Hewitt tops Blake to win Queen's Club

Tennis

Lleyton Hewitt defeated James Blake, 6-4, 6-4, to win the grass-court championship at the Queen's Club tournament yesterday in London. The eighth-seeded Australian, who won three straight titles at the Wimbledon warm-up from 2000-02, joined John McEnroe and Boris Becker as four-time winners . . . Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, and tied Bjorn Borg's record of 41 straight grass-court wins with a 6-0, 6-7 (7-4), 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych. Federer tied Borg's record, set between 1976-81, while playing in his ninth final in nine tournaments in 2006 . . . Sixth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis struggled to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ivo Minar at the Ordina Open in Den Bosch, Netherlands. On the women's side, Dutchwoman Brenda Schultz- McCarthy marked her return to the circuit after a six-year retirement with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Laura Granville . . . Vera Zvonareva won her first title in 16 months, a 7-6 (14-12), 7-6 (7-5) victory over Jamea Jackson at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England.

Baseball

Steve Karsay had the rare luxury of beginning and ending his career with the same club. Karsay announced his retirement from the Oakland A's one day after picking up a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers with two innings of relief in the 17-inning marathon -- his first win since Sept. 11, 2002, with the Yankees. The 34-year-old Karsay finishes his 11-year big league career with a 32-39 record, 41 saves, and a 4.01 ERA in 357 appearances and 40 starts . . . The Toronto Blue Jays recalled righthander Josh Towers and optioned reliever Vinnie Chulk to Triple A Syracuse. Towers was 2-2 with a 2.48 ERA with the SkyChiefs . . . The Reds told righthander Rick White that he will be designated for assignment. White cleaned out his locker after an 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox . . . The Yankees purchased the contract of Jose Veras from Triple A Columbus and returned outfielder Kevin Thompson to the minors. Veras, a 25-year-old reliever who has never pitched in the majors, was 2-2 with eight saves and a 3.00 ERA in 26 appearances at Columbus. He was signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent in December.

Kip Wells was supposed to be out of the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation until the All-Star break but could return as early as tomorrow. With righthander Victor Santos (4-7, 4.83 ERA) bothered by a split fingernail and blister on his right middle finger, manager Jim Tracy is weighing whether to start Wells or minor league lefthander Tom Gorzelanny against the Royals. The Pirates have used only five starting pitchers all season -- Santos, Ian Snell, and lefthanders Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, and Oliver Perez. Wells, who had surgery in March to repair a blocked artery near his right shoulder, is scheduled for a third minor league rehab start tomorrow for Triple A Indianapolis . . . Tyler Minges went 5 for 6 with two doubles and two RBIs and Brandon Moss added a home run and three RBIs as the Portland Sea Dogs beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 14-7, in Manchester, N.H. Zack Borowiak added three hits, including a solo home run, and knocked in two and Dusty Brown added two more RBIs as Portland broke open a 4-3 game by scoring 11 runs over the final four innings. Randy Beam (2-1) earned the win . . . Alejandro Machado's two-run single in the 17th inning helped lift the Pawtucket Red Sox over the Braves, 8-5, in Richmond . . . The 29th annual Eastern Massachusetts High School All-Star Baseball Game will be held tonight at 7 at Fraser Field in Lynn.

Basketball

UCLA guard Jordan Farmar confirmed his decision to remain in the NBA draft, a move that will split up the Bruins' backcourt duo of Farmar and Arron Afflalo. Afflalo, who announced Saturday he had withdrawn his name from the June 28 draft, and Farmar led the Bruins to a runner-up finish to Florida in the national championship game . . . All-Big East center Aaron Gray will skip the NBA draft and return to Pitt for his senior season. The 7-foot Gray had an excellent junior season, averaging 13.9 points and a conference-leading 10.5 rebounds for the 25-8 Panthers.

Cycling

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has called on the International Olympic Committee to take disciplinary action against Dick Pound, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency. In an eight-page letter sent to IOC president Jacques Rogge and published on Armstrong's official supporters' website (thepaceline.com), the 34-year-old Texan accused Pound of violating IOC rules by his conduct during the independent investigation into allegations last August of doping against Armstrong by French newspaper L'Equipe. Armstrong was cleared in May . . . Alberto Contador won the eighth stage of the Tour de Suisse while fellow Spaniard Koldo Gil Perez retained the overall lead. Contador finished the 103-mile course that began and ended in Ambri, Switzerland, in 4 hours 19 minutes 3 seconds.

Golf

Cesar Monasterio won his first European Tour golf title, capturing the Saint-Omer (France) Open by one stroke after closing with a 4-under-par 67. The 42-year-old Argentine finished with a total of 274 . . . Hunter Haas won the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open for the second time in three years, closing with a 3-under 69 for a five-stroke victory over Gary Christian and Parker McLachlin. Haas, 29, finished with a 19-under 269 total on the Fox Den course.