PARIS - Serena and Venus Williams were seeded five spots higher than their rankings for the French Open on Thursday, a move meant to lessen the effect of their long injury absences.
Serena is seeded No. 2 behind top-ranked and defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne. Venus is No. 4, a spot below Amelie Mauresmo. Lindsay Davenport is No. 5 and Saddlebrook's Jennifer Capriati is seventh.
Other seedings followed the rankings among the men and women for the year's second major, where the draw is today and play starts Monday.
Top-ranked Roger Federer is No. 1, followed by Andy Roddick, Guillermo Coria, defending champ Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Moya and Andre Agassi.
STRASBOURG OPEN: Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport surged into the semifinals with a 6-0, 6-1 rout of Katarina Srebotnik in 36 minutes. She faces three-time reigning champion Silvia Farina Elia. Claudine Schaul and Emilie Loit meet in the other semifinal.
VIENNA GRAND PRIX: Second-seeded Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi beat Magui Serna 6-1, 6-0 to reach the semifinals opposite fifth-seeded Amy Frazier. Also, Alicia Molik faces Jelena Kostanic.
RAIFFEISEN GRAND PRIX: Third seed Nikolay Davydenko quit after two sets because of shortness of breath, allowing sixth seed David Sanchez to advance to the semifinals against Filippo Volandri. Juergen Melzer and Xavier Malisse are in the other semi at St. Poelten, Austria.
WORLD TEAM CUP: Defending champion Chile defeated Germany 2-1 to win its group and advance to Saturday's final in Duesseldorf, Germany, against either Argentina or Australia.
OLYMPICS: Bush lauds Greece
President Bush met in the Oval Office with Greece's prime minister and said the country is making good progress in improving security against a terrorist attack at the Summer Olympics. Bush thanked Costas Caramanlis for working "to make sure the Games are successful, that people are able to travel to your beautiful country in as secure an environment as possible. I appreciate your hard work." Bush expressed disappointment that his re-election campaign would keep him away from Athens. He said his father would lead the U.S. delegation.
RUNNING: Marathon criticized
The Twin Cities Marathon ban on prize money for anyone but U.S. citizens became the target of a Minneapolis civil rights complaint by the Somali Justice Advocacy Center. Executive director Omar Jamal said the policy violates a city ordinance and is a "blatant disregard of the codes of sports and athletics to discriminate on the base of national origin." The marathon board decided on the ban as a draw for U.S. runners, who tend to lag behind their foreign counterparts.
ET CETERA
CYCLING: Lance Armstrong was 42nd in the second stage of the five-day Languedoc-Roussillon race in France, finishing the 116-mile leg with the same time as winner Thor Hushovd of Norway. Armstrong is 48th overall. ... Italy's Emanuele Sella won the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia despite a spill on the downhill section of the 141.3-mile race to Cesena, Italy. Damiano Cunego of Italy remained the overall leader.
ROWING: Former Jacksonville University rower Chris Tippin set a 100,000-meter indoor world record May 7 at the Southside YMCA in Jacksonville, finishing in 7:02:04 to better the mark by 2:23.
SOCCER: David Beckham said he will honor the three years remaining on his contract with Real Madrid, his decision coming amid speculation he might return to English soccer with free-spending Chelsea.
