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(06/11/07 4:01pm)
PARIS – Roger Federer missed another chance at the French Open.\nActually, he missed 16 chances.\nFederer converted only one of 17 break-point opportunities Sunday, and his bid to complete a career Grand Slam was foiled again Sunday by nemesis Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard won his third Roland Garros title in a row, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.\n“I am very happy,” Nadal said during the trophy ceremony. “But I am really sad for Roger. He is a friend and I know he is a great champion, whether he wins or loses.”\nFor the third consecutive year in Paris, the top-ranked Federer sought to become the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam events. Nadal defeated him in the semifinals in 2005 and in the final last year.\n“Of course, I’m a bit sad, a bit disappointed,” the 25-year-old Federer said. “Eventually, if I get it, the sweeter it’s going to taste. So hopefully I’ll give myself more and more opportunities, over and over again. I know I can do it now, that’s for sure.”\nThe latest loss also spoiled Federer’s bid to win a fourth consecutive major title, something last done by Rod Laver in 1969.\nWith a sequence of brilliant shots, Federer won many of the highlight-reel rallies, but squandered chances doomed him. He failed to convert his first 11 break-point chances, putting pressure on his own serve by repeatedly allowing Nadal to hold.\n“Bad thing – I missed too many opportunities,” Federer said. “I couldn’t get them done, in the first set especially, and then that maybe in the long run hurt me.”\nWhile losing serve only once, Nadal broke four times in 10 chances. He had 27 unforced errors to 59 for Federer.\nRooting for history, the crowd was pro-Federer and occasionally chanted “Ro-ger! Ro-ger!” But when Federer’s final shot landed long, fans roared for Nadal as he collapsed on his back to the clay in jubilation.\n“It’s a dream for me,” Nadal said. “I worked very hard to be the best.”\nFor Federer, the story was all too familiar: Since the beginning of 2005, he’s 4-7 against Nadal and 199-7 against everyone else. He fell to 1-6 lifetime against Nadal on clay.\nThe second-ranked Nadal made a little history of his own, becoming the second man since 1914 to win the tournament three consecutive times, and the first since Bjorn Borg in 1978-81. Still only 21, Nadal improved to 21-0 at Roland Garros and 34-0 in best-of-five-set matches on clay.\nOn the warmest day of the tournament, with the temperature reaching 81 degrees, spectators in the sun fanned themselves from the outset, and both players began to look weary in the pivotal third set. But the dogged Nadal kept chasing down shots all over the court, sprinting after one drop shot and flicking a winner nearly three hours into the match.\nNadal relentlessly probed his opponent’s weaker side, sometimes forcing Federer to hit half a dozen backhands in a rally. But Federer’s usually formidable forehand may have hurt him more – the shot misfired several times on potential put-aways and sailed long.\n“I couldn’t really impose my game like I wanted to,” he said. “I tried to make the game happen with my forehand. He didn’t allow me to do that too well.”\nFederer repeatedly had chances to take command. In the first set Nadal fell behind on his serve 15-40 twice and love-40 once, but each time the Spaniard rallied to hold.\nFederer took a 3-2 lead but became dispirited when he failed to convert five break points in the next game, and Nadal won five consecutive games.\nFederer broke for the only time to go ahead 4-3 lead in the second set. Even then he needed five set-point opportunities before he closed out the set to pull even.\nIt was the only set Nadal lost in the tournament, and he bounced back quickly, breaking in the second game of the third set en route to a 3-0 lead. Nadal broke again for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set when Federer dumped a weary shot in the net, and the Spaniard never wavered from there.\nIn the final two sets, Nadal faced only one break point, saving it with a big forehand.\nHe won $1.34 million, while Federer received $670,000 – small consolation for a player who has dominated the other major events, winning Wimbledon four times and the U.S. Open and Australian Open three times each, all since 2003.
(01/19/07 4:47am)
MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins hope to complete their two-week search for a coach by Saturday, and the front-runner appears to be San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator and former IU football coach Cam Cameron.\nThe former Hoosier head man kept his hotel room near the Dolphins' complex Thursday night after a second day of interviewing with team officials. A Dolphins spokesman said management was still weighing the candidates.\n"I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that no decision will be made today," Dolphins senior vice president Harvey Greene said Thursday evening. "We hope to finish the process by tomorrow or Saturday at the latest."\nCameron first interviewed with the Dolphins shortly after coach Nick Saban left for Alabama on Jan. 3. Cameron became available when San Diego was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday by \nNew England.\nOther candidates still in the mix to replace Saban include Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey, Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers, former Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora and former Alabama coach Mike Shula, the son of ex-Dolphins coach \nDon Shula.\nCameron was coach at his alma mater, IU, from 1997-2001 and has directed a high-powered attack the past five years as San Diego's offensive coordinator. The Dolphins might opt for a coach with an offensive background because a sputtering offense is a major reason they've failed to make the playoffs the past \nfive seasons.\nThe Dolphins interviewed at least 13 candidates in their most extensive coaching search since the franchise's first season in 1966. They hope to make a decision before next week's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where teams scout college prospects and assemble coaching staffs.\nThe 55-year-old Gailey was Miami's offensive coordinator from 2000-01 before leaving to become the head coach at Georgia Tech. He is 37-27 with Tech and has taken the team to five straight bowls.\nGailey also was 18-16 in two playoff seasons as the Dallas Cowboys' coach from 1998-99. He interviewed for the Pittsburgh Steelers' opening but was not one of three finalists to replace Bill Cowher.
