NEWSWIRE
David Beckham was ejected for violent play in the 42nd minute as European champion Manchester United was surprisingly tied, 1-1, by Mexico’s Necaxa in the first FIFA World Club Championship at Rio de Janeiro. FIFA said Beckham will sit out Manchester United’s game against Brazil’s Vasco da Gama on Saturday.
Vasco da Gama beat Australia’s South Melbourne, 2-0, on goals by Felipe in the 52nd minute and Edmundo in the 85th.
Tennis
Thomas Enqvist of Sweden, defending champion and seeded first, and No. 2 Tim Henman of Britain advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Hardcourt tennis tournament at Adelaide.
Enqvist defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, and Henman outlasted Jean-Rene Lisnard of France, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Seventh-seeded Sebastien Grosjean of France will face Enqvist after holding off American Jan-Michael Gambill, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
No. 8 Nicolas Escude of France set up a quarterfinal match with Henman by defeating Slava Dosedel of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Rounding out the quarterfinalists are third-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden, who will play Spain’s Alberto Martin, and No. 6 Lleyton Hewitt, who will face fellow Australian Jason Stoltenberg.
Cedric Pioline of France overcame a service break in the first set then routed Leander Paes of India, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals of the Goldflake Open at Madras, India.
Patrick Rafter of Australia, out of action since August, will return to competition at the Adidas International on Sunday in Sydney, where he plans to play with Wayne Arthurs in doubles. Rafter has done extensive rehabilitation of his right shoulder after undergoing surgery last October. The two-time U.S. Open champion is not expected to play singles until April.
Former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain earned a semifinal berth in the Australian women’s hardcourt championships at Gold Coast with a 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 victory over Sabine Appelmans of Belgium. In other quarterfinal matches, Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, and Nathalie Dechy of France defeated Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6).
In the ASB Bank Classic at New Zealand, second-seeded Anne Kremer of Luxembourg survived a quarterfinal scare with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Paola Suarez of Argentina, but No. 1 Elena Likhovtseva of Russia lost a 6-3, 7-5 decision to No. 6 Cara Black of Zimbabwe.
Despite a victory, the United States came up short in the Hopman Cup. Although the United States defeated South Africa, 2-1, a loss by Alexandra Stevenson to Amanda Coetzer in the women’s match cost the Americans any chance of reaching the final and gave South Africa the final berth out of Group A. The U.S. needed a 3-0 victory. Thailand earned the other final berth with a victory over Austria.
Deaths
John Milner, a member of National League championship teams with the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates, died Tuesday of cancer at East Point, Ga. He was 50.
Milner, a first baseman and outfielder, spent 12 years in the majors, coming up in 1971 with the Mets and playing with them in the 1973 World Series.
Roger Lapham Jr., a founding partner of the Oakland Raiders, died Sunday from complications of cancer. He was 81.
Tony Stepanovich, who played football for Howard Jones at USC and later for George Halas in the NFL, died of natural causes Wednesday at Riverside Community Hospital. He was 93.
Miscellany
Former heavyweight boxer Tommy Morrison has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and possession of marijuana under one ounce stemming from his Thanksgiving Day arrest in Huntsville, Ark. A trial is scheduled for Feb. 10.
Former Connecticut star Kara Wolters has been added to the U.S. women’s basketball team that is expected to play at the Sydney Olympics this summer. . . . The WNBA announced its franchise in Miami will be called the Sol, the Spanish word for sun.
