■Basketball
Bulls star breaks leg
Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams broke his leg in a motorcycle accident on Thursday evening. "He's OK, but to the extent of the leg injury, we don't want to speculate," Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said. But Williams' father, David, said his son was expected to be in surgery for three or four hours. Jay Williams was at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. A hospital spokeswoman referred all inquiries on Williams to Bulls officials.
■ Boxing
Jauregui stops Trinidad
Javier Jauregui of Mexico stopped Juan Trinidad of Puerto Rico in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round elimination bout for the IBF lightweight title on Thursday at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Jauregui floored Trinidad with a double left hook in the fourth round, prompting referee Raul Caiz to stop the fight. Jauregui also sent Trinidad to the canvas twice, once late in the second round and another in the third. Both times Trinidad was saved by the bell.
■ Cricket
Martyn to play one-dayers
The lingering effects of finger surgery have kept Damien Martyn out of the Australian cricket team to play Bangladesh in two tests next month but he has been deemed fit enough to be picked for the one-dayers. Martyn, who missed the West Indies tour after having surgery on a finger broken during the World Cup, wasn't ready for test matches, national selection chairman Trevor Hohns said in a statement. However, Martyn has been included in the 13-man one-day squad for three limited-overs matches in August, although his selection is subject to a fitness test in Cairns ahead of the first match on Aug. 2.
■ Cycling
Casagrande wins third stage
Italy's Francesco Casagrande won the third stage of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday, seizing victory in the final stretch of a grueling 20km climb. Casagrande, a mountain specialist, took 5 hours, 10 minutes, 38 seconds to complete the 205km stage, which wound from Nyon on the shore of Lake Geneva and up the valley of the River Rhone, before climbing to the Alpine resort of Saas Fee. He crossed the line alone after opening his attack 3km from the end. Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg finished second, 13 seconds behind Casagrande, while Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan placed third, 18 seconds behind. Vinokourov retains the leader's yellow jersey, but is only six seconds ahead of Casagrande in the overall tour standings.
■ Soccer
Stabbing appeal overturned
An appeals court yesterday overturned the conviction of a Turkish soccer fan sentenced to 15 years in prison for stabbing two English soccer fans to death and ordered his retrial. The appeals court ruled that Ali Umit Demir, who was imprisoned last year for stabbing Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight in April 2000, should be retried and further investigation carried out into the murders. The court ordered that he remain in jail pending a new trial. Demir had been found guilty of killing both English fans and received seven and a half years for each killing. The court said that Demir's knife had the blood of Speight on it, but it was not clear whether it had the blood of Loftus, which was necessary for the double conviction. It is not clear whether Demir would be retried for both murders.
■ Tennis
Hewitt to play qualifier
Defending men's champion Lleyton Hewitt will play Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in the first round of Wimbledon after qualifying ended on Thursday. Top-seeded Hewitt should have little trouble overcoming Karlovic, ranked 203 in the world, and is drawn to meet another qualifier in the second round because of the withdrawal of 1996 champion Richard Krajicek. Eighteen men's qualifiers and 13 women's qualifiers were finalized on Thursday. American James Blake, seeded 22, will play Australian Todd Larkham, Russian Marat Safin is against 318th-ranked Michal Mertinak of Slovakia and 14th-seeded Xavier Malisse will play Cyril Saulnier of France. One American man qualified -- Robert Kendrick, ranked 132 in the world. Kendrick, a 23-year-old native of Fresno, California, reached the first round of Wimbledon last year.
■ Tennis
US Open ups prize money
The singles winners at the US Open in September will each earn US$1 million, the largest paychecks in Grand Slam history. The higher prizes will be part of a general US Tennis Association increase of almost US$1 million, from US$16.17 million last year to US$17.07 million. It also includes a record US$400,000 to the winners of the doubles events. "The increase in prize money to record levels reaffirms our commitment to the top singles and doubles players in the world who make the two weeks of the US Open the showcase event for tennis in the US," USTA president Alan Schwartz said on Thursday. The purse for Wimbledon this year will be about US$15.7 million, with the men's winner getting about US$964,000 and the women's winner nearly US$897,000.
■ Tennis
Krajicek set to retire
Former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek announced his retirement from tennis on Thursday, saying that continuing pain in his right elbow had made it impossible for him to compete at the highest level. At a news conference at the Ordina Open, the 31-year-old said he decided to stop playing tennis for good after a painful exit in the first round of the tournament Tuesday. Despite extensive medical treatment and cortisone shots, he said the pain made it difficult to function in daily life. "I want to have the feeling that I can win," he said, holding back tears. "But if my arm starts to hurt after a few service games, that's not realistic. That's why I've decided to stop. I achieved more and reached higher in the world ranks than I had ever dreamed as a child," he said.
■ Athletics
Freeman takes time off
Olympic 400m champion Cathy Freeman won't compete in any individual events for the next few months as she ponders retirement. The 30-year-old Australian took an extended break after winning the gold medal in Sydney in 2000. She has been beset by minor injuries and personal problems since returning to competition in March last year. "I still plan to compete in the 4-by-100 relay at the World Championships and will be continuing training with this event in mind," Freeman said on Thursday in a statement issued through her agents. "My childhood dream was to win an individual Olympic gold medal and be the best in the world, and since achieving both I have not had the same desire for individual success that I once had."
Agencies
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two