James, Ex-Ryder Cup Captain, Has Cancer

Golfer Mark James, former European Ryder Cup captain, has cancer and will undergo chemotherapy.

The 46-year-old Englishman has withdrawn from the next five tournaments on the European tour.

“I have been diagnosed with lymphoma and, pending further tests, expect to be starting chemotherapy soon,” James said Tuesday. “I would be grateful if the media would respect my privacy at this time.”

James captained the European Ryder Cup team in 1999, when the U.S. rallied to win in a dramatic comeback on the final day at Brookline, Mass.

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The Supreme Court refused to revive a lawsuit that accused the U.S. Golf Assn. of unlawfully trying to dominate the business of calculating individual golfers’ handicaps. The court, without comment, rejected Handicomp Inc.’s argument. Handicomp had charged that the USGA gave unfair advantages to the company it created to compete with firms such as Handicomp.

Tennis

Top-ranked Martina Hingis defeated Jelena Dokic, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round of the Swisscom Challenge at Zurich, avenging a 1999 Wimbledon loss to the Australian in their previous meeting.

Jennifer Capriati defeated wild card Lina Krasnoroutskaya of Russia, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6), and Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva defeated Dominique Van Roost of Belgium, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Defending champion Greg Rusedski of Britain defeated fourth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, in the $800,000 CA Trophy tournament at Vienna.

Roger Federer, a 19-year-old Swiss, knocked off second-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Belgian brothers Olivier and Christophe Rochus lost their first-round singles matches at the Japan Open at Tokyo, then were beaten in their doubles match as well.

Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti edged Olivier Rochus, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4), and Italy’s Andrea Gaudenzi defeated Christophe Rochus, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the $970,000 tournament.

In an evening doubles match, the Rochus brothers lost, 6-4, 6-1, to Nicolas Massu of China and Andre Sa of Brazil.

Serena Williams, Mary Pierce and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario have qualified for the $2-million Chase Championships Nov. 13-19 at New York.

Boxing

Prince Naseem Hamed, widely regarded as the world’s top featherweight, gave up his World Boxing Organization title in a dispute over a mandatory defense.

Hamed, undefeated, has held the title since 1995. He refused to fight No. 1 contender Istvan “Koko” Kovacs in a bout scheduled for Nov. 4 in England, claiming Kovacs was an unsuitable opponent.

Tony Tubbs, former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion, pleaded guilty in Cincinnati to a charge of trafficking in cocaine. He will be sentenced Oct. 20.

Miscellany

Bobby Charlton, perhaps the most respected figure in English soccer, thinks it would be a disgrace to appoint a foreigner as national coach. Kevin Keegan resigned as coach after England’s 1-0 defeat by Germany in a World Cup qualifier Saturday. Speculation has focused on a successor coming from outside England.

“If we want to consider ourselves still one of the leading football countries in the world, then we should not even consider putting a foreigner in charge,” said Charlton, a former Manchester United star and a star on England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team.

Arsenal soccer coach Arsene Wenger was banned for 12 games and fined four weeks’ salary for pushing an assistant referee. . . . Jesus Gil, owner of the Spanish soccer club Atletico de Madrid, was sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted of influence peddling and obstruction of justice. Gil had been charged with diverting money under the guise of a sponsorship deal.

Carl Paganelli, the Arena Football League’s supervisor of officials the last 11 years, was hired for the same job by the Xtreme Football League.

Kentucky basketball player Jules Camara was found guilty of drunken driving, ending his hopes of returning to the Wildcats this season.