(08/24/06 4:49am)
MIAMI -- Pat Riley decided against quitting on top.\nHe'd rather try to stay there another year.\nRiley said Wednesday he'll return as coach of the NBA champion Miami Heat, ending speculation he might retire at age 61. He'll be on the sideline when the title banner is raised at the season opener Oct. 31 against the Chicago Bulls.\n"After winning the championship, I realized there's always something meaningful that happens in your life that becomes the primary point of your destiny," Riley said in a statement. "Winning the championship showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I can't wait to get started."\nRiley won his seventh league title last season as a player or coach, returning to the bench in December to lead the Heat to their first championship. There have been no defections this summer from his team's eight-man rotation, although free-agent guard Gary Payton remains unsigned.\n"We've got most of our core guys back, and now we have the coach," said center Alonzo Mourning, who re-signed last week. "I think it's only fitting that he comes back so we can all defend the title together."\nRiley left Miami on Wednesday to fly to Japan for the world championships and was unavailable to the media, the Heat said. He last talked to reporters June 23, the day of the team's championship parade.\nAs recently as Monday, center Shaquille O'Neal expressed concern about \nRiley's status.\n"Yeah, it's an issue," O'Neal told NBA.com at a charity golf event in the New York area sponsored by Mourning.\nRiley, who is also Heat president, returned as coach Dec. 12 when Stan Van Gundy resigned for personal reasons. Miami went 41-20 under Riley during the regular season, then beat Chicago, New Jersey, Detroit and Dallas in the playoffs.\nThe title provided vindication for Riley, widely questioned after shaking up the roster a year ago and then replacing Van Gundy.\n"Coach made this championship happen. He built it and made us all believe," forward James Posey said this summer. "You could tell how much he wanted this one."\nRiley found the season draining physically and emotionally. He postponed hip replacement surgery to resume coaching and limped at times in the ensuing months. Early in the playoffs, his 96-year-old mother, Mary, died near his hometown of Schenectady, N.Y.\nIt was Riley's fifth NBA title as a head coach but his first since taking the "Showtime"-era Los Angeles Lakers to the 1988 title. He won one title as a player and another as an assistant coach.\n"I'd give up six championships," a champagne-soaked Riley said in the din of the victory celebration in Dallas, "to get this one."\nRiley is second to Lenny Wilkens with 1,322 coaching victories, including 171 in the postseason. He stepped down as Heat coach shortly before the 2003-04 season and was replaced by Van Gundy, who remains under contract with the organization.\nAlmost from the moment Riley returned as coach, there was a question of whether he'd keep the job in 2006-07. He signed an extension announced Jan. 1, but the team never clarified whether it was related to his role as president, coach or a combination of the two.\nSoon after the extension was announced, Riley said he "probably would not" be back as coach, only to issue a terse statement in mid-April vowing to return, squashing a rumor that he had already chosen Jim O'Brien as his successor.\nWhen the Heat won the title, Riley changed the answer again, saying only that he couldn't decide whether to continue.\n"Don't ask me that," Riley said. "Please. ... I can't answer that right now."\nThe answer came Wednesday, less than six weeks before practice begins Oct. 3.
(06/01/06 2:04am)
PARIS -- An early start paid off Wednesday for Nikolay Davydenko, who became the first man to reach the third round of the French Open when Flavio Saretta retired with the flu trailing in the second set.\nSeeded sixth, Davydenko led 6-2, 4-1 when Saretta quit.\n"He was sick already from yesterday," Davydenko said. "We get some long rally. I think he was feeling he cannot like try to play more games."\nSaid Saretta: "I couldn't run anymore."\nThe weather was cool and damp for the fourth day of the tournament, with rain forcing three interruptions. Davydenko played well from the beginning despite an 11 a.m. start.\n"It looks like you're sleeping on the court the first few games because this was too early," Davydenko said.\nAnother Russian, No. 14-seeded Dinara Safina, beat Hana Sromova 6-0, 6-2. Safina hit 31 winners, including six aces.\n"I can say it was an easy match today," Safina said. "I was pretty solid."\nAravane Rezai, a 19-year-old qualifier from France, rallied to upset No. 22 Ai Sugiyama 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.\n"This is a fabulous moment for me," said Rezai, who is ranked 142nd. "I was playing a match on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a lot of pressure. I started to recover at the end of the second set."\nIn the completion of a suspended match, 16-year-old Alize Cornet of France beat 32-year-old Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.\n"When I realized I was playing someone who was twice my age, it's true that it was quite funny," said Cornet, ranked 243rd.\nNo. 24 Katarina Srebotnik beat Ashley Harkleroad 6-3, 6-2, leaving three Americans in the women's draw. No. 17 Flavia Pennetta defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-0 in 52 minutes.\nDavydenko hit 15 winners to six for Saretta and lost only six points on his serve. A semifinalist last year at Roland Garros, Davydenko won his sixth career title Saturday in Austria.\nHe takes a seven-match winning streak into his next match against No. 30 Carlos Moya, the 1998 champion, who held every service game and beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.\n"I know that I'm not a favorite here," the 29-year-old Moya said. "That changes things for you, because you're not under so much pressure. I think I've still got good tennis to play. ... Playing Davydenko is going to show me where I stand."\nNo. 20 Tomas Berdych swept Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.\nFor American men at the French Open, it's the same old story -- even the quotes.\n"Whatever I said last year, just copy it," said Andy Roddick, one of five U.S. first-round losers. "I'm sure it still fits."\nFor the second time since 1967, only two American men advanced to the second round at Roland Garros. It also happened in 2004.\nA year ago, three made it. And Roddick's right: Last year's quote still fits.\n"We all have a lot of pride," he said then, "and it has gotten taken down a lot in the last couple of years here."\nRoddick made his latest hasty exit on a bad ankle, retiring when he trailed Alberto Martin 6-4, 7-5, 1-0 Tuesday. Seeded fifth, Roddick aggravated a sprain he suffered last week and quit in part because he feared making the injury worse.\nBut like his compatriots, Roddick tends to stumble on red clay anyway. He lost in the opening round for the third time in six appearances at Roland Garros, and his career record at his worst Grand Slam event fell to 4-6.\n"I wanted to come out here and at least give it a shot," Roddick said. "I've played through injuries before. But the circumstances here and how much you use that part of your body on this stuff makes it a tough combo."\nPreceding him to the sideline were fellow Americans Paul Goldstein, Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob and No. 17-seeded Robby Ginepri.\nTwo years ago, for the first time at a Grand Slam event since 1973, no U.S. men made it to the third round, and it could happen again. The two remaining Americans, No. 8-seeded James Blake and Kevin Kim, face difficult matches Thursday.\nBlake plays Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who's 19-6 on clay this year. Kim, who lost in qualifying and made the field only because another player withdrew, faces defending champion Rafael Nadal.\nThe French Open has long brought out the worst in U.S. men. Grand Slam champions such as Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors never won at Roland Garros.
