FSU official wants Bowden out after '09

Dinara Safina lost to Chinese wild card Zhang Shuai, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), in the second round of the China Open in Beijing, a result that could lead to Serena Williams taking the No. 1 ranking. The WTA reported that the upset made No. 226 Zhang the lowest-ranked woman ever to defeat a world No. 1. Frenchwoman Julie Coin held the previous record, having a No. 188 ranking when she beat Ana Ivanovic at last year’s US Open. Safina’s only chance of retaining the top ranking is if Serena Williams loses to Ekaterina Makarova today. Safina’s loss wasn’t the only upset in Beijing: Venus Williams fell to teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, the second time in a week the Russian has beaten her.

Matt Kuchar won the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y., besting Vaughn Taylor on the sixth hole of a sudden-death playoff. Kuchar improved to 2-0 in playoffs and won the top prize of $1.08 million, boosting his earnings for the year over $2 million. It was the second career victory for Kuchar, who won the 2002 Honda Classic . . . Simon Dyson of England won the Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland, by three strokes after shooting a 6-under 66 that included birdies on six of the first seven holes. Dyson finished at 20-under 268. England’s Oliver Wilson (65) and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (69) shared second.

Defending national champion Boston University was picked No. 2 in the USCHO.com/CSTV college hockey preseason poll, behind only Denver. Other New England schools cracking the Top 20 were Yale (eighth), UMass-Lowell (11th), Boston College (12th), Vermont (14th), New Hampshire (16th), and Northeastern (20th). . . . Stars’ Mike Modano has soreness and bruising in his ribs, but an MRI showed no damage. Modano said he’s doubtful for tonight’s game at Edmonton.

Sea The Stars’ trainer John Oxx, who has dubbed the 3-year-old colt “the Usain Bolt of the equine world’’ said he might enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic next month. The Irish colt became the first in history to win the English 2000 Guineas, Derby, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. “My gut instinct is that after the hard season the horse has had, with six races in six months, America is probably a step too far, but we haven’t ruled it out,’’ Oxx said . . . Countries could be barred from hosting the Olympics, starting with the 2018 Games, if they don’t have laws that empower police to raid and investigate those suspected of helping athletes use performance-enhancing drugs . . . Clint Dempsey will miss the United States’s World Cup qualifier at Honduras Saturday because of a sprained right shoulder. The former Revolution midfielder has five goals during the qualifying stage for next year’s tournament . . . Former US Soccer Federation secretary general Hank Steinbrecher is among the inductees to the New England Soccer Hall of Fame. Steinbrecher, 62, coach at Boston University from 1980-85, guided the USSF during the 1994 World Cup, the only time the finals have been held in the US. Also named were former New York Cosmos draft choice Carlos Carlos; Brown assistant women’s coach Denis M. Chartier; Franklin Youth Soccer’s Richard Frongillo; Boston College men’s coach Ed Kelly; former US national team and Revolution defender Janusz Michallik; and Michael Stricklin of Rhode Island.