In brief: Guerrero claims knee won’t require surgery

Vladimir Guerrero’s aching right knee that bothered him last season feels better and won’t require surgery.

The Los Angeles outfielder, who participated in a charity softball game Saturday in the Dominican Republic organized by Boston slugger David Ortiz, told the Associated Press that the Angels were considering surgery.

“They were going to operate on me, but it wasn’t necessary because I had a good recovery,” he said.

Guerrero, a 30-year-old Dominican native, batted .329 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs last season. He played in 156 games despite discomfort in his knee.

Tennis

France upsets U.S. at Hopman Cup

France upset the defending champion U.S. team and Australia beat top-seeded Russia in the opening matches of the Hopman Cup mixed teams tournament in Perth, Australia.

Tatiana Golovin defeated Ashley Harkleroad 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and 213th-ranked Jerome Haehnel beat Mardy Fish 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to give France an unbeatable lead before forfeiting the mixed doubles match.

Olympic silver medalist Fish, ranked No. 47, was a replacement for Taylor Dent, who combined with Lisa Raymond to win the last Hopman Cup.

Dent withdrew from a title defense because of a back problem. Harkleroad replaced Venus Williams, who pulled out with a wrist injury.

College sports

Prosecutor’s ethics trial won’t start soon

By the time the prosecutor in the Duke University lacrosse case is tried on ethics charges, the sexual assault indictment he sought against three players may have been long since dismissed.

If the woman who claims the players sexually assaulted her at a party can’t identify them at a February hearing, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong has said, he will abandon the divisive case.

The bar association, which filed ethics charges Thursday, will not schedule Nifong’s trial-like hearing for at least three months, Thomas Lunsford, executive director of the state bar said Friday.

Earlier this month, Nifong dropped rape charges against the athletes after the woman wavered, saying she was no longer certain intercourse had occurred, a requirement under the wording of the state’s rape law.

“Tennessee senior wide receiver Bret Smith has been declared academically ineligible to play in Monday’s Outback Bowl against Penn State.

Smith had a career-high 39 catches, 453 yards and five touchdowns this season.

“Tennessee freshman guard Marques Johnson has decided to transfer, men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced.

Miscellany

U.S. thumps Slovakia in junior hockey

Pat Kane scored two power-play goals and added an assist to lead the United States past winless Slovakia 6-1 at the world junior hockey championship in Mora, Sweden.

The U.S., which won the title in 2004, has four points heading into its last game against Sweden today.

Sweden beat Germany 3-1 to clinch a playoff berth with six points in Group A.

“Bud Delp, the Hall of Fame trainer who guided Spectacular Bid to Kentucky Derby and Preakness victories in 1979, has died in Ellicott City, Md. He was 74.

Delp, who died of cancer Friday at home, was inducted into horse racing’s Hall of Fame in August 2002. Known for saying that races were won in the morning, Delp trained 70 winners.

“Hannu Manninen of Finland finished strongly in a men’s cross-country race to win a Nordic Combined World Cup event in Ruhpolding, Germany.

Christoph Bieler of Austria took the overall lead in the World Cup standings with 356 points after six races.