Spirlea Fined for Remarks About Williams

The WTA Tour Player Review Committee Wednesday approved a $5,000 fine for Irina Spirlea of Romania for remarks she made after her semifinal loss to Venus Williams at the U.S. Open.

Spirlea, who was seeded 11th, lost the match, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), to the 17-year-old American. The players bumped each other hard during a changeover in the second set.

Spirlea said she had been fed up with deferring to Williams on the changeovers and decided to continue on her pace and path to her seat to see what would happen.

Spirlea later used an expletive to describe Williams.

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Boris Becker, playing perhaps his final big tournament at home, was knocked out of the Eurocard Open in Stuttgart, Germany, along with second-ranked Michael Chang and four other seeded players.

Becker, the defending champion, lost, 7-6 (12-10), 6-4, to Richard Krajicek. Chang’s 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 ouster by Cedric Pioline followed the exits of No. 4 Goran Ivanisevic, No. 6 Carlos Moya and No. 8 Sergi Bruguera. In the last match, No. 5 Greg Rusedski was upset by Nicolas Kiefer.

Top-seeded Amanda Coetzer of South Africa struggled against a qualifier, but managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Luxembourg Open, joining compatriot Joanette Kruger, who upset Sandrine Testud of France. Coetzer beat Italy’s Silvia Farina, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, and Kruger, 37th on the WTA rankings, upset the third-seeded Testud, 6-2, 6-1.

Golf

John Adams shot a nine-under-par 63 to take a two-stroke lead in the opening round of the $1.8-million Las Vegas Invitational at the TPC at Summerlin in Las Vegas. Billy Mayfair shot a seven-under 65. Tom Byrum and Lee Janzen each carded a 66. David Duval is attempting to become the first golfer in four years to win three consecutive PGA Tour events. Duval, 25, won the Michelob Championship for his first PGA Tour victory two weeks ago and also won last week’s Walt Disney Classic, both in playoffs.

Rick Stimmel of Allison Park, Pa., and Ken Bakst of New York advanced to the final of the 1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur championship at Dallas. The winner of today’s 18-hole final will probably be invited to play in the Masters next year.

College Basketball

Fired Michigan basketball coach Steve Fisher said he has turned down an offer to become coach at South Alabama, although the school said it never made him a formal offer. Fisher’s decision left a list of six candidates, including former Memphis coach Larry Finch. School officials said they planned to hire a new coach by the end of the week.

Fresno State now has lost three players to suspensions. Starting power forward Daymond Forney was suspended indefinitely Tuesday for unspecified violations. Forward Terrance Roberson was suspended earlier for failing to meet the program’s requirements, but he is expected to become eligible within two weeks. Incoming point guard Rafer Alston has been suspended and faces a misdemeanor criminal battery charge of punching and choking an ex-girlfriend outside the campus weight room Sept. 11.

Dallas Cowboy offensive lineman Nate Newton, who was cleared by a Dallas County grand jury, has been sued by a former mistress who accused him previously of rape. Tina Hill, 31, of Grand Prairie, filed the lawsuit in Denton County, where Newton lives. She alleges Newton raped her in her mobile home June 15. On Sept. 2, a grand jury in neighboring Dallas County voted not to indict Newton on a sexual assault charge.

A judge in the Dominican Republic ordered former San Francisco Giant scout Luis Rosa to stand trial on charges he sexually molested young players at his Dominican training camp. Judge Ramon Bernard also ordered a separate civil trial against the Giants, who ran the minor league camp in San Pedro de Macoris, 60 miles east of Santo Domingo.

International Sports

The International Weightlifting Federation will not verify the world records set by Chinese lifters at the National Games in Shanghai, citing a lack of internationally recognized doping controls. The decision cast doubt over the remarkable performances in Shanghai, where Chinese women set world records in weightlifting, swimming and track.

International swimming officials, meanwhile said they have no plans yet to investigate the world record performances by Chinese women swimmers.

Miscellany

British boxer Carl Wright reportedly has regained consciousness, 11 days after collapsing because of a brain injury sustained in the ring. . . . A former Oregon State softball coach, Vickie Dugan, says in a suit she was paid less than her male counterparts and eventually was replaced by a male coach after she complained to federal civil rights investigators and fought a move to eliminate the women’s softball program. Oregon State contends she was simply not up to the job. The suit was being heard in U.S. District Court in Eugene.