Russia ousts injury-plagued US team
TENNIS
Defending champion Russia completed a 4-1 victory over the United States yesterday in a Fed Cup semifinal showdown at Moscow and will face host France in the final Sept. 17-18. France reached the final for the third straight year, defeating visiting Spain, 3-1, at Aix-En-Provence in a rain-shortened semifinal. The Americans needed to scramble because of injuries to Serena Williams and top-ranked Lindsay Davenport. ''It was a tough situation," US captain Zina Garrison said. ''We knew it was going to be tough when we came in. And we tried to repair as much as we could, but we came up short." The US has won the Fed Cup 17 times -- more than any other nation. Its last title, however, came in 2000. The US began the day down, 2-0, in the five-match competition on indoor clay at Olympic Stadium, and Wimbledon champion Venus Williams kept her team alive by downing Elena Dementieva, 6-1, 6-2. Russia clinched its spot in the final when Anastasia Myskina beat Jill Craybas, 6-2, 6-4. In the inconsequential doubles match, Vera Douchevina and Dinara Safina defeated Williams and Corina Morariu, 6-1, 7-5. In France, Amelie Mauresmo provided the winning margin, downing Nuria Llagostera Vives, 6-3, 6-1, to make it 3-0. Spain's Arantxa Parra Santonja then beat Severine Beltrame, 6-4, 6-4 . . . French Open champion Rafael Nadal overcame a sluggish start to beat Tomas Berdych, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the Swedish Open final at Bastad . . . At Gstaad, Gaston Gaudio defeated Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-4, to capture the Swiss Open.
BASEBALL
Rogers won't bow out of All-Star Game
The boos won't deter Kenny Rogers. The Rangers' starter told the Dallas Morning News last night that he would participate in tomorrow night's All-Star Game in Detroit. ''People are going to do whatever they are going to do," Rogers said. ''I'm going because I was voted in by the players, and I earned it. I want the players to know their vote means a lot to me. I know how the players feel, and if I thought it would benefit them if I didn't go, I wouldn't go." Rogers did not make a formal announcement about his decision because he didn't want to give the impression his decision to attend the game was out of the ordinary. But it has been the source of many questions in the 10 days since he toppled over one TV camera and tussled with a cameraman for control of another. He received a 20-game suspension and $50,000 fine from Major League Baseball for the incident. He also was cited for a Class C misdemeanor assault charge. A more serious misdemeanor assault charge is still pending. Rogers said his biggest concern was causing a distraction for the other players on the team. He said he spoke with American League manager Terry Francona earlier this week, and Francona said he'd support whatever Rogers decided . . . St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen pulled out of the All-Star Game to rest a problematic right shoulder and was replaced by Houston's Morgan Ensberg (.290, 24 HRs, 65 RBIs) . . . Rangers second baseman Alfonso Soriano missed yesterday's game against the Blue Jays to be with his wife in Panama for the upcoming birth of their third child. However, Soriano will fly to Detroit for the All-Star Game . . . Kansas City prospect Justin Huber hit a two-run double and was named MVP of the All-Star Futures game last night in Detroit where Texas pitcher Edison Volquez, nicknamed ''Little Pedro," led a parade of dazzling pitchers that sent the World team to a 4-0 victory over the US squad . . . Washington Nationals second baseman Junior Spivey will have surgery today to repair a broken bone in his right forearm and will miss 8-10 weeks.
SOCCER
Borgetti's goals help lift Mexico
Jared Borgetti scored two early goals to lead Mexico to a 4-0 rout of Guatemala in the first round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles. Gerardo Galindo and Omar Bravo also scored as Mexico remained in contention for a quarterfinal berth by eliminating Guatemala. The top two finishers from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-place teams, qualify for the quarterfinals. Borgetti, who leads CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with 12 goals, scored his first goal in the fourth minute, and got another nine minutes later. Borgetti has 35 career goals, tying him with Luis Hernandez and Carlos Hermosillo for the national team's all-time record . . . Teafore Bennett, who entered the game in the 65th minute, scored in the 80th minute, giving Jamaica a 3-3 tie with South Africa in another first-round game. Jamaica and South Africa remain tied for first in Group C with four points. Mexico is third with three points . . . Wilmer Velasquez scored twice in a four-minute span late in the second half to rally Honduras to a 2-1 victory over Columbia in Miami . . . Also in Miami, Cornell Glen scored in second-half injury time, rallying Trinidad and Tobago to a 2-2 tie with Panama . . . Tiffeny Milbrett became the sixth woman to score 100 international goals, helping the US national team beat Ukraine, 7-0, with her goal in an exhibition match at Portland, Ore.
MISCELLANY
Stephenson gets Oklahoma post
Longtime Wichita State baseball coach Gene Stephenson was named coach at Oklahoma, succeeding Larry Cochell, who resigned May 1 after using a racial slur during off-camera interviews. Stephenson, 59, who ranks second in Division 1 career victories, returns to the program for which he was a recruiting coordinator and hitting instructor for five seasons in the 1970s. He replaces Sunny Galloway, who took over as interim coach when Cochell resigned. Stephenson has a career coaching record of 1,506-489-3, second in victories to Texas's Augie Garrido (1,542) . . . Michigan State wide receiver Agim Shabaj will enter the NFL's supplemental draft after being declared academically ineligible for the 2005 season.
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