The Angels released right-handed pitcher Phil Leftwich,...

The Angels released right-handed pitcher Phil Leftwich, who was 0-1 in two starts last season. Leftwich also was 6-6 in 19 starts at triple-A Vancouver.

New York Met catcher Todd Hundley, who set a major league record for catchers with 41 home runs, underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his left wrist.

Tennis

Martina Hingis of Switzerland stamped herself as a contender for the $2-million Chase Championships by easily winning her first-round match at New York. She defeated Irina Spirlea of Romania, 6-1, 6-2, in only 40 minutes to grab a spot in the quarterfinals of the season-ending tournament.

Lindsay Davenport also won, defeating Barbara Paulus of Austria, 6-3, 6-2.

But Anke Huber of Germany was surprised by Croatia’s Iva Majoli, 7-5, 6-3, in the opening match at Madison Square Garden.

Miscellany

Chris Burgess of Woodbridge High in Irvine, one of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects, announced he will attend Duke.

Burgess, a 6-foot-11 center, had narrowed his choices to Duke and Brigham Young. He averaged 26.3 points and 10.5 rebounds for Woodbridge last season.

The Wiz are now the Wizards.

Kansas City’s Major League Soccer franchise is changing its name after an East Coast electronics retailer, Nobody Beats the Wiz, raised questions about trademark.

UCLA’s men’s soccer team will play Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Sunday at Titan Stadium.

Defeating the No. 2 team made Stanford a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll.

Stanford opened the season with a 74-65 victory over Alabama in the Tip-Off Classic on Sunday and received all 42 first-place votes.