Agassi Loses Cool, Then Match

Andre Agassi lost to Magnus Larsson, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, in the quarterfinals of the Compaq Grand Slam Cup at Munich, Germany, on Friday, but not before losing his temper and nearly getting disqualified from the $6-million tournament.

In another quarterfinal, Todd Martin beat Sergi Bruguera, the French Open champion, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Agassi tangled with umpire Mike Morrisey of Britain in the first set. Agassi received a warning and was penalized a point when he repeated an obscenity, giving Larsson a break and a 3-1 lead in the set.

“I said it again but he wouldn’t default me,” Agassi said of Morrisey. After a player is penalized a point for a code of conduct violation, the next breach usually causes a default.

Agassi had trouble not only with his temper, but also with Larsson’s serve. The Swede hit one 125 m.p.h. and had 12 aces.

College Football

Tyrone Willingham was hired to succeed Bill Walsh at Stanford, making him the fourth African-American coach to lead a football program out of 107 NCAA Division I-A schools.

It is the first head coaching assignment for Willingham, 40, a Minnesota Viking assistant, and marks his second tour at Stanford. He coached running backs for three years under Dennis Green.

Pat Sullivan will not be coaching Louisiana State because the Tigers would not buy out his contract with Texas Christian.

LSU Athletic Director Joe Dean said he had not been able to agree on a buyout clause for the two years left in Sullivan’s contract in Ft. Worth. The buyout reportedly would have cost $400,000.

Friday night, LSU was saying that Vanderbilt Coach Gerry DiNardo was among several people who will be interviewed for the job to replace Curley Hallman.

Dana Howard of Illinois won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. . . . Quarterback Chris Hatcher of Valdosta (Ga.) State won the Harlon Hill Trophy on as the top player in NCAA Division II.

Hockey

Commissioner Gary Bettman rejected a request from union chief Bob Goodenow that the NHL reconsider its proposed payroll tax and said Goodenow’s evaluation of the negotiations leaves him “quite pessimistic about our ability to make a deal.”

Goodenow, in a letter to Bettman on Thursday, said concessions made by the union had brought them close to a deal that would create significant savings for owners and make a tax unnecessary. He asserted the tax would act as a salary cap and added, “In these circumstances, it should be clear that we will not negotiate a tax system with you.”

No talks are scheduled before Monday, when the NHL’s Board of Governors will meet in New York to consider the union’s last proposal. The board is expected to make a counteroffer and issue a deadline of about Dec. 19 for accepting it or canceling the season.

New York Ranger center Mark Messier said players will form their own league in January or February if the lockout cancels the NHL season.

Wayne Gretzky scored in his fourth consecutive game as his all-star team defeated Swedish league leader Djurgarden, 9-3, in an exhibition at Stockholm. The all-stars are 3-1 on a seven-game tour of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Baseball

Angel first baseman J.T. Snow was found to have torn cartilage in his left shoulder and a slight tear of his rotator cuff that will cause him to miss the opening of spring training.

Snow, who will undergo surgery Thursday, will be sidelined at least two months and may not be ready to play until late February or early March.

The Dodgers are close to reaching an agreement to retain free-agent third baseman Tim Wallach, according to sources, that will pay him a $1.5-million base salary with an option for 1996.

Wallach, who has spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers, is expected to make his decision as early as Monday.

Wallach, 37, and rookie Ron Coomer are expected to vie for the starting third base job this spring.

Skiing

Picabo Street got her first victory and fellow American Hilary Lindh finished second in a women’s World Cup downhill race at Lake Louise, Canada.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Street said after the American women’s first 1-2 finish since Holly Flanders and Cindy Nelson at Arosa, Switzerland, in 1982.

Miscellany

The United States was drawn in the same group as defending champion Argentina for the 1995 America Cup, South America’s soccer championship in Uruguay. The United States, eliminated in the first round last year, will play Chile on July 8, Bolivia on July 11 and Argentina on July 14.

University of Idaho President Elisabeth Zinser said the school’s acceptance of an invitation to join the Big West Conference technically is “null and void” but added the offer has not been spurned. When the university learned it would not be granted any waivers of the NCAA requirement that it average 17,000 fans per home football game, Zinser said she directed her staff to study other options.

Florida State, preparing for an official visit by the NCAA, cut its ties with a Jacksonville booster who failed to fully cooperate with a school investigation into wrongdoing by football players.

The booster, 1971 graduate Rick Blankenship, was advised by his attorneys not to provide the university with employment records from his businesses. He had otherwise cooperated.

It was the only disciplinary action taken by Florida State, which released a report that cost the school $400,000. Investigators looked into accusations that several players accepted improper gifts and money.

Names in the News

After refusing to consider any changes in support payments--now $30,000 a month--until the baseball strike ends, a judge granted San Francisco Giant outfielder Barry Bonds a divorce from his wife of 6 1/2 years. . . . Former Miami Dolphin wide receiver Mark Duper was jailed in Miami after failing a drug test while free on bond awaiting trail on cocaine charges. Duper was charged in May with two felony counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.