(06/06/05 12:46am)
PARIS -- Rafael Nadal's first Grand Slam final will be remembered for the magnificent tiebreaker he lost, the set points he saved and the title he won.\nIn a match filled with spectacular exchanges at dramatic moments, Spanish sensation Nadal beat an unseeded but unyielding Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to win the French Open.\nWith Sunday's victory, the young king of clay earned a congratulatory handshake from the king of Spain.\n"This is incredible," said Nadal, who turned 19 Friday. "It's a dream come true."\nThe No. 4-seeded Nadal overcame three set points in the final set and became the youngest men's Grand Slam champion since Michael Chang won the French Open in 1989 at age 17. Nadal is the first man to win the French Open on his initial try since Mats Wilander, who claimed the first of his seven Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros in 1982.\n"I fight every ball," Nadal said in English. "When I have problems in the match, I fight, I fight, I fight every game."\nFor sheer entertainment, the final surprisingly surpassed Nadal's semifinal win on his birthday against top-ranked Roger Federer.\nThe match inspired the best kind of clay-court creativity, keeping both players on the run as they chased drop shots, lobs and sharply angled groundstrokes. Some of the best rallies came in the tiebreaker, with each point seemingly more \nspectacular than the last.\nPuerta, hampered by a sore thigh and weary from consecutive 3 1/2-hour five-setters in the previous two rounds, kept battling Nadal even after losing the second and third sets.\n"He brought out the best in me," Puerta said. "I lost to an excellent player. He's the best player in the world."\nThe Argentine's efforts to force a fifth set won over the center-court crowd, who repeatedly chanted his name, and drew applause even from Nadal's coach and uncle, Toni Nadal.\n"Mariano played better tennis than Rafa," Toni Nadal said. "But Rafa had the luck when he needed it."\nPuerta was one point from winning the fourth set serving at 5-4, 40-15. But in another series of thrilling exchanges, Nadal rallied to break serve for 5-all. Two games later, after 3 hours, 24 minutes of tennis, he closed out the victory when Puerta pushed a forehand wide.\nNadal collapsed to the clay, flat on his back, then rose and embraced Puerta at the net. The young Spaniard then trotted to the other end of the court to shake hands with King Juan Carlos of Spain, seated in the front row.\n"These moments are very strong," Nadal said. "It's something you can't explain. When you reach your goal, it's an extraordinary moment. For the first time, I cried after winning a match. It never happened to me before."\nWith his 24th consecutive victory, Nadal surpassed Andre Agassi for the longest winning streak by a male teenager in the Open era. All of the victories have come on clay.\n"I didn't think he was going to arrive this early in his career," said Wilander, who covered the match as a TV commentator. "But mentally he's just so tough."\nNadal celebrated shots by flexing his Popeye-caliber biceps, and with leaps, uppercuts, and other muscular moves worthy of Olympic judo champion David Douillet of France, who was among the spectators.\nBut while the charismatic teen delighted fans, so did the journeyman Puerta. He won one point with a flying forehand volley, a la Boris Becker, and another when he faked a drop shot to send Nadal into a skid, then hit a deep forehand winner instead.\nIt was the first all-lefty men's final at Roland Garros since 1946, and Nadal become the first left-handed men's champion since Thomas Muster in 1995.\nOn a cool, gray afternoon, Nadal broke in the opening game and led 3-1 when Puerta called for a trainer in the middle of the next game.\nPuerta framed backhands on consecutive points to fall behind 40-15, then went to his changeover chair for treatment. He grimaced as the trainer massaged his right thigh, then taped it.\nWith that, Puerta rallied. He won the game, then broke serve for 3-all. Both players held to the tiebreaker, and Nadal led 3-2 when the two players began a sequence of six consecutive spectacular points.\nEach involved scrambling rallies with plenty of improvisation and improbable saves. When Nadal sent a backhand winner down line for a 5-4 lead, he dropped his racket so he could celebrate with both hands, then pounded his chest with his fist.\nAt 5-all, the Spaniard went into a shoulder roll in the clay trying to scoop out a shot in the corner. He lost the point, and two points later his lob landed a millimeter wide, giving Puerta the set after 72 minutes.\nNadal was 1-for-8 on break-point chances before he converted for a 3-1 lead in the second set. He broke three more times in the third set while easily holding serve, but there was more drama to come.\nPuerta's last gasp came serving at 5-4 in the final set. On one set point, he lunged to his right to dig out a volley, then leaped to his left in a vain attempt to return another, dumping the ball in the net as he landed in the clay.\nThe last point of the game produced another frantic exchange. Nadal charged forward to scoop up a drop shot, and when Puerta sent a forehand back toward him from point-blank range, the Spaniard hit a reflex volley for a winner.\nNadal received $1,082,400 for his sixth tournament title this year, all on clay. Puerta, who arrived in Paris with a career Grand Slam record of 8-15 and a tainted reputation after serving a nine-month drug suspension, won admirers with his grinding style and received $541,200.
