Wimbledon Makes Seeding Alteration

Wimbledon is dropping its seeding committee and increasing prize money, but that’s not enough to satisfy the men’s and women’s tours.

In a move to avert a boycott by the world’s leading clay-court players, the All England Club announced Tuesday it was scuttling its seeding panel for the men’s event because its decisions were “subjective and open to misinterpretations.”

Club chairman Tim Phillips said he would continue to work with the Assn. of Tennis Professionals, which runs the men’s tour, to devise an “objective and transparent” seeding system for this summer’s tournament, which starts June 25.

Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten, the world’s top clay-court player, and several Spanish players have talked of boycotting the tournament if the club continues with a policy favoring grass-court specialists.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon announced a 5.5% increase in prize money to $12.15 million, but stuck to its policy of paying more to the men than the women. The men’s champion will receive $715,000 and the women’s winner will get $661,375.

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Todd Martin returned from a monthlong layoff and struggled to a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory over the Czech Republic’s Jiri Vanek in the Verizon Tennis Challenge at Atlanta. Michael Chang broke a three-match losing streak by defeating Spain’s David Sanchez, 7-5, 6-3.

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Kuerten withdrew from the Seat Godo Open at Barcelona, Spain because of an injured right thigh, hoping to return to top shape before next month’s French Open.

Pro Football

Wide receiver Charles Johnson, who caught 56 passes and a team-high seven touchdowns last season for the Philadelphia Eagles, was released. Free-agent kicker David Akers signed a one-year contract to remain with the Eagles. . . . Wide receiver Willie Jackson agreed to a free-agent deal to remain with the New Orleans Saints. . . . The Chicago Bears re-signed running back James Allen to a one-year, $1.12-million contract. . . . Quarterback Tim Hasselbeck was one of 18 free agents signed by the Buffalo Bills. . . . The Carolina Panthers signed veteran punter Todd Sauerbrun and released punter Ken Walter. . . . The Baltimore Ravens reportedly are interested in quarterback Randall Cunningham.

Miscellany

Skip Prosser, who helped turn Xavier into a perennial postseason tournament team, was chosen to replace Dave Odom as men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest. . . . Ivan Kartelo, a 6-foot-11 sophomore basketball center who left Notre Dame earlier this month, has transferred to Purdue.

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis’ co-promoters and HBO have reached an agreement that designates Aug. 18 as a date for a possible rematch with Hasim Rahman.

Retired world shotput champion C.J. Hunter was acquitted of shoving Garfield Ellenwood, who was using the track at North Carolina State. Hunter, a volunteer coach at the school, had been charged with misdemeanor assault.

Clemson defensive lineman Marcus Lewis was dropped from the football team for his role in a series of campus burglaries last year, Coach Tommy Bowden said.

A Kansas City, Mo., judge dealing with the estate of Derrick Thomas has ruled the late football star of the Chiefs was the father of four children, besides three others for whom his paternity already was established.

The International Basketball Federation is satisfied with plans for a new 15,000-seat indoor arena for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Ecuador moved into third place in South American qualifying for soccer’s 2002 World Cup, rallying to beat visiting Paraguay, 2-1, despite playing a man short for much of the game. Colombia scored twice in the final seven minutes to gain a 2-2 tie at Venezuela and Uruguay won at Chile, 1-0.

Pulitzer Prize winners George Will of the Washington Post and Newsweek and Dave Anderson of the New York Times were named to a national panel to judge the Murray Scholars essay contest, which is run by the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.

Other panelists include Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly and Frank Deford, broadcaster Jack Whitaker, Bob Verdi of GolfWorld magazine and Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jack Elway was remembered during a memorial service at Colorado Community Church honoring the former San Jose State and Stanford coach and Denver Bronco scout who died earlier this month at his Palm Springs home.