Jack Murphy Stadium Expansion Gets Court OK

In a victory for both the San Diego Chargers and governments throughout California, the city got the go-ahead Wednesday to begin a 10,000-seat expansion of Jack Murphy Stadium that had been held up for nine months by tax activists.

The state Supreme Court declined a request by three Libertarians to review a lower court’s ruling that the method of financing the expansion and a new practice site for the NFL’s Chargers is legal.

However, the project will cost more than the original $66.6 million price tag.

Within hours of hearing from the Supreme Court, the city began ordering construction materials. The project won’t begin until the Chargers’ season ends, either in late December or by mid-January if they have any playoff games. By then, the project will be a year behind schedule.

City Manager Jack McGrory estimated the project will be finished by Sept. 1, the opening day of the 1997 NFL season.

Tennis

Top-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain was knocked out of the European Indoors tournament, losing, 6-4, 6-4, to Belgium’s Sabine Appelmans at Zurich, Switzerland.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic also advanced to the quarterfinals.

Pete Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world, got off to a quick start at the Hong Kong Championships by defeating Canadian Grant Connell, 6-4, 6-2. Second-seeded Austrian Thomas Muster, playing for the first time in Asia, had to fight harder to beat South African Neville Godwin, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. . . . Boris Becker of Germany beat Denmark’s Frederik Fetterlein, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the second round of the Czech Indoor tournament at Ostrava.

Boxing

Tommy Morrison, the HIV-infected heavyweight, will return to the ring next month for a fight in Japan, a newspaper reported.

Morrison will fight an undetermined opponent on Nov. 3, the mass-circulation daily Asahi Shimbun reported. Planners said the fight will be on the undercard of the George Foreman-Crawford Grimsley bout.

In Tulsa, Okla., Morrison’s promoter, Tony Holden, said there has been no decision for a fight in Tokyo.

Larry Holmes, who four months ago said he would not fight again unless the opponent was Foreman, announced he will fight Brian Nielsen of Denmark on Jan. 24 at Copenhagen.

Jurisprudence

A judge granted a request by Dennis Green and dismissed a suit the Minnesota Vikings coach filed against a Twin Cities woman. Hennepin County District Judge Andrew Danielson, dismissed the suit in a way that would allow the claims to be refiled in the future.

The case reportedly involves a payment Green made to the woman for an abortion in 1992 and a confidentiality agreement. The judge reserved the right to hear any future motions for sanctions by either side.

Jurors began deliberating in the burglary trial of former NBA all-star Alvin Robertson after the defense rested without calling any witnesses at San Antonio.

A Tennessee State student was convicted of reckless homicide in the July 1995 shooting death of Northwestern defensive back Marcel Price at Nashville.

Ohmar Braden, 20, described the shooting as an accident. Several friends were together when Braden said he pulled out a .357-caliber Magnum and pulled the trigger.

Miscellany

Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., has been selected as the site for the PGA Championship in 2002. Hazeltine was host for the U.S. Open in 1991.

George Szabo, with crew Stacey Dumain, both of San Diego, won the Championship of Champions Regatta at Corona del Mar with 19 3/4 points. At the U.S Sailing Offshore Championship at Long Beach, Keith Ives and his crew representing the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club won with 12.75 points.