South 6-1, 6-3 and ninth-seeded Austrian Sybille Bammer edged out Czech Lucie Safarova 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3.
Thursday's other quarters will pit Petrova against Bammer and the two-time Grand Slam runner-up Dementieva versus Bartoli.

PGA Tour: Mickelson withdraws from Travelers

Cromwell, CT (Sports Network) - Phil Mickelson's nagging left wrist injury forced him to withdraw this week from the Travelers Championship.
Mickelson missed the U.S. Open cut last Friday after playing two rounds at Oakmont wearing a black brace on the injured wrist. It was the first time he missed the cut at a major since 1999.
He originally withdrew 11 holes into the Memorial three weeks ago, then skipped a scheduled start in Memphis leading up to the Open.
The injury, Mickelson said, was sustained while chipping from the brutal rough during a practice round he played at Oakmont ahead of the Memorial.
His name was removed from the Travelers Championship field Monday.
Mickelson won the tournament twice when it was still known as the Greater Hartford Open.

PGA Tour: Cabrera climbs to No. 17 in rankings

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Angel Cabrera's unexpected win at the U.S. Open on Sunday produced an expected result.
After shooting a final-round 69 at brutal Oakmont to hold off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk, the Argentine climbed 24 places to No. 17 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking.
Woods and Furyk, while remaining No. 1 and No. 3 in the rankings, both enhanced their positions by sharing runner-up status. Woods extended his lead on second-ranked Phil Mickelson, while Furyk closed the gap from the other side.
Following Woods, Mickelson and Furyk in the rankings were Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Geoff Ogilvy, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington, who filled positions 4-10.
Singh moved up a spot to sixth, bumping Stenson to seventh, while Harrington flip-flopped positions with Retief Goosen for the third consecutive week, knocking him from the 10th spot.
Goosen was trailed by Sergio Garcia, Masters champion Zach Johnson, Rory Sabbatini, Trevor Immelman, Paul Casey, Cabrera, Justin Rose, K.J. Choi and David Toms to round out the top 20.
Behind Cabrera, Rose parlayed a nice showing at Oakmont into a one-spot bump to No. 18, while Choi dropped two places to 19th. Toms was up one place to No. 20, and Stewart Cink and Charles Howell III both fell out of the top 20.

WTA: Vaidisova reaches second round at Eastbourne

Eastbourne, England (Sports Network) - Fifth-seeded Czech slugger Nicole Vaidisova was among Monday's first-round winners at the $600,000 International Women's Open, a final Wimbledon tune-up.
Vaidisova overcame Aussie Samantha Stosur 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on the grass courts at Devonshire Park International Tennis Centre.
In other Day-1 play, Czech Lucie Safarova held off German Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-5) and Britain's Melanie South took out her fellow wild card Alicia Molik of Australia 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
This week's top seeds are Wimbledon runner-up and reigning three-time French Open champion Justine Henin and Wimbledon titlist Amelie Mauresmo. The Belgian Henin beat Russian Anastasia Myskina in last year's Eastbourne finale.

ATP: Ljubicic advances at rainy Ordina Open

Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sports Network) - Second-seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic highlighted Monday's first-round winners at the grass-court Ordina Open, a final Wimbledon tune-up.
Ljubicic came from behind to beat Frenchman Gael Monfils 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 at Autotron Rosmalen. The big-serving Croat will meet Italian Andreas Seppi in the second round here.
The Dutch faithful were treated to a win when veteran Peter Wessels, a qualifier this week, doused Frenchman Nicolas Devilder 6-4, 6-3.
In other action, Belgian Kristof Vliegen topped veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 1-1, French qualifier Antony Dupuis stopped Dutch wild card Thiemo De Bakker 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) and the aforementioned Seppi handled Austrian Alexander Peya 6-4, 6-4. Santoro retired because of a stomach problem.
A pair of matches were suspended because of rain, as sixth-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela was tied with Frenchman Julien Benneteau 2-2 and Thai Danai Udomchoke was leading Czech lucky-loser Lukas Dlouhy 2-1 when play was halted for the day.
This week's top seed is Spaniard Tommy Robredo. Croat Mario Ancic defeated Czech Jan Hernych in last year's finale here. The reigning two-time champion Ancic is not defending his titles this week.
Wimbledon will commence next Monday at the All England Club.