(10/07/04 5:17am)
DAVIE, Fla. -- With running back Ricky Williams ready to reverse directions and come out of retirement, his former Miami Dolphins' teammates were mixed in their reaction Wednesday.\nDefensive end David Bowens said he would like to see Williams rejoin the Dolphins, in part because they're 0-4. But Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas said he doubted that help from Williams is on the way.\n"He will not be playing for the Dolphins," Thomas predicted. "He's got too many things with the fans and too much with the media, and that's the reason he ran from it in the first place. He wouldn't come back here."\nThomas might be right. Gary Ostrow, an attorney who has represented Williams, said the 2002 NFL rushing champion hopes to receive clearance from the league to play again before the Oct. 19 trade deadline so he can be dealt by Miami.\nWilliams asked the NFL for a hearing to clarify his status following repeated violations of the league drug program. The Dolphins say their understanding is he must serve a suspension for the rest of this season, and the NFL has declined to comment.\n"It's very murky water, and Ricky has asked for a clarification," Ostrow said. "He would like the option to play for another team."\nContributing to Williams' change of heart about playing was an arbitration ruling Sept. 24 that he must repay more than $8.6 million to the Dolphins for breaching his contract. There's also the $3.5 million salary he has done without while traveling the world.\nHe's expressed an interest in playing for the Oakland Raiders. Their coach is Norv Turner, who was Williams' offensive coordinator during his two seasons in Miami.\n"The Raiders would fit Ricky's personality better anyway," Ostrow said. "But he may not have many options other than going back to the Dolphins. How many teams are going to have an interest in him other than Norv, who has a relationship with him?"\nWhether Miami would welcome him back is uncertain. He caused a lot of resentment by retiring in July, shortly before training camp. The Dolphins haven't won a game since he left, and at 0-4 they're off to their worst start in 38 years going into Sunday's game at New England.\n"It has been very difficult," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "The guy was 65 or 70 percent of our offense. I don't think we would have redone our whole offensive line and started from scratch if we knew we were going to have to start from scratch at the running back position."\nIn the days following Williams' retirement, center Seth McKinney called it selfish and stupid. Williams in turn disparaged McKinney's blocking. Williams said players had no respect for Wannstedt, and even poked fun at the coach's mustache. Defensive tackle Larry Chester said Williams was acting like a bitter girlfriend and owed the team an apology.
(09/21/04 6:21am)
MIAMI -- The Chicago Cubs' 24-hour visit to Miami included a brief stay atop the NL wild-card race. Then they lost their lead because they couldn't beat David Weathers.\nThe journeyman right-hander, making his first start in six years, limited Chicago to two hits and one run in five innings, and the Florida Marlins won 5-2 for a split of their doubleheader Monday.\nMark Prior allowed just five hits in 7 2-3 innings and out-pitched Carl Pavano in the opener to help the Cubs win 5-1.\nWith the victory in Game 1, Chicago climbed one percentage point ahead of San Francisco in the wild-card race. But the Cubs ended the day where they started: one-half game behind the idle Giants.\nThe Marlins, who had hoped to gain ground with a sweep, instead remained 4 1/2 games behind San Francisco. The defending World Series champions have no games left against any of the four teams ahead of them.\nWeathers (7-7) showed the Marlins that anything's possible. Pitching for his third team this season, he came into the game 0-4 lifetime against the Cubs with an 11.44 ERA. But he received a standing ovation from fans behind the Florida dugout when he walked off the mound after the fifth with a 5-1 lead.\nRudy Seanez, Guillermo Mota and Armando Benitez completed the five-hitter. Benitez pitched the ninth for his 44th save, a career high and the most in the NL.\nFlorida right fielder Juan Encarnacion helped out his closer in the ninth with a leaping catch to rob Mark Grudzielanek of a two-run homer.\nDamion Easley had a three-run homer and an RBI double off Matt Clement (9-13). Michael Barrett hit his 16th home run for the Cubs.\nBoth teams would have preferred the day off as originally scheduled. For the Cubs, the split came during a stretch of four road games in three days in three cities. Miami was added to the itinerary to make up two games postponed Labor Day weekend because of Hurricane Frances.\nThe doubleheader was the third for the Marlins in 11 days, and the grind has depleted their pitching while all but dashing their hopes of returning to the playoffs.\nAnnounced attendance was 37,412, but it was a late-arriving crowd. Game 1 began in front of about 5,000 spectators, many of them blue-clad fans who did plenty of cheering as Chicago took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the second against Pavano (17-7).\nCorey Patterson's two-run double put the Cubs ahead to stay, and Prior (6-4) beat Florida for the second time in 10 days. He threw a season-high 129 pitches on an 84-degree afternoon.\n"I'm finally hitting my stride and pitching up to my capability," said Prior, who missed the first two months of the season with a sore right Achilles' tendon. "It was great weather to pitch in. It was fun to go out there and get it done."\nPrior gave up a run in the first but didn't allow a runner to reach third after that. He struck out nine and walked one.\n"A very impressive performance," manager Dusty Baker said. "That's what you like to see this time of year in the stretch run."\nRyan Dempster retired Mike Lowell with two on to end the eighth, and LaTroy Hawkins pitched the ninth to complete a seven-hitter.\nBaker held Sammy Sosa and two other regulars out of the lineup in the opener, but the Cubs still collected 16 hits. Pavano gave up five runs and 12 hits in six innings and lost his second start in a row.\n"I guess he's entitled to a couple of mediocre ones," manager Jack McKeon said.\nIn the second game, Easley homered in the first after Juan Pierre walked and Jeff Conine was hit by a pitch. Easley's homer caromed off the screen attached to the left-field foul pole.\nFlorida made it 5-1 in the third on RBI doubles from Miguel Cabrera and Easley, ending Clement's afternoon after just 2 1-3 innings. The right-hander is 2-9 over his past 17 starts.
