Lewis Works Hard for Decision

Lennox Lewis huffed and puffed, but he couldn’t knock Zeljko Mavrovic down.

Lewis, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, had enough stamina to beat the challenger from Croatia in a unanimous decision Saturday night before about 4,000 fans in a tent at Uncasville, Conn.

“Lennox definitely was huffing and puffing by the third round,” said his trainer, Emanuel Steward. “I can’t explain why. Lennox definitely trained hard for this fight.”

The 243-pound Lewis was in control over the last eight rounds when he landed several solid right uppercuts and stiff left jabs, which were his two most effective punches.

“In the later rounds, 8, 9, 10 and 11, he caught me and I couldn’t come inside,” the 214 1/4-pound Mavrovic said. “I’m tired, and he punched me unlike anyone else in the world.”

It was the European champion’s first defeat after 27 victories, 22 by knockout.

Judge Franfisco Ciminale of Italy scored it 117-111, Tommy Kaczmarak of New Jersey had it 119-109 and Bob Logist of Belgium saw it 117-112.

I expected Mavrovic to run.”

The victory moved Lewis, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, a step closer to a unification bout with IBF-WBA champion Evander Holyfield.

“He knows where to find me,” Lewis said. “It’s up to him to sign the contract.”

Holyfield, however, now faces a WBA mandatory defense against Henry Akinwande. He made an IBF mandatory defense last week and won a unanimous decision over Vaughn Bean.

“I was pleased with my performance,” the 33-year old Lewis, of Britain, said. “I adjusted well in the ring.”

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Tony Lopez of Sacramento won the NABO junior-welterweight championship when he stopped Jaime Ocegueda in the third round at Caesars Tahoe. . . . Herbie Hide of England stopped Willi Fischer of Germany in the second round at Norwich, England, to retain the WBO heavyweight title.

Tennis

Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario overcame an injured right wrist and defeated Anke Huber, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, to reach the final of the Toyota Princess Cup at Tokyo for the fifth consecutive year.

The victory over the German in the two-hour match gave the Spaniard another shot at winning the title for the first time.

Her opponent in today’s final will be Monica Seles, a four-time champion who is 16-3 against Sanchez Vicario, including the 1996 and 1997 Toyota finals.

Seles, seeded second, defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-1, 6-4.

Names in the News

Former Kansas City Royal second baseman Chico Lind was ordered to prison in Kansas for violating the probation given him for cocaine possession.

Johnson County District Judge Steve Tatum ordered Lind to serve the 10-month sentence imposed last year after Lind pleaded guilty.

David “Salt” Walther, a former Indianapolis 500 driver, was sentenced in Lebanon, Ohio, to six months of drug treatment and three years’ probation for trying to smuggle a painkiller into jail.

Walther, 50, turned himself in at the Warren County Jail on Thursday. An arrest warrant had been issued Tuesday when he did not show for sentencing.

Walther pleaded guilty in August to trying to smuggle three Tylenol III tablets into jail. The prescription painkiller contains codeine.

Miscellany

Michael Schumacher kept the heat on Mika Hakkinen in their battle for the Formula One championship, winning the pole position for the Luxembourg Grand Prix at Nuerburgring, Germany.

Schumacher and Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine will start from the front row in today’s race. Hakkinen will be in the second row after posting the third-fastest qualifying time.

Jay Sauter won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series NAPA 250, going from third to first during a late-race bumping duel between leaders Jimmy Hensley and Ron Hornaday at Martinsville, Va.

Silver Charm and Wild Rush finished in a dead heat in the $500,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. The time of 1:47 2/5 for the 1 1/8-mile Grade III race was four-fifths of a second off Hansel’s record set in the 1991 Jim Beam Stakes.

Isaac Viciosa of Spain won the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York for the fourth year in a row, edging last-minute entry Anthony Whiteman of Britain in 3 minutes 55.59 seconds.

Lance Berkman hit three home runs and drove in six runs to lead the New Orleans Zephyrs to a 12-6 victory over the Buffalo Bisons and the Triple-A World Series title Friday night at Las Vegas.

Loyola Marymount (5-0-2) takes on USC (4-3-1) and former coach Jim Millinder today at 1 at Loyola in a women’s soccer match.