Nascar: Edwards wins for first time since 2005

Brooklyn, MI (Sports Network) - Breaking a 52-race winless streak, Carl Edwards captured Sunday's Citizens Bank 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. The No.99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver crossed the finish line more than three seconds ahead of Martin Truex Jr.
The victory was the fifth of Edwards' Nextel Cup career and the first since November 2005 at the Texas Motor Speedway.
"This is awesome, I'm just living the dream and having a blast," said Edwards.
First-time pole winner J.J. Yeley brought the field to the green flag for 200 laps of high-speed racing. But it was Jimmie Johnson who led the first lap. In fact, Yeley fell all the way to eighth place before he could get back into line.
Behind Johnson, Ryan Newman and new powerhouse Truex Jr. were taking up the chase. Truex Jr. passed Newman and on lap 10 went inside Johnson for his first lead of the race.
Newman fell further back with a flat left-rear tire on lap 14. It was not an easy change as rubber had wrapped itself around the axle. The No.12 Alltel Dodge returned to the track in 43rd place, three laps down to the leaders.By lap 30, Truex Jr.'s lead over Johnson had ballooned to 3.070 seconds. Behind Johnson was an even bigger gap, it was more than six seconds to third- place Jeff Gordon.
Through a round of green-flag pit stops and Truex Jr., Johnson and Gordon were still one-two-three. The pace was fast and through 50 laps only 28 cars remained on the lead lap.

Spanish Soccer: Madrid wins La Liga as Reyes sparks late rally

Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Jose Antonio Reyes came on as a second- half substitute and scored two goals to help Real Madrid claim its first La Liga title since the 2002-03 season with a 3-1 win against Mallorca at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Madrid entered the final day level on points with Barcelona, but held the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Catalan side recorded a 5-1 win over last-place Gimnastic, but it was not enough to claim a third-straight title as Madrid rallied for three second-half goals to win.
Fernando Varela put Mallorca ahead 1-0 in the 17th minute, but Reyes evened things in the 68th before an own goal by Mallorca keeper Miguel Moya put Madrid ahead. Reyes then capped off the thrilling rally with his second tally of the match to clinch the league crown.
The opening minute of the match was telling as Mallorca's Juan Arango caught the Madrid defense off guard by slipping into the box and firing a left-footed shot off the near post.
It was a sign of things to come as the visitors made the most of their next chance. Arango played provider in the 17th minute by sliding a ball to Varela in behind the defense. Varela then beat keeper Iker Casillas with a first-time strike that stunned the home supporters.
Minutes later, a David Beckham free kick was swerved towards the left post but covered comfortably by Moya. Raul then found Robinho inside the area with a pass but the Brazilian redirected his shot wide of the near post.
Real's hopes took a hit in the 32nd minute when leading scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy limped off with an apparent hamstring injury, and Madrid failed to produce a serious chance the rest of the half.
The home side came out in attack mode in the second half, needing at least two goals to claim the title. Sergio Ramos sent a header over the bar four minutes after the restart, and a Beckham free kick from a dangerous spot sailed barely over the net.
However, Mallorca responded minutes later by nearly going in front by two goals. Arango once again played a great ball behind the back line for Varela, but this time his shot trickled inches wide of the far post, keeping Madrid within a goal.
Two minutes later another Beckham free kick threatened the Mallorca net. The British free-kick specialist curled a shot around the wall and off the cross bar, coming agonizingly close to equalizing.
Reyes was brought on to provide a spark for Madrid, and he did just that two minutes after stepping onto the field. Robinho dropped a pass to Gonzalo Higuain near the end line, and he drove a low cross into the front of the net that Reyes struck first time past Moya to level the contest.
With 10 minutes to play, Madrid surged ahead courtesy of a corner kick. Higuain served up the cross and Mahamadou Diarra got his head to it, sending the ball on goal. Moya was able to get his hands on the ball but as he tried to punch it clear, the ball deflected off Mallorca's Angelos Basinas and rolled across the line.
With Madrid less than 10 minutes from the title, Reyes made sure that the trophy would reside in Madrid as he bagged his second goal of the match to put the game away. Higuain tried to spin with the ball inside the area but had it poked away by a defender. However, Reyes ran onto the loose ball and bent it inside the left post from just outside the area, setting off a wild celebration inside the stadium.

Formula 1: Hamilton impeccable at Indy

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Rookie Lewis Hamilton dominated Sunday's United States Grand Prix at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The No.2 McLaren Mercedes driver crossed the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso.
The victory was Hamilton's second consecutive win.
Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, Heikki Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel completed the top-eight.

WTA: Jankovic outlasts Sharapova to capture Birmingham crown

Birmingham, England (Sports Network) - Jelena Jankovic of Serbia rallied to beat Russia's Maria Sharapova in Sunday's final at the weather-plagued DFS Classic.

The rain finally held off Sunday and allowed play at this Wimbledon tuneup to finish, as one quarterfinal first needed to be completed before the semifinals and championship match were staged.

Jankovic, seeded second, notched a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph for her fourth title of 2007 and the fifth of her career.

After Marion Bartoli finished off Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals, Sharapova and Jankovic both won semifinal matches. The top-seeded Sharapova toppled a tiring Bartoli with a 7-5, 6-0 triumph and Jankovic knocked off eighth-seeded Mara Santangelo, 6-1, 7-5.

Sharapova and Jankovic then took the court again later in the afternoon and played a thriller that lasted just five minutes shy of two hours.