(07/15/04 1:52am)
MIAMI - It's official: The Shaquille O'Neal era in Los Angeles is over, and his new team is the Miami Heat.\nThe Lakers and Heat finalized a trade Wednesday sending O'Neal to Miami. Los Angeles gets Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick.\nThe deal had been on the verge of completion since Saturday, when O'Neal met in Orlando with Heat president Pat Riley and agreed to the trade. NBA attorneys approved it on the same day the league's two-week moratorium on player movement ended.\nAcquiring O'Neal is literally a big deal for the Heat, who will count on the 7-foot-1-inch, 340-pound center to transform them into a championship contender.\nAt 32, O'Neal is coming off a season when he averaged a career-low 21.5 points, and he has missed 15 games each of the past three seasons with foot and leg injuries. But he's an 11-time All-Star with career averages of 27.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, and he changes the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, where there's a dearth of dominating centers.\nThe trade marks a return to Florida for O'Neal, who began his NBA career in 1992 with Orlando and still has a home there. He led the Magic to the finals in 1995, signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 1996 and helped them win three NBA titles.\nDays after the Lakers lost this year's championship series to Detroit, O'Neal demanded to be traded, weary of feuding with Kobe Bryant and feeling disrespected by owner Jerry Buss. He's under contract for $27.7 million this coming season and $30.6 million in 2005-06.\nO'Neal joins a Heat team that has reached the conference finals only once in its 16-year history and went 42-40 last season, instantly becoming South Florida's most high-profile athlete.\nWith the departure of three starters, Riley will build his team around O'Neal, Olympian Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones, Miami's leading scorer each of the last four seasons. The Heat will now shop for help at both forward positions and backup point guard, and free agents will likely consider them a more appealing option with the addition of O'Neal.\nO'Neal is not expected to speak publicly until at least Friday, the Heat said.\nEach player involved in the trade must pass a physical before joining his new team.\nO'Neal has already made an impact in Miami, with the Heat's ticket sales brisk this week. He's moving from one city enthralled by celebrities to another, but there are a lot more of them in Los Angeles than in Miami, and O'Neal is likely to become the biggest thing on South Beach.
(10/16/03 6:00am)
CHICAGO -- The Florida Marlins wore black caps Wednesday, befitting their role as spoilers against those lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs.\nBut give the Marlins credit: For bad guys, they're pretty darned good.\nAnd they're headed to the World Series, culminating a wild ride for a team that began the season with few fans and modest expectations.\nJosh Beckett, working on two days' rest after pitching a two-hit shutout Sunday, came out of the bullpen to stymie Chicago again and help Florida win 9-6 in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series.\nFans at Wrigley Field can blame the Cubs curse, a subpar showing by Kerry Wood and the souvenir-seeking spectator, who some thought played a role in his team's collapse in Game 6.\nThe Marlins and their 72-year-old manager, Jack McKeon, prefer to think they were simply the better team. And they'll be a handful in the World Series for the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees, who play the deciding game of the AL Championship Series today.\nIn keeping with the way the Marlins won all season, they had plenty of heroes responding to the winner-take-all pressure of Game 7.\nBeckett provided the biggest boost. Showing no signs of weariness from throwing 115 pitches in Game 5, the right-hander came on to start the fifth inning with the Marlins ahead only 6-5. He pitched four innings and allowed just one baserunner -- on pinch-hitter Troy O'Leary's home run.\nCabrera hit a three-run homer and made several fine catches in right field, a position he played for the first time Saturday. Playoff hero Ivan Rodriguez scored twice and doubled home a run, giving him 10 RBIs in the series, a record. Even Derrek Lee and Alex Gonzalez, both batting below .150 in the series, contributed run-scoring hits.\nBrad Penny, bumped from the rotation after a poor showing in Game 2, pitched a perfect fourth after starter Mark Redman departed trailing 5-3. Ugueth Urbina threw a hitless ninth.\nWhen Jeff Conine caught a flyball in left field for the final out, the Marlins mobbed each other in jubilation as the Wrigley crowd of 39,574 fell silent. Then came scattered boos -- likely for the Cubs -- followed by polite applause -- likely for Florida.\nThe Marlins know they disappointed a lot of people by winning. Center fielder Juan Pierre estimated "97 percent of the world" wanted the Cubs to win.\nThe Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1945, but to see the Marlins celebrate a pennant was almost as surprising. They began the year with just one winning season in their tumultuous 10-year history, and they changed managers in May on the way to a 19-29 start.\nBut rookies Dontrelle Willis and Cabrera helped revitalize baseball in South Florida, and the bandwagon grew rapidly during their September surge to win the wild-card race.\nThe Marlins came from behind to eliminate NL West champion San Francisco in the division series. Now they're only the fourth team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NL or AL championship series.\nWednesday, the Marlins came from behind for the sixth time in their seven playoff wins. They won for the third time in four games at Wrigley Field. And this time they needed no help from any Cubs fans, totaling eight hits and seven runs against a laboring Wood, who threw 112 pitches in 5 2-3 innings.\nThe Marlins improved their all-time record in postseason series to 5-0. They won the only other Game 7 they played in the 1997 World Series. And now they're headed to Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park for another Series beginning Saturday.\nFlorida, which had been outscored 12-0 in the first inning in the series, started fast against Wood.\nPierre tripled on an 0-2 pitch leading off, Rodriguez walked on the ninth pitch he saw, and Cabrera homered on a 1-2 pitch for a 3-0 lead.\nIt was the third home run in the league championship series for Cabrera, a rookie record.\nRedman began the game with an ERA of 1.32 in two starts against the Cubs this season, but he failed to hold the lead. Eric Karros singled in the second, took third on a double by Alex Gonzalez and scored on a groundout. Wood worked the count to 3-2, then sent the crowd into a frenzy with a two-run homer, the seventh of his career but his first in postseason play.\nIn the third inning Redman hit Sammy Sosa with a 3-2 pitch, and Moises Alou homered to put the Cubs ahead 5-3.\nFlorida rallied in the fifth, taking advantage of Wood's wildness. Pinch-hitter Briank Banks and Luis Castillo walked, and Rodriguez doubled home a run for his 10th RBI in the series, a record. Cabrera's RBI groundout tied the game, and Lee put Florida ahead to stay with a two-out RBI single.
