News & Notes
Roddick, Blake Take It Slowly in Wins
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Andy Roddick and James Blake won opening singles matches to give the defending champion United States a 2-0 lead over Austria in the first round of the Davis Cup in Vienna.
Roddick was taken to five sets by Jurgen Melzer and struggled on the slow indoor clay. But he won, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3.
"The court was terrible, the worst I ever played on in Davis Cup," Roddick said. "It was the tough match I expected but I won and that means we accomplished our goal."
Blake had far less trouble once he got past the first set in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Stefan Koubek. . . .
Agnes Szavay upset second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to advance to the semifinals of the Open Gaz de France in Paris.
¿ COLLEGES: John Brady was fired as LSU's basketball coach. The Tigers enter the weekend with an 8-13 record. Brady was the third-winningest coach in program history; his 192-139 record included a trip to the Final Four in 2006.
"I've coached in the best league in the country and I've coached a lot of great guys," a tearful Brady said during a news conference with LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman. . . .
Missouri senior men's basketball player Stefhon Hannah was arrested on third-degree assault charges in a nightclub brawl that left him with a broken jaw.
Hannah has been Missouri's leading scorer the past two seasons. . . .
Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis, who built his coaching reputation as a play-caller while helping the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls, won't be calling plays next season. Offensive coordinator Mike Haywood will call plays.
Weis decided to move away from play-calling after meeting with his old boss, Bill Belichick.
Weis also commented on Dana Jacobson, co-host of ESPN's "First Take," being disciplined by ESPN after an expletive-laden speech that included comments about Notre Dame and Weis during a roast of "Mike & Mike in the Morning" co-hosts Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg.
"If the situation were reversed, and that were me saying them, two things would have happened. I would have been the lead story on 'SportsCenter,' and I would have been fired," he said.
¿ PRO FOOTBALL: Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher underwent minor neck surgery recently and is expected to be fully recovered when training camp starts in July.
He acknowledged during the season that an arthritic back condition forced him at times to play in pain.
¿ BASEBALL: The doctor who claims he knows Curt Schilling's shoulder "better than anybody who breathes on this planet" insists surgery is the only way the 20-year veteran can pitch again. But Boston's team physician disagrees.
-- From News Services