Two breaks of serve gave Sharapova the first set, and the second set featured five breaks. Jankovic broke three times, including once to take a 5-3 lead. She finally held again to send the match to a decisive set.

Sharapova then raced out to a 3-0 lead in the third, but Jankovic rallied to win the next three games. A break in the 11th game gave Jankovic the lead once more and she quickly won the first three points on her serve in the next game before finally finishing it off to beat Sharapova for the first time in four all-time meetings.

The two hadn't faced each other since Sharapova claimed a three-set triumph in the final at this event two years ago. Sharapova also won this tournament in 2004.

Jankovic is having a stellar season. She won earlier this year in Auckland, Charleston and Rome, and lost a title match in Sydney.

Sharapova, who won the Wimbledon crown in 2004 and was a semifinalist in each of the past two years, is still trying for her first title of 2007. Her only other appearance in a final came at the Australian Open in January.

European PGA Tour: Suneson gets first European Tour win

Lumbres, France (Sports Network) - Carl Suneson earned his first European Tour victory on Sunday when he captured the Open de Saint Omer.
Suneson walked into the final round with a one-shot lead and his two-under-par 69 on Sunday was good enough for a three-shot win. He finished at eight-under- par 276 to top three players at the Val Course at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club.
Marcus Higley, who began the day in second place, could do no better than an even-par 71 on Sunday. He tied for second with Francois Calmels (69) and Peter Fowler (70) at five-under-par 279.
Mikael Lundberg managed an even-par 71 on Sunday and took fifth place at minus-four. Michael Lorenzo-Vera shot a one-under 70 for sixth at three-under- par 281.
Suneson's one-shot cushion quickly became two after Higley bogeyed the first hole. Lundberg and Calmels would also pull within two, but Suneson stayed steady with six consecutive pars to open his round.
Suneson, a five-time winner on the Challenge Tour, birdied the par-five seventh hole for the second time this week to extend his advantage to three shots.
"I was also lucky that no one was attacking me," acknowledged Suneson. "I was leading by one and Higley made bogey on the first and I just told myself to wait for the birdie to come because I don't have to force any situation."
That lead was short-lived as Suneson gave one back with a bogey at the eighth. Luckily for Suneson, none of his closest competitors could make any birdies to close the gap. Suneson's lead never fell below two after the bogey at eight.
Suneson missed a chance to go lower when he parred the par-five ninth, but did reclaim his three-shot margin with a birdie at 12. Higley birdied 13 to claw within two, but Suneson responded. He birdied the 14th and once again found himself three clear.
Calmels and Fowler joined the mix at five-under par, but Suneson birdied No. 17 to take a commanding four-shot lead on to the final hole.
He ended up with a bogey at the last which only hurt his final margin of victory.

ATP: Roddick is again King of Queens

London, England (Sports Network) - American Andy Roddick saved a match point and rallied for a three-set victory over unseeded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to capture the Artois Championships at the Queen's Club.
The second-seeded Roddick earned a 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-2) triumph to claim the Wimbledon tuneup event for the fourth time in five years. The former world No. 1 won this crown three straight years from 2003-05, but has still yet to parlay it into a Wimbledon championship.
Roddick was a semifinalist at the All-England Club after his Queens victory in 2003, then reached the Wimbledon final in both 2004 and '05. Last year, he lost in the semifinals at the Queen's Club and only made it as far as the third round at Wimbledon.
Sunday's win allowed Roddick to join John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Lleyton Hewitt as four-time winners at the Queen's Club. The other three have all won on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon.
This year's third Grand Slam event begins a week from Monday.
Mahut, who beat three-time French Open champ and last year's Wimbledon runner- up Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, was in position to pull off another huge upset.
After taking the first set, Mahut was ahead in the tiebreak and had a match point at 7-6, but Roddick stormed back to win the next three points.
The third set also went the distance and Roddick simply dominated the tiebreak. He won the first five points and finally closed out the match with his 24th ace.
Roddick earned a first prize of $107,000 for his first title of 2007. He had just one previous appearance in a final, losing to Tommy Haas in Memphis in February, and was coming off a dreadful clay season that ended with a first- round loss at the French Open.
Mahut, meanwhile, was playing in his first career ATP final. Ranked 106th in the world, he entered this event with a record of just 6-11 in singles play and will now try to qualify for Wimbledon next week.

Roddick improved to 2-0 lifetime against Mahut, also prevailing on carpet two years ago in Lyon.

WTA: Chakvetadze rallies to win Ordina opener

Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sports Network) - Russia's Anna Chakvetadze rallied for a three-set triumph on the first day of play at the Ordina Open.
The third-seeded Chakvetadze posted a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Victoria Azarenko of Belarus in the first round of the final tuneup for Wimbledon.
Only two main draw matches were played Sunday, as Italy's Roberta Vinci was also a winner with a 6-0, 6-4 blitz of Russia's Elena Bovina.
The top seeds in the tournament are Serbs Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic. Both have byes into the second round.