(09/19/03 5:13am)
MIAMI -- Receiver Eric Moulds spat in cornerback Patrick Surtain's face last season, which did nothing to dampen the Buffalo Bills' rivalry with the Miami Dolphins.\nThe relationship between AFC East teams has often been testy. Still, an expectoration confrontation was surprising, because the Miami secondary usually struggles to stay within spitting distance of Moulds.\nFive times since 1999, Moulds has burned the Dolphins with touchdown receptions of more than 50 yards. He caught grief for showering Surtain last December, but he also caught five passes for 130 yards and a score. And he had a 196-yard game against Miami in 2001.\nIn short, for Miami, beating Buffalo starts with stopping Moulds. That will be the challenge Sunday night when the teams meet with first place in the division on the line.\n"I'm playing the same way I play against Miami every year," Moulds pledged. "I'm going to be Eric Moulds."\nThe Dolphins (1-1) can only hope they're not going to be the same Dolphins who have given up a total of 639 yards passing against Houston and the New York Jets. Neither opponent packs the punch of the Bills (2-0), who lead the AFC with 69 points.\n"They're the hottest team in the NFL," Miami coach Dave Wannstedt said. "They're hitting on all cylinders."\nThe Bills appear much improved over last year, when they struggled to an 8-8 record, and even then they swept the two-game series against Miami. A come-from-behind Buffalo victory was part of the Dolphins' annual December tailspin.\nMiami led 14-3 when Surtain tackled Moulds at midfield. Then came the snit about spit.\nSurtain took a swing at Moulds, drawing a penalty that turned a second-and-16 into a first down. The drive ended in a Bills touchdown, reversing momentum, and they won 38-21.\nMoulds said any spitting was accidental, a claim rejected by Surtain, and his teammates weighed in on the topic this week. Safety Brock Marion said he lost all respect for Moulds. Larry Chester, a 325-pound tackle, said he hopes Moulds spits on him Sunday.\n"Every time somebody talks, it seems like I have a good game," Moulds said. "So we'll see what happens."\nIt's a daunting matchup for the Dolphins, who say they're still adjusting to a new scheme mixing occasional zone coverage with the man-to-man employed in the past. Moulds and quarterback Drew Bledsoe often scorched Miami's aggressive but risky one-on-one approach.\n"Whenever I see man-to-man coverage on Eric, that's where I'm going to try to throw the ball, regardless of who the corner is," Bledsoe said. "I just think Eric is that good -- that whoever it is, he's going to win if it's straight man coverage."\nWhile Miami worries about Bledsoe-to-Moulds, the Bills' biggest concern is Ricky Williams. Last December, however, they won even though he rushed for 228 yards.\n"He's a downhill runner, but we're not worried," defensive tackle Pat Williams said. "If everybody stays in their gap, he's not going to have many yards."\nAnother way to limit damage done by Ricky Williams is to get ahead and force Miami to throw.\nThe Bills have been at their best early this season, taking 14-0 leads after two possessions in each of the first two games. In those possessions, Bledsoe is 16-for-20 for 262 yards, and he'll likely waste little time testing a pass defense that is Miami's glaring weakness so far.\nDefensive backs Surtain, Marion, Sam Madison and newcomer Sammy Knight earned Pro Bowl berths in the past. But this season the opposition is completing 60 percent of its passes, partly because of a feeble rush that has registered just one sack.\nPoor tackling in the secondary led to gains of 78 and 61 yards.\n"We've given up too many big plays, but we can't hang our head," Surtain said. "We're not used to this happening to us. It's missed tackles, bad angles, things that are correctable. We know what we're capable of, and things will come around. It's a long season, and we'll turn it around when we have to."\nSunday would be a good time. Otherwise, the forecast calls for a big night by Moulds, with a chance of precipitation.
