Sports

In brief

Russian sets pole vault record

By wire services
Published July 23, 2005

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LONDON - With Sergei Bubka watching from the stands, Yelena Isinbayeva cleared the pole vault's 5-meter mark on Friday at the Crystal Palace Grand Prix for her latest world record.

The 23-year-old Olympic champion from Russia easily cleared 16 feet, 43/4 inches on her first attempt, barely nudging the bar. She set the previous mark of 16-31/4 just 10 minutes earlier.

It was the 17th world record - indoors and out - of her career. Bubka set 35 world records in his career.

OTHER CRYSTAL PALACE EVENTS: Olympic champion Justin Gatlin won the 100 meters in 9.89 seconds. Britain's Tim Benjamin beat Jeremy Wariner - the Olympic and U.S. champion - in the 400. American Allyson Felix snapped Jamaica's Veronica Campbell's five-year winning streak in the women's 200.

American Bershawn Jackson won the men's 400 hurdles in 47.98. Germany's Kirsten Bolm won the 100-meter hurdles with a career-best 12.59 seconds. Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat (3:33.12) edged America's Alan Webb (3:33.16) in the 1,500; Sanya Richards extended her mastery in the women's 400 in 50.35; Wallace Spearmon took the men's 200 in a season best's 19.89; and Olympic 10,000 champion Kenenisa Bekele won the 5,000 in 12:55.55.

TENNIS: Nadal wins again on clay

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal ran his clay-court winning streak to 32 matches Friday, beating the Czech Republic's Tomas Zib 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

Nadal, who improved to 46-2 on clay this year and 57-8 overall, now owns the sixth longest streak on clay, snapping a tie with three players - including Bjorn Borg.

Austria's Thomas Muster won a record 40 straight matches on clay in 1995.

Nadal will meet unseeded Jarkko Niemenen in the semifinals. The Finn beat Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-3.

Second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia advanced, beating Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. He will face third-seeded Gaston Gaudio, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 winner against fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta.

FEDERER OUT: World No. 1 Roger Federer pulled out of next month's Rogers Cup in Montreal because of a foot injury that has bothered him for several months, Tennis Canada said.

RCA: Robby Ginepri rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory over top-seeded Andy Roddick in Indianapolis. Ginepri will play 10th-seeded Karol Beck of Germany in one of today's semifinals. Beck advanced by beating George Bastl of Switzerland 6-4, 7-5.

BASKETBALL: Marbury endorses Brown

While Larry Brown pondered coaching the Knicks, Stephon Marbury endorsed the prospect of his former Olympic coach taking over in New York.

Brown and Knicks president Isiah Thomas met for four hours Thursday night at Brown's home in East Hampton, N.Y., a summit the Knicks described as "positive."

Marbury said he was OK with Brown taking over - or with keeping interim coach Herb Williams. Marbury also guaranteed the Knicks will make the playoffs.

The Knicks said they did not expect to make any announcements regarding Brown over the weekend.

MAGIC: Keyon Dooling said he agreed to terms on a three-year deal believed to be worth nearly $10 million, where he'll probably have a chance to become Orlando's starting point guard.

LAKERS: Ronny Turiaf, the Los Angeles Lakers second-round draft pick, needs open-heart surgery to correct a life-threatening condition. Turiaf, 22, will most likely have the operation in the next six weeks.

SIGNINGS: Free agents will be able to sign their new contracts Thursday, six days later than originally planned. The six-day delay will allow attorneys for the league and players' union to finish drafting a written version of the new collective bargaining agreement.

WNBA: Nykesha Sales had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead host Connecticut over Charlotte 73-63.

SWIMMING; China leads worlds

China's Guo Jingjing won her country's third diving gold medal in the 3-meter springboard at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal, while teammate Wu Min Xia earned the silver. The Chinese lead with nine medals.

[Last modified July 23, 2005, 00:53:16]

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