Breifs

Argentina reaches Davis Cup semifinals

By wire services
Published July 18, 2005

SYDNEY, Australia - Argentina, which has never won the Davis Cup, reached the semifinals Sunday by stunning 28-time winner Australia on grass.

David Nalbandian sealed the victory with his first win over second-ranked Lleyton Hewitt in four career meetings. The Argentine won 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Argentina next faces Slovakia, which reached the semifinals for the first time by beating the visiting Netherlands 4-1. Host Russia defeated France 3-2 and travels to Croatia, which topped visiting Romania 4-1. The semifinals are Sept. 23-25.

MODENA INTERNATIONAL: Anna Smashnova won her 10th career title when Tathiana Garbin retired with sunstroke in Modena, Italy. Smashnova, the fifth seed, led a first-set tiebreak 3-0 when the unseeded Italian asked for a break and collapsed on a bench. Garbin later recovered.

SWIMMING

Russian teen wins 5K

Russian Larisa Ilchenko , 16, won the women's 5-kilometer open water title at the world aquatics championships in Montreal. German Thomas Lurz won the men's 5K, China won two gold medals in synchronized diving, and in women's preliminary water polo the United States tied Spain at 6.

SOFTBALL

Japan advances to final

Japan advanced to play the United States in the final of the inaugural World Cup by beating Australia 1-0 in eight innings in Oklahoma City. Ayumi Karino , who started the eighth on second base under tiebreaker rules, was sacrificed to third and scored on an error. Canada defeated China 3-2 as Kristy Odamura tripled in one run and scored one.

SOCCER

Long shot spurs Colombia

Abel Aguilar scored the winner on a 40-yard shot in the 29th minute as Colombia topped Mexico 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston. Colombia, one of two guest teams in the tournament for the championship of the North American, Central American and Caribbean region, faces Panama in the semifinals Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J. Panama beat South Africa 5-3 on penalty kicks.

ET CETERA

HORSES: Island Sand charged past Gunther and Two Trail Sioux to win the $1-million Grade II Delaware Handicap by 33/4 lengths. ... Smokume edged Willy o'the Valley by 1 length to win the $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park. ... Always First beat T.H. Approval by three-quarters of a length in the $150,000 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park.

WNBA: Four Connecticut players scored in double figures, led by a season-high 17 by Margo Dydek , in a 72-53 win over host Minnesota. ... Sheryl Swoopes scored 16 of her game-high 20 in the final 10 minutes to lead visiting Houston past Charlotte 67-55. ... Tamika Catchings scored 21 to lead Indiana past Detroit for the second time in three days, this time 59-58 in Auburn Hills, Mich.

SAILING: Roy Disney and Pyewacket sailed evenly with his top two competitors in a fleet of 75 boats in the first miles of the weeklong Transpacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii. Disney, 75, is the nephew of the late Walt Disney .

MOTOCROSS: Ricky Carmichael overcame a crash in the first moto to win his 21st straight 250cc race in New Berlin, N.Y. Kevin Windham was second and Dade City resident Chad Reed third.

OBITUARY: The son of a former owner of the San Jose Sharks was killed with five passengers in a plane crash off the Pacific Coast. Greg Gund , 32, whose father George owned the NHL team until 2002, was piloting the plane.

[Last modified July 18, 2005, 01:38:10]