In brief: Oudin sees U.S. Open run come to end
Maybe it all was a little too much, a little too soon for Melanie Oudin.
The 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga., kept erasing big deficits and upsetting older, taller, higher-ranked players at the U.S. Open in New York, generating more and more interest in her magical ride.
Her surprising story ended Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to No. 9-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
Wozniacki will play her first Grand Slam semifinal against another 19-year-old, Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, who beat Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4.
The men’s semifinals Saturday will include – no surprise here – Roger Federer, who improved to 12-0 against Robin Soderling by beating the 12th-seeded Swede 6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (6).
Federer will face No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who beat No. 10 Fernando Verdasco of Spain 7-6 (2), 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Appears Quinn will be Browns’ starting QB
NFL: Derek Anderson stood in the middle of the media huddle in Cleveland’s locker room and then stepped aside for Brady Quinn.
Perhaps for good.
Anderson was asked if it would be difficult to keep the starting QB a secret until Sunday’s kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings.
“No,” Anderson said, “because after this next two minutes are over I’m not going to be talking to you guys.”
Browns coach Eric Mangini met with his quarterbacks and told them who would start. According to Anderson’s reaction, it appears Quinn won.
•Lions sue Rogers: The Detroit Lions have gone to federal court to recover $6.1 million from former receiver Charles Rogers, whose NFL career was sidelined by substance abuse problems.
Rogers was suspended for substance abuse in 2005 and released by the Lions the next year. The team says he must repay two-thirds of a $9.1 million bonus.
•Accusations against Merriman under review: The District Attorney’s Office began reviewing accusations of domestic violence that reality TV star Tila Tequila brought against star linebacker Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers.
The D.A. will review reports from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and decide if he will be charged.
•Roethlisberger nixes settlement offer: The attorney for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rejected a settlement offer by a Nevada woman who claims the Super Bowl champion sexually assaulted her at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino.
The rejection was in response to a letter, filed last week as part of a motion from Cal Dunlap, the woman’s Reno attorney, that said she would be willing to settle the civil matter against Roethlisberger if he admits to raping her, apologizes and gives $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women in Reno, Nev.
•Ticket prices up: NFL ticket prices climbed 3.9 percent to an average of $74.99 for the 2009 season.
According to Team Marketing Report’s survey, 21 teams either kept prices the same or lowered them. The main reason for the percentage increase was the new Dallas Cowboys’ stadium that cost $1.2 billion to build.
The average ticket to a Cowboys game costs $159.65, a record for the Fan Cost Index survey, which dates to 1991.
Timberwolves, Hornets make trade
Basketball: The New Orleans Hornets agreed to trade reserve point guard Antonio Daniels and a 2014 second-round draft pick to Minnesota in exchange for forward Darius Songaila and guard Bobby Brown.
•Wade eyes free agency: Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade said he won’t sign a long-term extension and will revisit his future with the team as a free agent next summer.
•Turiaf sparks France: Former Gonzaga University star Ronny Turiaf had 18 points and 14 rebounds to help France to a 69-64 win over Russia at the European basketball championships in Warsaw, Poland.
Pole vaulter Dragila calls it quits
Miscellany: Former world and Olympic champion Stacy Dragila ended her 14-year pole vaulting career with a second-place finish at the DecaNation meet in Paris.
The 38-year-old American won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and is a two-time world champion.
•Celski beats Ohno: J.R. Celski beat childhood idol Apolo Anton Ohno.
Celski won the 1,500 meters at the U.S. short track speed- skating national championships in Marquette, Mich.
Celski, 19, from Federal Way, Wash., was timed in 2:22.834. Ohno was clocked in 2:23.050.
•Stewart wins charity race: Tony Stewart won his own dirt-track charity race in dominating fashion in Rossburg, Ohio.
Stewart passed Kenny Wallace on the 13th lap and never looked back to capture the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to a Dream for the second year in a row.
Clint Bowyer was second.
•Volcanoes grab series lead: Craig Westcott allowed three hits in seven shutout innings and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 7-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 Northwest League baseball championship series.