Serena Williams Adds Seles to Upset List

Venus Williams’ kid sister can play.

Sixteen-year-old Serena Williams, who upset Mary Pierce one night earlier, stunned Monica Seles, the world’s No. 4 player, with an awesome display of power Friday night to reach the semifinals of the Ameritech Cup at Chicago.

Williams, ranked 304th and a wild-card entry into the $450,000 tournament, outserved and outslugged the second-seeded Seles, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Her sister, doubles partner and U.S. Open finalist, 17-year-old Venus, who is not in the singles, watched from the stands.

Williams, who had played only 10 matches this year before this tournament, was quicker and so was her serve, consistently clocked in the low 100s. She had 13 aces, including one to win the second set.

In today’s semifinals, Williams will play Lindsay Davenport, who beat Lisa Raymond, and Nathalie Tauziat, who upset defending champion Jana Novotna, will face Iva Majoli.

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Top-seeded Pat Rafter of Australia beat Tim Henman of Britain, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals for his third consecutive straight-set victory in the Stockholm Open. Greg Rusedski of Britain, whom Rafter beat in the U.S. Open final, advanced to the semifinals without hitting a shot, because Magnus Larsson of Sweden withdrew because of illness.

Jurisprudence

The limousine driver whose wreck left two Detroit Red Wings comatose was sentenced at Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to nine months in jail. He was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service at a facility for patients with head injuries.

Richard Gnida’s jail term will be followed by 15 months’ probation. It was his second conviction for driving with a suspended license.

The judge also ordered Gnida to get drug and alcohol counseling and to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings four times weekly when he gets out of jail.

The crash June 13 left Red Wing defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov in comas for several weeks. Gnida and Red Wing defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov suffered minor injuries.

“You shattered lives,” District Judge Kimberly Small told Gnida. “Based on your behavior, you have a serious drug and alcohol problem. And what scares me is you don’t know it.”

A judge in Green Bay, Wis., reversed her earlier decision to sentence Packer nose tackle Gilbert Brown to one year of probation for shoving his girlfriend during an argument last summer. Instead, Brown was ordered to pay $500 to a domestic-abuse shelter.

The Metro-Dade Department of Corrections said it was investigating whether Jose Canseco received special treatment from jailers while he awaited a bond hearing in Miami on a domestic-violence charge.

A department video shows smiling guards snapping photos with the Oakland Athletics’ slugger, apparently using a camera belonging to the jail.

Golf

Bob Duval, trying to follow in his son’s footsteps, shot a 66 at Myrtle Beach, S.C., to tie Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan for the halfway lead of the Senior Tour Championship.

If Duval can keep it up through the weekend, he will join son David with a win in his tour’s season-ending event.

Duval had a first-hole bogey then seven birdies for a nine-under 135 total.

Davis Love III made his second eagle of the afternoon on the final hole to pull into a tie with David Toms at the midway mark of the $1.2-million Kapalua International in Hawaii.

Love finished with a 66 and Toms had a 70 as both reached the 36-hole mark at 11-under 133.

Sherri Steinhauer, in the running for a spot in the LPGA’s season-ending Tour Championship, was one of four women to shoot an opening-round 67, five under par, for a share of the lead in the Japan Queens Cup at Otsu.

Steinhauer is $2,185 behind Meg Mallon on the money-winning list for the final spot in the 30-player field Nov. 20-23 at Las Vegas. Mallon is not entered in the Queens Cup.

Mark Calcavecchia, who got in only eight holes in Thursday’s rain-delayed first round, played 28 Friday and wound up with a tournament-record 62 in the opening round of the $2-million Sarazen World Open at Braselton, Ga. After a 20-minute break, he played the second round and shot a 67 for a 129 total, 15 under par and seven shots ahead of the field.

Miscellany

Nine weightlifters kicked out of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s main training center were suspended from competition for alleged drug violations. The nine were suspended last month from the national programs of USA Weightlifting but had remained eligible to compete until officials ruled against them in a disciplinary hearing at St. Joseph, Mo.

Tennessee, winner of the last two national championships in women’s college basketball, was an overwhelming choice for No. 1 in AP’s preseason poll.

Ventura College President Larry Calderon announced he is disbanding the men’s basketball program for one year.

Chevrolet driver Mike McLaughlin edged rookie Steve Park to win the pole for Sunday’s Jiffy Lube 300 Busch series race at Homestead, Fla.

Wojciechowiez S. Wojtkiewiez, the unofficial field manager for UCLA football better known as “Bow Wow,” died Friday morning at the UCLA Medical Center.