It’s Simple: Serena Can’t Play Men Because She’s a Woman

U.S. Open champion Serena Williams’ request to play in a men’s tennis tournament will be rejected, an ATP official said.

Williams, ranked fourth in the world, asked for a wild card into the men’s Eurocard Open in Stuttgart, Germany, on Oct. 25, saying she was bored with playing women.

“She would have to be a member of the ATP to take part in an ATP tournament. But Serena Williams can’t be a member of the ATP because she is a woman. That answers everything,” ATP spokeswoman Nicola Arzani told the German sports news agency SID.

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Andre Agassi flirted with elimination, saving three match points before defeating France’s Nicolas Escude, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, in the second round of the Swiss Indoors at Basel.

The top-ranked Agassi began strongly but faded against the 23-year-old Frenchman, whom he defeated in straight sets at last month’s U.S. Open.

“It was much more difficult today than at the U.S. Open,” Agassi said. “Whenever you’re one point away it’s too dangerous.”

The 54th-ranked Escude, who won his first title last week at Toulouse, vaulted to a 3-0 lead in the final set after breaking Agassi’s opening serve and holding his own.

But Agassi, down 2-5 and serving, rallied to save a first match point, then broke at 3-5 to get back on serve and saved two more match points at 4-5.

Fourth-seeded Tim Henman of Britain needed three sets to get past Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

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Defending champion Michael Chang defeated Max Mirnyi of Belarus, 6-4, 7-5, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Heineken Open at Shanghai, China. American Jan-Michael Gambill defeated Frenchman Anthony Dupuis, 6-3, 6-4, and second-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden defeated Peter Wessels of the Netherlands, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). . . .

Anke Huber beat Elena Likhovtseva, 6-4, 6-3, and will advance to the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix at Filderstadt, Germany, after No. 2 Lindsay Davenport pulled out because of a wrist injury. Huber and Davenport were to have met in the quarterfinals.

Pro Basketball

The NBA approved billionaire banker Donald Sturm’s bid to buy the Denver Nuggets, Charles Neinas, chairman of Ascent Entertainment Group Inc., said. Ascent agreed in July to sell the Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the Pepsi Center arena to Sturm for $461 million. Neinas said approval from the NHL for Sturm’s Avalanche bid is expected soon.

Isiah Thomas officially acquired the Continental Basketball Assn. for about $10 million, then promptly announced two changes--a dress code for players and the elimination of double-team defenses.

Latrell Sprewell remained AWOL from the New York Knicks’ training camp in Charleston, S.C., and neither he nor his representatives contacted the team with an explanation. . . . The Philadelphia 76ers signed free-agent guard Rodrick Rhodes, who was released by Orlando earlier this week. . . . Toronto signed Kevin Willis to a two-year contract extension, keeping the veteran forward-center with the club through the 2001-2002 season, the second year of the agreement at Willis’ option.

Miscellany

Corey Pavin, Notah Begay and Robiun Freeman shot opening-round, four-under-par 67s to take the lead in the Michelob Championship PGA tournament at Williamsburg, Va. . . . Bill Ploeger, 59, a Columbus, Ga., insurance executive, defeated Gary Menzel, 55, of Milwaukee, 3 and 2 to win the 1999 Senior Amateur Championship at Portland, Ore.

Saying he is concerned about the precedent it would set, Washington state Rep. Jim Clements wants to put a stop to what is believed to be the first professional man-woman boxing match in the United States. The fight between 5-foot-5, 130-pound Margaret McGregor and 5-2, 125-pound part-time jockey and weightlifter Loi Chow is scheduled for Saturday at the Mercer Arena in Seattle.

A grand jury at Edinburg, Texas, indicted former Texas Pan American basketball Coach Delray Brooks on a felony theft charge for alleged misuse of university money. Brooks was fired Aug. 23 because Pan American officials believed he deposited a check from Southwest Missouri State for $25,000 into his personal account. Brooks has acknowledged that $25,000 was put in his account, but has denied depositing it himself or telling someone else to do so.

Faced with growing costs of largely ineffective anti-drug tests, the International Cycling Union will put more emphasis on pre-race medical controls, testing for high red blood cell counts, which signal the use of the banned growth hormone EPO.

Matt Kenseth kept up the heat in his bid to overtake Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the Busch Grand National stock car title, turning an event- and track-record lap of 177.328 mph to win the pole for Saturday’s All Pro Bumper To Bumper Auto Parts 300 at Concord, N.C.

Jennie Thompson re-injured her left ankle in practice and will not compete for the U.S. team in the World Gymnastics Championships, which start Saturday at Tianjin, China.