Briefly: National sports
Roddick rallies from three match points to beat Ljubicic
Andy Roddick fell into a big deficit and faced three match points before coming back to beat Ivan Ljubicic 1-6, 7-6 (10), 7-6 (3) Saturday in the RCA Championships semifinals in Indianapolis.
Roddick, who improved to 14-1 in tiebreakers since the French Open, will face Nicolas Kiefer in today’s final. Kiefer breezed past Gregory Carraz 6-2, 6-2.
The second-ranked American is trying to become the tournament’s first repeat champion since Pete Sampras in 1991-92.
“He outplayed me for two sets, plain and simple,” Roddick said. “I was a little luckier than he was. I’d like to take credit for today, but I don’t know.”
Roddick has faced Kiefer just once, winning 6-4, 6-3 in Cincinnati in 2002.
“Lindsay Davenport led 7-5, 2-0 in the JPMorgan Chase Open semifinals in Carson, Calif., when Venus Williams retired because of a right wrist injury. Williams said she tweaked it while pushing off her arms to get up after tying her shoe two hours before the match.
Davenport will play either top-seeded Serena Williams or No. 4 Elena Dementieva, who met in an evening semifinal at Home Depot Center.
“Flavia Pennetta gave Italy its first finalist at the Palermo International in 13 years by beating fourth-seeded Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-2, 7-6 (1) in Palermo, Sicily.
Second-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain won the other semifinal, easily eliminating Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-1.
“Top-seeded Carlos Moya was stopped in his bid for a fourth straight title at the Croatia Open, losing 6-3, 6-2 to fourth-seeded Filippo Volandri of Italy in a semifinal match in Umag, Croatia.
Volandri will face sixth-seeded Guillermo Canas of Argentina, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Guillermo Garcia Lopez of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
“The Generali Open semifinals and final will all be played today after rain washed out all action in Kitzbuehel, Austria.
Basketball
La Salle coaches resign
La Salle men’s basketball coach Billy Hahn and women’s coach John Miller have resigned amid two separate rape investigations involving players on the men’s team.
Both coaches were placed on administrative leave July 6 following an investigation that resulted in rape charges against former players Michael Cleaves and Gary Neal, and a claim by a former women’s player who came forward following those allegations claiming she was sexually assaulted by a men’s team player but was discouraged from telling police by La Salle coaches.
Cleaves, 22, of Paterson, N.J., and Neal, 19, of Baltimore, face charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, unlawful restraint and other charges after a basketball player from the University of New Haven told police she was raped at an on-campus party June 24.
“Former Missouri basketball player Ricky Clemons has applied for admission to Livingstone College in North Carolina.
Horse racing
Ashado wins handily
Ashado won Saturday’s 88th running of the Grade I, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at a muddy Belmont Park in New York.
The daughter of Saint Ballado remained undefeated in four career starts on wet footing when she came from just off the pace to register a decisive 4 1/2 -length victory over Stellar Jayne in the 1 1/4 -mile race for 3-year-old fillies.
“Simple Exchange beat Cool Conductor by a neck in the Grade II $250,000 American Derby at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.
“Jockey Alex Solis, who was leading riders in North America in purse money this year, fractured three ribs and a vertebra in his back in a one-horse spill on Friday in Del Mar, Calif.
Diving
Garcia, Soldati win titles
Olympic team members Caesar Garcia and Kimiko Soldati won titles in their specialties at the U.S. National Diving Championships in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Garcia won the men’s 10-meter platform event on his sixth and final dive, while Soldati won the women’s 3-meter springboard.