■ Tennis
John Newcombe recovers
John Newcombe, a seven-time Grand Slam titlist and victorious Davis Cup captain, says he's recovered from a ``mild stroke'' but will have to curb his drinking and socializing as he gets back into the swing of things. "One of the minor blood vessels came out the left side of my brain and just blocked out," Newcombe, 59, told the Australian Associated Press on Saturday. "Fortunately, it was a minor one and I wasn't left with too much damage, which is repaired now. I'm doing everything I was before and I'm only on very minor medication." Newcombe is renowned in Australia for his big mustache and for enthusiastically embracing celebrations. "I can do those things in moderation. If I'm smart, I won't have any big ones [drinking sessions] any more," he said.
■ Soccer
Roque Junior gets injured
AC Milan defender Roque Junior will miss next month's FIFA Confederations Cup in France after sustaining an injury in the Champions League final, the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) said Friday. Roque Junior suffered a "serious injury" during Wednesday's final against Juventus in Manchester, England, according to a statement sent Friday afternoon by the Italian club to the CBF. The player was limping for most of extra time in the Juventus match, which Milan eventually won on penalties. At the eight-nation Confederations Cup, World Cup champions Brazil are favorites in Group B, where they play World Cup semifinalist Turkey (June 19), the United States (June 21), and African champion Cameroon (June 23). The Confederations Cup runs between June 18-29 and will also feature France, Colombia, Japan and New Zealand in Group A.
■ Basketball
Shaq says he messed up
Shaquille O'Neal acknowledged he "messed up" by not attending his season-ending meetings with the Lakers' staff, a snub that had angered coach Phil Jackson. The players were expected to meet with the coaches before taking off for the summer. All attended their interviews except O'Neal, Rick Fox, who was undergoing surgery for a foot injury, and Samaki Walker, a free agent who won't be back with the team. The meetings were held two days after three-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles was eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. O'Neal told Fox Sports Net's Southern California Sports Report he should have gone to his interview at the team's El Segundo headquarters.
RSS