Monday July 21, 2008
SPORTS FRONT PAGE 
Wozniak collects stunning victory
Aleksandra Wozniak scored what is probably the greatest singles victory by a Canadian tennis player when she won the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., yesterday, defeating Marion Bartoli of France 7-5, 6-3 in the final.
Harrington fends off Norman
Padraig Harrington won the British Open for the second consecutive year while Greg Norman lost the seventh of eight major championships he's led into the final round. Those bald facts state what happened yesterday on yet another windy day at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, but they hardly tell the tale.
Paying tribute to a passionate environmentalist, writer and friend
From his writing desk in the cottage he calls home, Van Gorman Egan can look down on the glinting waters of the Campbell River, which flows along his property, before sweeping downstream to pass the old family home of the late Roderick Haig-Brown.
HOCKEY
Flames add muscle to their lineup
The Calgary Flames signed veteran enforcer Andre Roy to a one-year, $550,000 contract (U.S.) yesterday. The left winger, who played the past two seasons for the Tampa Bay Lightning, had four goals and three assists to go along with 108 penalty minutes last season. ''Andre is a player with a Stanley Cup championship who provides us with a dimension that is still important in the league,'' Flames general manager Darryl Sutter said. ''It was our goal to replace that aspect on our team, and we felt it was better to do it now than to trade for it as we go into camp.''
BASEBALL
Rios powers Blue Jays over first-place Rays
A sweep would have been far more dramatic. And to put it politely, there are some questions about the Toronto Blue Jays team they faced. But in winning two of their first three games coming out of the all-star game break, there is a sense that the Tampa Bay Rays may have their mojo back.
Durham leaves town with visiting team
The San Francisco Giants traded second baseman Ray Durham to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor leaguers after the teams played yesterday. Durham was in a Giants uniform for the series finale against Milwaukee, but appeared prepared to leave town with the Brewers for St. Louis afterward. The 36-year-old second baseman, in his sixth season with San Francisco and the final year of a two-year contract, had to approve the deal. Durham was held out of San Francisco's lineup, but manager Bruce Bochy said he was available for the game. Emmanuel Burriss started at second and Durham never got in the game. San Francisco received left-hander Steve Hammond and outfielder Darren Ford for the second baseman.
COLUMNISTS
Draw is full of booby traps
Even Andre Agassi looked a little glum in the intermittent drizzle yesterday, or at least he did on the giant banner of him on the front of the Rexall Centre.
FOOTBALL
Joseph's late TD caps thrilling comeback
Kerry Joseph needed a performance like this.For the first three games of the Toronto Argonauts season, Joseph was embroiled in a quarterback controversy with Michael Bishop and struggled to return to the form that brought him both CFL most valuable player honours and a Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year.
Dolphins trade Taylor to Redskins
Jason Taylor is leaving the only NFL team he's known, going from the Miami Dolphins to the Washington Redskins in a trade yesterday.The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor.
ROUGHRIDERS REMAIN UNDEFEATED
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are 4-0 for the first time since 1970 - 11 years before defensive back Lance Frazier was born.Behind by two points with just over two minutes to play, Roughriders' defensive tackle Jimmy Verdon swatted a Montreal Alouettes pass into the hands of Frazier to set up the touchdown that pulled the ''Riders ahead and on their way to a 41-33 victory Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
BASKETBALL
QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT: GERMANY ADVANCES
Germany won the final spot in the 12-team Olympic basketball tournament, getting 32 points from Dirk Nowitzki yesterday in a 96-82 victory over Puerto Rico.Croatia and Greece had earned the other two men's berths at stake in this qualifying tournament a day earlier.
No more cramming for U.S.
Three weeks wasn't enough time to prepare for the last Olympics. So now the United States is trying three years.The Americans open training camp today, but they're much closer to the end of their Olympic preparations than the beginning. With the same coaching staff and many of the same players back for their third consecutive summer, much of the work has already been done.
Iran realizes a dream
Suddenly, basketball matters in Iran.Normally the sport is an afterthought given the popularity of soccer, weightlifting and wrestling. But that has all changed now that Iran's national basketball team is preparing for its first Olympic appearance in 60 years.
OTHER SPORTS
TFC, San Jose play to scoreless draw
There are 14 more regular-season Major League Soccer games this season for Toronto FC, still time to find a player or two with a touch around the goal.Still time to find someone who will help win games such as Saturday's 0-0 draw before an announced crowd of 20,264 at BMO Field against the expansion San Jose Earthquakes in which Toronto FC had control but took one point instead of three.
Matches with Nadal are special for Federer
After the epic match of the ages two weeks ago at Wimbledon, Roger Federer hibernated for a week at his lair in Dubai and tried to forget about his toe-to-toe battle with the swashbuckling Rafael Nadal, the new Wimbledon champion.
ON TELEVISION
(All times Eastern)BASEBALL MLB, Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles, Sportsnet, 7 p.m. MLB, Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners, Sportsnet (Pacific, HD), 10:30 p.m.HORSE RACING
ACTIVITY
BASEBALLAmerican LeagueBaltimore Orioles--Traded INF Mike McCoy to Colorado for INF Juan Castro. Assigned SS Freddie Bynum outright to Norfolk (IL). Placed RHP Greg Aquino on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 13. Activated RHP Randor Bierd from the 15-day DL.
Verdasco ends four-year drought
Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain defeated Russian Igor Andreev in the final of the ATP clay-court tournament here yesterday 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).Verdasco beat his fourth-seeded opponent after rallying from a set down in a 2 hour 44 minute title decider.