(07/07/03 1:03am)
WIMBLEDON, England -- The final day at Wimbledon was dry, until Roger Federer won the men's title.\nFederer sobbed in his courtside chair, then cried again while holding the trophy, overwhelmed by his achievement. He become the first Swiss man to earn a Grand Slam title Sunday, out-serving Mark Philippoussis to win 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3).\nWhere did the tears come from?\n"They come from Switzerland," Federer said with a grin. "No, I don't know. I've cried a few times on big occasions. ... This tournament means so much to me."\nFederer totaled 21 aces and never faced a break point, while Philippoussis had 14 aces, 13 below his tournament average, and a costly double fault in the pivotal first tiebreaker.\nWhen Philippoussis hit a return into the net on match point, Federer sank to his knees, looked to the sky and smiled. He shook hands with Philippoussis, took a seat and wept, covering his eyes with his hands.\n"I was always joking around when I was a boy, 'I'm going to win this,'" a laughing Federer told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. "I never thought it possible to win a Grand Slam."\nAt the end of the ceremony, as the 21-year-old Federer thanked his Swiss supporters, he again began to cry. Then he lifted the trophy over his head as the Centre Court crowd roared.\n"He's a very emotional person, and that's nice for people to see," said his coach, Peter Lundgren.\nPerhaps the pressure of expectations played a part in his emotional display. Since ending Pete Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon winning streak in 2001, Federer has been praised for his elegant all-court game and touted as a future Grand Slam champion.\nHe fulfilled his potential Sunday.\nPhilippoussis, who hit 46 aces in a fourth-round win over Andre Agassi, cracked serves at up to 138 mph against Federer. But Federer often got them back, and he had the easier time holding serve, going to deuce only once.\nThe first tiebreaker turned when Philippoussis hit a double fault long to fall behind 6-4. Two points later he had a crack at a second serve from Federer and took a big swing, but it sailed eight feet wide to give Federer the set.\nA dispirited Philippoussis then lost his serve twice in a row and fell behind 4-0 in the second set.\n"I just pressed a little, and I guess pressed too much," he said. "That first set was big. It definitely gets the momentum going, and that's what happened."\nThe Australian held serve the rest of the way. But Federer took a 3-1 lead in the final tiebreaker with a lucky shot, a mishit forehand return that landed in the corner for a winner. Three subsequent errors by Philippoussis helped Federer close out the victory.\n"I didn't have one break point today, and he definitely returned a lot better than I did," Philippoussis said. "He took advantage of his chances, and it was too good."\nPhilippoussis was hoping to become just the third unseeded men's champion since Wimbledon began seeding players in 1927. His runner-up finish is the latest chapter in a comeback from a knee injury that required three operations and nearly ended his career.\n"There are a lot of positive things to take with me from the last two weeks," he said. "I'll definitely be back."\nThe No. 4-seeded Federer lost only one set in the tournament, the first man to do so since Richard Krajicek in 1996. He overcame a back injury that required treatment from a trainer during his fourth-round win.\n"I thought I had to throw in the white towel, but somehow I came through and my back got better and my game got better," Federer said. "It's just incredible. I don't know how I did it."\nWith his victory, seven men have won the past seven Grand Slam titles. That contrasts with the domination of the women's tour by Serena Williams, who beat sister Venus in Saturday's final and has won five of the past six major events.\nFederer improved to 12-0 this year on grass and has long excelled on the surface. He was the Wimbledon boys champion in 1998 and upset Sampras three years later at age 19.\nAnd against Philippoussis, he outplayed one of the hardest hitters in the sport.\nWith both players smacking big serves and following them to the net, the rallies were fast and furious, averaging less than 2 1/2 strokes. One of the few long exchanges came on the fifth point of the first tiebreaker, when both players stayed back and traded 15 shots, the last a forehand winner by Federer.\nCentre Court reverberated with cheers at the extended action.\nAfter 47 minutes, Federer earned the first break point and converted it when Philippoussis put a tough volley in the net. Another volley in the net gave Federer another break, and he held from there to close out the second set.\nTo reach the final, Philippoussis twice rallied from a set down, and once from two sets down. But against Federer there would be no comeback.\nThe 1-hour, 56-minute match might have been even shorter, but chair umpire Gerry Armstrong overruled a lineswoman's call with Philippoussis facing break point in the final set.\nPhilippoussis hit a second serve that the woman called out as Federer shanked his return. Armstrong immediately overruled the call and awarded the point to Philippoussis, rather than ordering it replayed.\nFederer frowned but did not argue. Philippoussis won the next two points for a 2-1 lead, and held serve from there. But he managed only one service winner and no aces in the final tiebreaker.\nFederer is the first former junior champion to win the men's title since Stefan Edberg, the winner in 1988 and 1990. He won $960,250.\nPhilippoussis received $480,125.
(07/03/03 12:58am)
WIMBLEDON, England - The best of Belgium will try to prevent another all-Williams final at Wimbledon.\nDefending champion Serena Williams will play in the semifinals Thursday against Justine Henin-Hardenne, an upset winner in their French Open semifinal four weeks ago. Two-time champion Venus Williams faces play against another Belgian, Kim Clijsters.\n"For Kim and me, it's going to be very difficult, for sure," Henin-Hardenne said. Serena beat Venus in last year's final and in four of the past five Grand Slam finals. The lone exception was at the French Open four weeks ago, where Henin-Hardenne earned her first major title by beating Clijsters.\nSerena has been ranked No. 1 for the past year, but the Belgians are second and third and gaining on her. If she loses Thursday, Clijsters will become No. 1 for the first time.\n"It's hard to keep up with the Belgian girls," Williams said with a grin. "They're playing every week and winning all the time. I don't play every week, but I might have to start."\nWhen Williams does play, she usually wins. She has won 38 of her past 39 Grand Slam matches, including a quarterfinal comeback Tuesday against No. 8-seeded Jennifer Capriati, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.\nThe victory was her eighth in a row over Capriati.\n"She had to play her best tennis there to raise her game completely to beat me," Capriati said. "I don't think I gave her the match. She had to step it up."\nBy doing so, Williams earned a chance to avenge her traumatic loss to Henin-Hardenne at Paris. French fans cheered mistakes by Williams and jeered her afterward, reducing her to tears.\nShe anticipates a different atmosphere at the staid All England Club.\n"That's one thing I love about Wimbledon," she said. "Whoever is playing good tennis, they really appreciate it, unless of course you're playing Tim Henman.\n"They're more ... I don't want to say polite, but, you know, they're more polite in a way. Definitely much more polite than the French crowd."