Briefs | Haas possibly poisoned before Davis Cup match
Tennis
ITF will investigate possible poisoning of Haas: The International Tennis Federation is investigating allegations that Tommy Haas was poisoned before Germany’s Davis Cup match against Russia.
Haas was forced out of his match against Mikhail Youzhny with a suspected stomach virus. Russia won both reverse singles matches on Sept. 23 to win the semifinal series 3-2 and reach the Davis Cup final.
“We take this very seriously,” ITF spokeswoman Barbara Travers said Wednesday. “The investigation starts today.”
German teammate Alexander Waske said he was told by a Russian who manages numerous athletes that it was poisoning, not a virus. Waske didn’t say who the manager was.
“He said as an aside, that it was bitter that Tommy Haas was poisoned,” said Waske, who answered the man by saying that it was a virus. “Thereupon he said, ‘No, they poisoned him.’ ”
Serena retires from match in Madrid: Serena Williams retired with a left knee injury after one set and defending champion Justine Henin advanced to the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid.
Ana Ivanovic moved closer to the final four by knocking out Daniela Hantuchova with a 6-2, 7-6 (10-9) win in red group play.
Williams was treated by the tournament doctor before the start of the ninth game. She retired after losing the first set 6-4 to seventh-ranked Anna Chakvetadze, and went to the hospital to get an MRI on her swollen knee.
Hockey
Modano sets scoring record by American-born player: Dallas center Mike Modano broke Phil Housley’s NHL record for career points by an American-born player with two quick goals in the opening minutes of the Stars’ game against the San Jose Sharks.
Modano’s two goals in the first 4:24 gave him 1,233 points in 1,253 regular-season games - 242 games fewer than Housley played.
Modano, a 37-year-old Livonia, Mich., native who has spent his entire career with the Stars in Minnesota and Dallas, first tied Housley’s mark by beating Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov on a long slap shot just 2:19 in. His 510th career goal was just Modano’s third in 15 games this season.
Soccer
Man U, Arsenal advance: Manchester United and Arsenal became the first teams to reach the second round of the Champions League.
United overpowered Dynamo Kiev 4-0 at Old Trafford and then advanced because AS Roma tied Sporting Lisbon 2-2 in another Group F game.
Arsenal, the 2006 runner-up, needed only a point to advance. It played to a 0-0 tie in Group H at Slavia Prague.
Horse racing
Curlin owners change again: The ownership of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin underwent another shake-up: One prominent owner has sold his stake in the 3-year-old colt to two of his partners.
Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and investment banker George Bolton bought out the interest held by Satish Sanan’s Padua Stables in a private sale, with Stonestreet lawyer Richard Getty confirming the deal but declining to divulge details.
Pino wins 6,000th race: Mario Pino became the 15th jockey to win 6,000 career races, riding Pass Play to victory at Laurel Park outside Baltimore.
Warning Zone wins in Hollywood Park opener: Warning Zone rallied in the stretch to edge Bad Boy by a half-length in the $69,750 War Chant Stakes, the opening day of Hollywood Park’s 32-day Autumn Meet in Inglewood, Calif.
Any Given Saturday sent to stud: Any Given Saturday, winner of the Grade I Haskell Invitational, has been retired and will stand at stud at Darley at Jonabell in Lexington, Ky.
WNBA
Mercury hires new coach: The WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury promoted assistant coach Corey Gaines to head coach. Gaines replaces Paul Westhead, who recommended him for the job after leaving to join the Sonics in September.
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