Jets' Vilma (knee) done for the season

Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma was placed on injured reserve yesterday with a knee injury, ending the one-time Pro Bowler's season after seven games. Vilma, who was hurt in New York's loss at Cincinnati last Sunday, missed practice all week and was listed as "out" on the team's injury report. "This is a not a career-threatening injury, and the doctors expect a full recovery," said Mitch Frankel, one of Vilma's representatives. The loss of one of their defensive captains is the latest disappointing development as the Jets have struggled to a 1-6 start. "I am disappointed that my season ended prematurely," Vilma said in a statement. "I was looking forward to playing the rest of the season and helping the team get back on track." The Jets would not announce the nature of the injury or which knee. They also activated linebacker Matt Chatham from the reserve/physically unable to perform list . . . Bills backup running back Anthony Thomas was added to Buffalo's injury list as "probable" for today's game against the Jets after suffering an eye injury at home Friday night.

The United States women's select basketball team lost to CSKA Moscow, 75-65, in the final of the FIBA World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Janel McCarville led the United States with 18 points and nine rebounds. Former University of Connecticut star Diana Taurasi, who had 25 points in the semifinal victory over host UMMC Ekaterinburg Friday, was held to 5 points in the championship game. "We knew we had to hold them to a lower scoring output, and we did that," said US coach Anne Donovan. "We kept them in the mid 70s, but we just couldn't put the ball in the hole very well tonight." . . . Denver Nuggets guard Chucky Atkins is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after an MRI revealed a severe right groin strain . . . Kobe Bryant didn't practice with the Lakers because of his sprained right wrist, but coach Phil Jackson said he expected Bryant to play Tuesday night in the season opener against the Rockets.

Denise Karbon of Italy won the World Cup season-opening giant slalom, her first victory in four years, and Olympic champion Julia Mancuso finished runner-up in Soelden, Austria. Karbon, who sustained two debilitating injuries over the last few seasons, tore down the Rettenbach course in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes 23.21 seconds. "It's my first victory in a long time," Karbon said. "But then, it's the first time in a long time that I haven't been injured." Mancuso finished in 2:23.54 after a speedy top section on her second run to rally from 12th position. "I had a wake-up call after the first run," the American said. "In the second run, my technique was poor but I was much faster." . . . Josef Wenzl of Germany was the surprise winner at the season opener of cross-country skiing's World Cup in Duesseldorf, Germany. Wenzl collected his first World Cup win, covering the 1.5-kilometer freestyle sprint race in 3:07.04 on artificial snow in a race watched by 80,000 spectators. Natalia Matveyeva of Russia won the women's freestyle race in 1:48.1.

Top-ranked Roger Federer defeated Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), to move into the final of his hometown Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel. The defending champion will play Jarkko Nieminen, who advanced to his first final of the year by beating Marcos Baghdatis, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. A win for Federer can clinch his season at No. 1 for the fourth straight year. "After a bumpy ride in the first round and a bit of a scare, my game has progressed and I feel good going into the final," said Federer, who is 7-0 against Nieminen. "You can't underestimate him. The fans will expect me to take a quick lead, but it might not happen." . . . Second-seeded Andy Murray beat third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1), to advance to the final of the St. Petersburg (Russia) Open. In his fourth final this season, Murray will face sixth-seeded Fernando Verdasco, who beat Marin Cilic, 6-2, 6-3. Murray won his second career title in San Jose in February and was runner-up at Doha and Metz . . . Second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova beat Nicole Vaidisova, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), to advance to the final of the Generali Ladies in Linz, Austria. She will face Patty Schnyder, who defeated Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 . . . Sebastien Grosjean cruised to the final of the Lyon (France) Grand Prix by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 6-2. Grosjean today will face Marc Gicquel, who beat Alejandro Falla, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7).

US flyweight Rau'shee Warren, who competed in the Athens Olympics, is one win from qualifying for the Beijing Games after beating Mexico's Avila Juarez Braulio, 23-3, at the World Boxing Championships in Chicago. Middleweight Shawn Estrada beat Ryota Murata of Japan, sealing the win with a 17-12 comeback. Featherweight Raynell Williams won over Kazakhstan's Mazat Ospanov, 28-9, after struggling at the start. And super heavyweight Michael Hunter scored a 30-7 win over Turkey's Kurban Gunebakan . . . Unbeaten Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin (14-0, 11KOs) pounded Chris Byrd until the American's father threw in the towel in the 11th round in Erfurt, Germany. The 2004 Olympic champion took a step toward fighting world champion Wladimir Klitschko, winning the bloody International Boxing Federation elimination fight.