Blake stays in Masters Cup contention

November 1, 2007

James Blake and Richard Gasquet, both in contention for the final two berths of the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, won yesterday at the Paris Masters and will face each other in the third round today. The sixth-seeded Blake beat Nicolas Mahut, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, and the 10th-seeded Gasquet topped Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). Top-seeded Roger Federer beat Ivo Karlovic, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to reach the third round and earn a chance to avenge a recent loss to David Nalbandian. Nalbandian beat Federer for the Madrid Masters title Oct. 21 and has won both times the two have met in a tournament final. Novak Djokovic was ousted from the Paris Masters, losing to Fabrice Santoro, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round.

Harvard free safety Doug Hewlett and Fitchburg State tailback Marlon Thornton received this week's Gold Helmet awards from the New England College Football Writers. Hewlett picked off three passes in the Crimson's 28-21 win over visiting Dartmouth, the first Harvard player to record three interceptions since 1967. Thornton rushed for a season-high 256 yards and four touchdowns on 44 carries in Fitchburg's 49-40 New England Football Conference win over Westfield State . . . Louisiana State linebacker Derrick Odom was charged with a misdemeanor, accused of smashing a car window after a brawl at a Baton Rouge, La., nightclub last week, and was kicked off the team by coach Les Miles. Backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who also was in the fight but wasn't charged, was barred from practice and will not play Saturday against Alabama.

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team was ranked No. 2 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll. It's the highest ranking for the Huskies since they were the top choice before the 2003-04 season. Tennessee was ranked No. 1, with Rutgers, Maryland, and LSU rounding out the top five . . . The NCAA penalized Indiana University of Pennsylvania for infractions by its former men's basketball and swimming coaches by putting the school on probation for two years and reducing the number of scholarships for both programs.

Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher, 35, will undergo surgery to repair cartilage damage in his right knee and will miss 2-4 weeks. Hatcher, who had his streak of 107 consecutive games recently snapped because the knee was bothering him, said he aggravated the injury lifting weights . . . Predators owner Craig Leipold decided to give more time to the local investors trying to buy the NHL team and keep it in Nashville. The local investors faced a midnight deadline last night to finalize the sale or lose exclusive negotiating rights.

Forward Al Jefferson, 22, and the Minnesota Timberwolves announced a multiyear contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed. "Al has proven that at only 22 years of age he is among the rising stars in the NBA," said Kevin McHale, Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations. Jefferson, who was acquired from the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett deal July 31, has averaged 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the field during his three-year career . . . Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom sustained a slight concussion in an automobile accident Tuesday morning, the team said. Odom is sitting out the first few games of the season while recuperating from shoulder surgery . . . Lakers owner Jerry Buss has been suspended for two games and fined $25,000 by NBA commissioner David Stern in conjunction with Buss's conviction on a misdemeanor drunk driving charge . . . The Minnesota Timberwolves exercised the third-year option on guard Randy Foye and the fourth-year option on guard Rashad McCants . . . The Orlando Magic signed guard Jameer Nelson to a multiyear contract extension . . . Lisa Leslie made her return to the court after taking a year off to help an uncle who was paralyzed in a car crash and to give birth to a baby girl in June, scoring 8 points and adding 10 rebounds as the US national women's team beat host Maryland, 90-73, beginning an eight-game college tour.

Rau'shee Warren overcame a sore shoulder to earn another trip to the Olympics. Warren beat Violito Payla of the Philippines, 25-11, in Chicago to make the quarterfinals of the World Boxing Championships, earning him a spot in Beijing next year in the flyweight division. Two other Americans won Olympic berths: light flyweight Luis Yanez overwhelmed Stephen Sutherland of Australia with the fight being stopped in the second round, and welterweight Demetrius Andrade pounded out a 26-6 decision over Magomed Nurudinov of Belarus . . . William Condren, co-owner of Kentucky Derby winners Strike the Gold and Go for Gin, died this week at Mass. General Hospital in Boston. He was 74. Condren won the 1991 Derby with Strike the Gold, and three years later won the race again with Go for Gin. Condren also owned 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze.