Conchita Martinez Loses at European Indoors

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

Appelmans broke Martinez to lead, 5-4, and held serve to take the first set. The Belgian then opened the second set with consecutive breaks to go ahead, 4-0. Martinez was able to break back narrowing the gap to 5-4, but Appelmans held serve to close the set.

In other matches, Switzerland’s Martina Hingis defeated Romania’s Irina Spirlea, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic knocked off Austria’s Barbara Schett, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

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Pete Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world, got off to a quick start at the Hong Kong Championships by defeating Canadian Grand 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.

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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. . . . Unseeded South African Marcos Ondrussa upset third-seeded Felix Mantilla of Spain, 7-5, 6-4, in the second round of the Israel Open at Ramat Hasharon. . . . Second-seeded Cedric Pioline bested another Frenchman, Olivier Delaitre, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in a first-round match at the Toulouse Grand Prix tournament in France.

Boxing

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

Holmes, who will be 47 on Nov. 3, said one of his reasons for coming back was that the 12-round bout will be for the fringe International Boxing Organization championship held by Nielsen (30-0).

Holmes is 65-5 with 42 knockouts. He retired for the third time after he knocked out Anthony Willis in the eighth round on Father’s Day at Bay St. Louis, Miss.

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.

Robertson, who played five seasons with the Spurs and last season with the Toronto Raptors, is accused of committing burglary during a June 1995 rampage at Sharon Raeford’s apartment.

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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.