World Cup Final Receives Its Highest TV Rating Since 1994

The World Cup final earned a 7.0 preliminary national rating for ABC, a 180 percent increase from the 2002 final in Japan.

Sunday's final in Berlin, in which Italy beat France on penalty kicks, was also the third-highest-rated men's soccer game on ABC since the network resumed airing the World Cup in 1994. Only the '94 final, when Brazil beat Italy on penalty kicks (9.5), and a second-round match that year between the U.S. and Brazil (9.3) had higher ratings. . . .

Juventus, the Serie A power at the center of the Italy match-fixing scandal, hired former midfielder and French national player Didier Deschamps as coach.

· BASEBALL: Boston Red Sox right-hander Jason Johnson , who is struggling in the majors and needs a place to pitch during the all-star break, was optioned to Class A Wilmington.

· BASKETBALL : Bill Walker , one of the nation's top high school basketball players, won't be allowed to play this year because he has used up his eligibility.

Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward who combined with O.J. Mayo to lead North College Hill High in Cincinnati to consecutive state championships, has completed his eight semesters of eligibility, the Ohio High School Athletic Association said.

Walker played a year as a ninth-grader at Rose Hill Christian in Ashland, Ky., before enrolling at North College Hill as an eighth-grader in February 2003. . . .

Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever withdrew from the WNBA All-Star Game after tendinitis was diagnosed in her left heel. Catchings was this year's top vote-getter in fan balloting with more than 115,000 votes. The All-Star Game is tomorrow in New York.

· COLLEGES : Clemson offensive lineman Roman Fry was driving the personal watercraft that struck and killed the school's assistant track coach last weekend.

The South Carolina Natural Resources Department said alcohol is not thought to be a contributing factor in the accident, in which Jarrett Foster , 32, died from head injuries on Saturday.

Fry underwent and passed several field sobriety tests, according to his attorney.

-- From News Services