Del Potro wins second title in a row
Juan Martin del Potro won his second consecutive ATP title yesterday by defeating Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-1 in the clay-court final of the last Austrian Open.
Frenchman Simon wins first title on U.S. soil
Gilles Simon of France won his first ATP Tour title on American soil, beating Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4 at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships yesterday.Simon, seeded second and ranked No. 25 in the world, had not reached an ATP semi-final in the United States before the Indianapolis tournament, which moved to a hard-court surface in 1988.
United calls for 'loyalty' from star Ronaldo
Manchester United has told Cristiano Ronaldo there will be no new contract with a pay increase to match any Real Madrid offer, and that he must start displaying ''commitment and loyalty.''
Somebeachsomewhere loses for first time
After suffering his first defeat in the $1.1-million (all currency U.S.) Meadowlands Pace on Saturday, Somebeachsomewhere crossed the border back into Canada at about 4:30 p.m. (ET) yesterday, seemingly none the worse for wear for his torrid effort in the New Jersey race.
Hamm's going to Beijing
-- Give Paul Hamm a hand. And a plane ticket to Beijing.The Olympic gymnastics champion will get to defend his title in China thanks to a performance Saturday that ended any doubt about whether his broken right hand has healed.
German soccer clubs stir up controversy
German Olympic committee president Thomas Bach called on Bundesliga clubs not to destroy the dream of players who want to compete in Beijing.''I hope that reason will prevail and that we won't ruin the Olympic dream of any young player,'' Bach, also vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, said yesterday.
Hackett breaks world record
Australian Grant Hackett broke his own short-course 800-metre freestyle world record in 7 minutes 23.42 seconds yesterday.Hackett, 28, preparing for a record third 1,500-metre freestyle gold medal at next month's Beijing Olympics, shaved 1.86 seconds off his 2001 world mark of 7:25.28.
Eaks triumphs on Champions Tour
R.W. Eaks was the runaway winner in the Champions Tour 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn., yesterday, posting the lowest score in the tournament's 16-year history.Eaks shot seven-under 65 in the final round to finish with a 54-hole total of 193, four shots better than Ed Dougherty's finish in 2000. Gary Hallberg and Bernhard Langer tied for second at 17-under 199 for the tournament.
Knost shoots 62 to win Nationwide event
Nationwide Tour rookie Colt Knost galloped to his second victory of the season yesterday by shooting a 10-under-par 62 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo.
Heffernan victorious at Players Cup
Wes Heffernan of Calgary won his fourth career Canadian Tour event yesterday, firing a five-under 66 to edge American John Ellis and fellow Canadian Dustin Risdon at the Players Cup in Winnipeg.
Oh takes over after Wie DQ'd
Second-year LPGA Tour golfer Ji Young Oh won her first tournament yesterday, sinking a six-inch putt for par to win the State Farm Classic in a playoff over rookie Yani Tseng.
Johnson racks up first PGA win
Richard S. Johnson birdied three of his last four holes to shoot a six-under-par 64 yesterday and win the U.S. Bank Championship for his first PGA Tour victory.
Grounds crew need day to mop up Glen Abbey
Heavy rainfall has forced organizers of the RBC Canadian Open to cancel today's practice round. Glen Abbey Golf Club will remain closed today to allow the maintenance crew to prepare the water-logged course for the event, which begins Thursday. A pro-am and practice rounds for the players had been scheduled for today. Any fans holding tickets and passes for today will be able to use them on tomorrow and Wednesday. The Canadian Open qualifier was still expected to go ahead today at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont. Four spots in the tournament, Canada's national championship, will be available there.
Dvorak hobbles into retirement
The Czech Republic's three-time world decathlon champion, Tomas Dvorak, bowed out with an injury yesterday at his last competitive event. The 36-year-old decathlete, who won gold medals at the 1997, 1999 and 2001 world championships and set a new points record for the event in 1999, was forced to pull out of a meet in Stare Boleslav, northeast of Prague, when he pulled a muscle in the 110-metre hurdles. ''Unfortunately I was not able to finish again, but I will not be appearing at another decathlon,'' Dvorak told the CTK news agency. Dvorak is now expected to become a coach and TV commentator.
Man dies during N.Y. race
Brothers team up in the Alps
Frank Schleck of Luxembourg seized the overall lead in the Tour de France yesterday, drawing on his strength in the mountains and getting an assist from his brother as the three-week race headed into the Italian Alps.
SOCCER: FANS BRAWL DURING EXHIBITION MATCH
A halftime brawl between more than 100 fans marred an exhibition match yesterday between West Ham United of the English Premier League and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.
Briscoe leads Penske to 1-2 sweep at Honda Indy
Ryan Briscoe never doubted team boss Roger Penske's call.Penske came up with a surprising strategy yesterday that Briscoe turned into his second IndyCar Series victory.Penske, the most winning team owner in open-wheel history, made the call to put Briscoe out of sequence with the other contenders. In the end, the team wound up with a 1-2 sweep in the Honda Indy 200 as Helio Castroneves followed Briscoe across the finish line.
Busch falls short in Truck Series race
Kyle Busch came up five spots short in his bid to make NASCAR history Saturday and Johnny Benson took advantage in winning the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
Hamilton fights back for win at German Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix yesterday, solidifying his lead in the Formula One season standings with two dramatic passes that made up for a strategic blunder by his McLaren team.
