Capriati’s Comeback Is Spoiled by Huber

Jennifer Capriati returned to tennis Wednesday night, looking much more like a young phenomenon than a troubled schoolgirl who was arrested for carrying marijuana. Capriati lost to Anke Huber of Germany, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, in the first round of the $750,000 Virginia Slims of Philadelphia.

“I thought I played good,” Capriati said. “It was really great to be out there again.”

Capriati had not played a tournament match since Aug. 31, 1993, when she was eliminated by little-known Leila Meskhi in the first round of the U.S. Open. She left the tour and went through months of personal and legal problems.

Golf

Greg Norman, putting an exclamation point on his round with an eagle on the final hole at Poipu, Hawaii, shot a six-under-par 66 to win the $1-million PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the second year in a row.

The Australian finished at eight-under 136 for the 36-hole event on the island of Kauai, winning the four-man tournament by three strokes over Nick Price. Ernie Els was third at 143 and Jose Maria Olazabal was at 144.

The tournament format calls for the winners of the four majors, but Price’s victories in the PGA and British Open elevated Norman into the field.

Baseball

The International Baseball Assn. will vote again on allowing professional baseball players to compete in the Olympic Games. Dick Case, executive director of the U.S. Baseball Federation, said he is optimistic the IBA will approve the measure. Case’s proposal to the major leagues would have each of the 28 teams supply a minor league player for the 1996 Atlanta Games. He hopes to have major leaguers play at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Acting Commissioner Bud Selig, who has attended only one previous negotiating session, is expected to join six other owners when special mediator William J. Usery reconvenes the baseball bargaining talks in Rye Brook, N.Y. today. Orel Hershiser and Brett Butler of the Dodgers are expected to be among nine players attending the first of four consecutive days of negotiations.

Former Angels Nolan Ryan and Brian Downing are among seven sports figures to be inducted into the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in December.

Hockey

The Mighty Ducks have assigned left wing Maxim Bets, 20, to Worcester (Mass.), an independent team in the American Hockey League. The Ducks were unhappy that Bets, one of the organization’s top scoring prospects, had not been getting enough playing time with the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League, the Ducks’ minor league affiliate.

The Swedish Elite League will let each team use one Swedish NHL player per game during the NHL lockout.

Names in the News

One day after signing a nine-year contract with the Golden State Warriors, Carlos Rogers sprained his right ankle during practice and will be sidelined for seven to 10 days. . . . Heavyweight boxer Herbie Hide was cleared of charges in Norwich, England, that he assaulted his former girlfriend. . . . Police in Upper Arlington, Ohio, are investigating a complaint against former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter for writing a $1,150 check that allegedly bounced.

Mike Tyson has withdrawn his request for an appeal hearing on his 1992 rape conviction. The decision means the former heavyweight boxing champion will serve the remaining months of his six-year term. He is eligible for release in May. . . . The Nevada Las Vegas golf team has landed two of the nation’s top young players, signing Ted Oh of Torrance and Charley Hoffman of Poway to national letters of intent.