\nAdding further fizz to the semifinal is Williams' accusation that Henin-Hardenne cheated against her in Paris by calling a timeout and then not acknowledging it. Henin-Hardenne denies it, but says she takes no hard feelings into the rematch.\n"We're professional enough to do this," she said. "There is no problem between each other."\nThe first two matches in the men's quarterfinals, Henman against Sebastien Grosjean, and Mark Philippoussis against Alexander Popp, were halted three times because of rain Wednesday.\nHenin-Hardenne, seeded third, advanced Tuesday by beating No. 33 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-2. Her victory completed the pairings, and for the first time since Wimbledon in 1992, the four highest-ranked players reached the semifinals at a WTA Tour event.\nNo. 4 Venus Williams won the final five games and the last 11 points to beat No. 5 Lindsay Davenport 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. Williams dropped a set for the first time in the tournament but still improved to 25-1 at Wimbledon over the past four years.\n"If you get this far, you have to be doing something right," the elder Williams said. "I'll just have to keep on with the same things."\nDavenport, the 1999 champion, said the match might have been her last at Wimbledon. Newly married and hampered by injuries in recent years, Davenport said she plans to play the U.S. Open but might be nearing retirement.\n"There are absolutely no plans made," the 27-year-old Davenport said. "It's not saying that it's over. It's just saying that I'm not sure."\nClijsters, seeded second, was stung on her stomach by a bee during the first set but rallied past No. 27 Silvia Farina Elia 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.\nIn the completion of the final fourth-round match, suspended Monday night because of darkness, No. 13-seeded Sebastien Grosjean beat French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). That left the men's quarterfinals Wednesday with no former Grand Slam champion.\nCapriati started fast in a bid to end her nine-match losing streak against the Williams sisters. But the top-seeded Williams became more patient, winning one rally that lasted 28 strokes, and swept seven consecutive games to take the lead for good.\nCapriati, who last beat Williams in the 2001 Wimbledon quarterfinals, said the difference this time was her opponent's overpowering serve and groundstrokes.\n"If I'm never going to win because of that, then that's OK," Capriati said. "What can I do? You've just got to give her the praise and the credit she deserves"
(02/19/03 4:24am)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A weight-loss drug containing a stimulant probably contributed to the heatstroke death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler, a coroner said Tuesday.\nBechler had been taking an over-the-counter supplement that contained ephedrine, which has been linked to heatstroke and heart trouble, Broward County medical examiner Dr. Joshua Perper said.\nEphedrine has been banned by the NCAA, the NFL and the International Olympic Committee, but not by Major League Baseball.\n"We're going to wait until we know more about what happened," baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.\nBechler died Monday, less than 24 hours after a spring training workout sent his temperature to 108 degrees. Preliminary autopsy findings indicated he died from complications of heatstroke that caused multi-organ failure, Perper said.\nOnly toxicology tests can confirm whether there was ephedrine in Bechler's system, and those results won't be available for at least two weeks, Perper said.\nAmong other factors cited by Perper as contributing to the 23-year-old pitcher's death:\n-- a history of borderline high blood pressure;\n-- liver abnormalities detected two years ago but not diagnosed;\n-- warm, humid weather during the workout when he became ill Sunday;\n-- he was on a diet and hadn't eaten much solid food the previous two days.\n"All of those factors converged together and resulted in the fatal heatstroke," Perper said.\nBut Perper spent the bulk of his 30-minute news conference focusing on ephedrine, the active substance in the plant ephedra. Though common in supplements, Perper said it's too risky for athletes.\nPerper, who interviewed the player's family and Orioles officials, said he was told Bechler took three tablets each morning of Xenadrine RF-1, a weight-loss drug that contains ephedrine.\nA bottle of Xenadrine was found in Bechler's locker after he became ill and shown to paramedics, Perper said. The contents couldn't be analyzed because the bottle was inadvertently thrown away by someone with the team, he said.\nMajor league teams have cautioned players in the past about the dangers of ephedrine. Medical personnel with the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants were among those warning players anew Tuesday about the risks.\nIn addition, the Yankees left an article entitled, "The Effect of Heat on Athletes," on every player's locker room seat.\nOrioles team physician Dr. William Goldiner said he hopes the coroner's findings trigger a baseball ban.\n"This is not just a problem of major league baseball," Goldiner said. "This is a problem of over-the-counter supplements that are dangerous, and they are unregulated to the point where you don't even know what's in some of these things."\nA native of Medford, Ore., Bechler was a third-round draft pick by the Orioles in 1998. He made his major league debut last September and was expected to begin this season with the club's new Triple-A affiliate in Ottawa.\nBechler and his wife, Kiley, were expecting their first child in April. She visited camp Tuesday and met with team officials but left without speaking to reporters.\nTeammate Matt Riley said Bechler later acknowledged he had failed to train properly during the offseason.
(10/22/02 10:16pm)
MIAMI -- Cris Carter came out of retirement and out of the broadcast booth Monday to join the Miami Dolphins, signing a one-year contract to bolster their injury-depleted receiving corps.\nThe 36-year-old Carter agreed to a one-year contract with $550,000 guaranteed and $700,000 in incentives.\n"I really missed playing," he said. "When the call came, I initially said no. Then I began think about it."\nFollowing a news conference to announce the signing, Carter reported for his first team meeting. He'll have two weeks to get ready for Miami's next game at Green Bay on Nov. 4.\nCarter retired in May and had been working on HBO's "Inside the NFL." Minnesota Vikings receiver Randy Moss applauded his ex-teammate's return to the league.\n"I love it!" Moss said. "And I think a lot of football teams he's been making comments about will love it, too."\nCarter is the NFL's second all-time leading receiver with 1,093 catches for 13,833 yards and 129 touchdowns. The 15-year veteran had 73 catches for 871 yards and six touchdowns last season with Minnesota.\n"I think it's going to be a great addition to our team," Miami coach Dave Wannstedt said. "It's probably going to take him a couple of weeks to learn the offense and get in playing shape. How quick all that happens will determine how much he plays."\nThe Dolphins (5-2) lead the AFC East but are coming off a 23-10 loss Sunday to Buffalo. Miami's passing game has been staggered by the loss of quarterback Jay Fiedler and receivers Chris Chambers and Oronde Gadsden to injuries.\nChambers (concussion) is expected back for the Green Bay game, but Gadsden plans to have surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, and he'll miss the rest of the season.\nGadsden decided to undergo the operation rather than play with injury when the Dolphins declined to give him the contract extension he sought. He was placed on injured reserve Monday.