Serena Williams hurts ankle but wins in a rout

Serena Williams tumbled to the court and needed a medical timeout in the first set for treatment on her right ankle. Once she got up, it was all over for Edina Gallovits-Hall.

Williams routed Gallovits-Hall, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday at Melbourne despite the scary sequence in the first part of the match.

The No. 3-ranked Williams is favored to win the season’s first major, rolling into Melbourne Park with 35 wins in her previous 36 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the London Olympics and the U.S. Open. But the injury could be a significant setback as she seeks a third consecutive Grand Slam title.

Williams said there was pain and swelling in her ankle and X-rays were an option, but she wanted to leave any decisions about treatment for a few hours. “I’ve been injured before,” she said. “I’ve played this tournament with so many injuries and was able to come off pretty on top. So for me it’s just another page and a great story to tell the grandkids one day.”

Defending champion Victoria Azarenka also advanced, overcoming a wobble in the second set to beat Monica Niculescu, 6-1, 6-4, at Rod Laver Arena. Andy Murray won his first match as a Grand Slam champion, beating Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Notre Dame’s Wood declares for NFL draft

Notre Dame running back Cierre Wood won’t be back for his final year of eligibility with the Fighting Irish.

The 6-0, 215-pound senior from Santa Clara High in Oxnard announced Monday he will make himself available for the NFL draft, calling it a family decision. Wood was second on the team in 2012 in rushing with 742 yards in 114 carries, including rushing for two yards in four carries in a 42-14 loss to Alabama in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

He rushed for 2,447 yards in 450 carries in three seasons with the Irish, finishing seventh on Notre Dame’s all-time list.

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Two Texas players suspended before the Alamo Bowl amid a sexual assault allegation have rejoined the team.

Coach Mack Brown said that quarterback Case McCoy and linebacker Jordan Hicks are back.

McCoy and Hicks were suspended a day before the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl. A police report says a 21-year-old woman told investigators she had been drinking alcohol and was assaulted after inviting two men to her San Antonio hotel room. An attorney for Hicks says the encounter was consensual.

Lawyers for the players last week said police told them the case would no longer be pursued. Police have said the investigation continues.

BASEBALL

Putz, Diamondbacks agree on contract

Reliever J.J. Putz agreed to a $13.5-million, two-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a deal that adds a $7-million salary for 2014.

Arizona exercised Putz’s $6.5-million option on Oct. 20 and he would have been eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.

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Pitcher Tommy Hunter and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $1.82-million, one-year contract, more than tripling his salary of $493,500 last year.

The 26-year-old right-hander was 7-8 with a 5.45 earned-run average in 20 starts and 13 relief appearances last year and was a big part of the Orioles’ stretch push that brought the team’s first playoff appearance since 1997. He was 3-0 with an 0.71 ERA in his last 10 games.

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Former major leaguer Enzo Hernandez died in an apparent suicide.

Hernandez, 63, played for the San Diego Padres between 1971-77 and finished his big league career with the Dodgers in 1978.

He was found dead in his home in El Tigre in eastern Venezuela on Sunday. The Venezuelan sports newspaper Lider along with other news media in the country reported Hernandez had committed suicide. Police in the town confirmed Hernandez’s death but declined to provide details about the cause.

ETC.

Gregory retires as Gauchos coach

Kathy Gregory, whose 882 wins are fifth-most in NCAA Division I history, retired as UC Santa Barbara women’s volleyball coach after 38 years as the only person to hold that job in school history.

Gregory guided the Gauchos to NCAA final-eight appearances in 1997, 1999 and 2000, and final-16 berths in 1998 and 2002. Her teams reached 27 NCAA tournaments. She was a seven-time Big West Conference coach of the year. In 2002, the Gauchos had a school-record 23-match winning streak, were 18-0 in league play and finished with a 30-3 overall record, the best in school history.

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Lindsey Vonn is skipping a World Cup night slalom Tuesday at Flachau, Austria, because she has not been able to practice enough in the event.

Vonn, the defending overall champion, is missing from the list of 68 competitors published Monday by skiing’s governing body. Vonn has missed all six slalom races this season.