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Sports brief

By DEBI JONES and Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 24, 2001

Venus hears all cheers in victory

Last week's jeers turned to cheers Friday as Venus Williams won her opening match in the Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne.

The third-seeded Williams, shaking off a recent bout with knee tendinitis and accusations that she ducked a match against her sister, moved well and beat Miriam Oremans 6-2, 6-0.

Williams withdrew at Indian Wells, Calif., last week shortly before her semifinal against sister Serena, and fans booed the family. But there were only cheers Friday for Williams, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens and won the tennis tournament in 1998 and '99.

The other reigning U.S. Open champion didn't fare as well. No. 2 Marat Safin, hampered by back and rib injuries, lost the opening match on the stadium court to Juan Balcells 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

No. 1 women's seed Martina Hingis beat Rita Grande 6-2, 6-2.

MORE TENNIS: Hingis must testify in court next month during the trial of a man accused of stalking her, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said. Dubravko Rajcevic goes on trial April2.

SOCCER: The Mutiny faces the Miami Fusion at Fort Lauderdale at 8 tonight in a spring training exhibition. The Tampa Bay Extreme will hold tryouts at 2 p.m. Sunday at the City of Largo Soccer Complex on Belcher Road, north of Ulmerton Road. Players 16 or older are eligible to fill roster spots for the W-League team. For information, call (727) 507-4625. ... The Italian federation suspended six players after finding them guilty of fixing an Italian Cup match last season. Fabio Gallo, Sebastiano Siviglia and Luciano Zauri of Atalanta and Alfredo Aglietti and Massimiliano Allegri of Pistoiese were banned for a year. Former Atalanta forward Giacomo Banchelli, now with Empoli, got a six-month ban.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Florida linebacker Byron Hardmon will miss the rest of spring drills with a stress fracture in his foot. Receiver Brian Haugabrook tore his MCL and will need surgery. Linebacker Marcus Oquendo-Johnson broke his arm and is expected to miss spring drills. ... Miami holds its first spring scrimmage at 11:30 a.m. today at Cobb Field. ... Florida State holds its third scrimmage at 10 a.m. today in Tallahassee.

COLLEGES: In baseball, Barry coach Chris Cafalone will resign at the end of the season. Also, host Lynn defeated Eckerd 4-3. ... In softball, Florida scored five runs in the seventh inning to rally for a 5-2 win over Florida International, then beat Jacksonville State 6-1 at the Florida Atlantic tournament. ... In the Division I men's hockey tournament at Worcester, Mass., Colorado College defeated St. Lawrence 3-2 in two overtimes. ... St. Lawrence upset top-ranked Dartmouth 3-1 in the first ever women's hockey tournament game, a semifinal at Minneapolis. ... In men's golf, College of Charleston led after the first round of the Conrad Rehling Alabama Invitational in Tuscaloosa. South Florida was tied for fifth, Central Florida was tied for eighth and FSU 10th. ... In men's tennis, host FSU beat Clemson 4-3. ... In women's tennis, UF won its 102nd consecutive SEC home match, 4-3 over Tennessee. ... In track, FSU's Brooke Bastien, a Central High graduate, ran 11:00.67 to set a 3,000-meter steeplechase track record. FSU's Makiba Batten won the discus and shot put at the FSU Relays in Tallahassee.

HORSES: Captain Steve was the 2-1 favorite, with Best of the Bests at 3-2, for today's $6-million Dubai World Cup. ... Meetyouathebrig drew the ninth and final spot for today's $600,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway (Ky.) Park and was the 3-1 favorite. The 11/8-mile race is a major prep event for Kentucky Derby hopefuls. ... King Cugat was the 3-1 favorite for Sunday's $600,000 Explosive Bid Handicap at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

TRACK AND FIELD: Morne Nagel won at 100 meters in the Engen Summer Series meet at Pretoria, South Africa. Marina Kislova won the women's 100. ... British sprinter Michael Tietz was banned for two years after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

SKIING: Former Olympic champion Bill Johnson remained in a coma after a crash Thursday during the U.S. Alpine nationals at Whitefish, Mont. Daron Rahlves won the men's downhill and Kirsten Clark won the women's race.

ARCHERY: The United States won two senior level gold medals at the World Indoor Championships at Florence, Italy: Ashley Kamuf, Michelle Ragsdale and Mary Zorn in women's team compound and Richard Johnson, Joseph McGlyn and Victor Wunderle in men's team recurve.

BOXING: Oscar De La Hoya weighed in at 147 pounds for tonight's welterweight fight against Arturo Gatti (146) at Las Vegas.

GREYHOUNDS: Qualifying starts tonight at Derby Lane for the largest stakes purse of the season, the $100,000 Distance Classic on April7.

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