Bonds drops suit against authors

Baseball

San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds has dropped a lawsuit against the authors of the book ``Game of Shadows" that claims he used steroids, court papers show. Bonds asked June 2 that the suit against San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams in San Francisco Superior Court be dismissed, according to a filing posted on the court's website. Bonds sued Fainaru-Wada, Williams, Penguin Group Inc.'s Gotham Books, and others, claiming the authors illegally obtained his secret grand jury testimony from a US criminal case against Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) . . . Bonds missed his fourth straight game yesterday with a sore left side and most likely won't play until San Francisco goes on the road this week. The team plays at Arizona Tuesday.

Jason Grimsley plans to fight the Arizona Diamondbacks' decision to withhold the remainder of his $825,000 salary. ``The whole thing is already in process," agent Joe Bick said. ``We haven't filed anything yet, but the players' association is aware of it." The Diamondbacks released the reliever Wednesday, one day after they learned federal agents had searched his home in an investigation into performance-enhancing drugs. Bick said he received a call Friday from Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes, who told him the club had decided not to pay Grimsley, who was signed as a free agent last winter. The 38-year-old Grimsley has not been charged with any crime.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jose Guillen was activated off the disabled list after being sidelined with a strained right hamstring. He was placed on the DL May 27, retroactive to May 26 . . . Philadelphia Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left hip, his second trip to the DL this season. The move was retroactive to June 6, when Lieberthal was injured in Arizona . . . The Kansas City Royals optioned righthander Leo Nunez to Triple A Omaha to make room on the roster for pitcher Todd Wellemeyer, who was claimed off waivers from Florida.

Tennis

Andre Agassi will get a true test in his first match back from a three-month layoff, facing Tim Henman on grass in the Wimbledon tuneup tournament at Queen's Club in London. The 36-year-old Agassi and Henman were drawn to face each other in the first round, which begins tomorrow. Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, last appeared on tour in March, and has played only seven matches this season, going 4-3 . . . French Open semifinalist Nicole Vaidisova will skip the Eastbourne grass-court tournament and stay in Prague to prepare for Wimbledon.

Cycling

US rider Levi Leipheimer kept his overall lead in the Dauphine Libere while Spanish climber Iban Mayo won the next-to-last stage of this warmup race for the Tour de France in July. Mayo finished the 105-mile sixth leg in 5 hours 1 minute 42 seconds, a day after finishing second. Spain's Alejandro Valverde was second, 1:21 behind. France's Christophe Moreau was third, 1:37 back. The 8,386-foot Col du Galibier tunnel was the biggest challenge on the ride from Briancon to La Toussuire in the French Alps. Leipheimer was fourth and holds an overall lead of 1:48 over Moreau entering today's last stage . . . Belgium's Tom Boonen won a sprint finish to capture the first stage of the Tour de Suisse. Boonen held off Italy's Daniele Bennati and Spain's Oscar Freire in the 96-mile run, which started and ended in Baden, Switzerland.

Miscellany

Heavy rain and strong winds forced a cancellation of the racing card at Suffolk Downs and simulcasting was halted when the track suffered a power outage. Simulcasting is scheduled to resume today and live racing is scheduled to return tomorrow . . . The New England Riptide's fastpitch softball game with the Chicago Bandits was rained out in Lowell. The teams were tied, 3-3, when Friday night's game was halted in the sixth inning. The game will be continued today at 1:30 before their regularly scheduled game at 3:05. The teams will then play again at 7:05 to make up the game rained out June 8. Tickets from the rainouts will be honored at any future Riptide games . . . Becky Hammon had 23 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 71-67 victory over the host San Antonio Silver Stars in the WNBA.