Pro basketballMichael Jordan, conceding that speculation about...

Pro basketball

Michael Jordan, conceding that speculation about his possible comeback could become a distraction to the Washington Wizards, said that he planned to steadily increase his workload and hoped to decide whether he is capable of playing again in time to allow the franchise to chart its course.

“At some point I have to go ahead and keep the question from being a nagging situation,” Jordan, 38, said in Chicago. “The curiosity is going to increase. I hope to jump ahead of that before it gets to a point where it affects what we’re trying to do.”

Jordan, the team’s president of basketball operations, said he didn’t know when he would announce his decision. Jordan, returning after suffering fractured ribs last month, practiced twice during mini-camp last weekend.

In a scene reminiscent of college recruiting, Indiana Pacer officials met with members of free-agent forward Chris Webber’s family last weekend in Detroit.

“We met with his family at their request,” Pacer President Donnie Walsh said of himself and Coach Isiah Thomas.

“But any speculation of Chris becoming a Pacer is premature because it would involve a sign-and-trade, and the decision to do that rests with Chris Webber and Sacramento, not the Pacers,” Walsh said.

The Phoenix Suns will send center Chris Dudley to the New Jersey Nets for center Soumaila Samake and forward Johnny Newman to complete the June 28 Jason Kidd-Stephon Marbury deal.

The Detroit Pistons obtained the rights to forward Zeljko Rebraca from the Toronto Raptors for a second-round draft pick in 2002.

Tennis

Third-seeded Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia was upset in the first round of the $110,000 WTA Sanex Trophy, losing, 6-4, 6-2, to Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic at Knokke-Heist, Belgium.

Seventh-seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy was beaten by Amanda Hopmans of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-3.

Seventh-seeded Felix Mantilla of Spain defeated Markus Hantschk of Germany, 7-6 (3), 6-2, and advanced to the second round of the $400,000 Croatian Open at Umag.

Andrew Ilie defeated Germany’s Lars Burgsmueller, 6-1, 6-3, and will face top-seeded Gustavo Kuerten in the second round of the $800,000 Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany.

Four Spaniards also advanced, among them Tommy Robredo, who defeated Michael Russell, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Mercedes-Benz has extended its sponsorship of the Mercedes-Benz Cup men’s tennis tournament at UCLA through 2003, officials said. It became title sponsor four years ago.

Miscellany

Uruguay and Costa Rica tied, 1-1, at Medellin, Colombia, leaving both teams close to qualifying for the quarterfinals of the Copa America soccer championship.

Pablo Wanchope put Costa Rica ahead in the 29th minute, and veteran Carlos Morales got the tying goal for Uruguay in the 54th minute.

With one match left in the first round, the teams remained tied for the lead in Group C with four points.

In other action, Amado Guevara scored two second-half goals, giving Honduras a 2-0 victory over Bolivia and new hope of reaching the quarterfinals.

Andy Lopez, twice the national coach of the year, has been hired as the baseball coach at Arizona.

Fired in June by Florida, the former Pepperdine and Cal State Dominguez Hills coach replaces Jerry Stitt, who was forced to resign this summer.

A Northern Illinois assistant football coach who ordered players to run through a drum corps practicing at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb was fired. School officials said John Binkowski, strength and conditioning coach, was angry over a stadium scheduling conflict with the practicing Capitol Regiment drum corps. The school said Binkowski ordered about 20 players to run directly through the band, injuring two musicians, last Thursday.

Baylor sophomore linebacker Anthony Simmons, a projected starter, was dismissed from the team for violating team policy.

The Chicago Bears signed Bryan Robinson to a one-year transition tender offer, which is equal to the average of the top 10 salaries at defensive end. Robinson, claimed by the Bears off waivers from the St. Louis Rams before the 1998 season, had a career-high 77 tackles last season. . . . Cornerback Michael Stone agreed to a four-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Centers Tony Hrkac and Bob Corkum, who played for the Ducks and Kings, respectively, last season, signed contracts with the Atlanta Thrashers. . . . Miroslav Satan, second in scoring last season for the Buffalo Sabres, and fellow forward Chris Taylor have filed for arbitration.

U.S. Olympic bobsledder John Kasper, a former assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings, was suspended from the sport for two years after failing a drug test.

Trainer John DeStefano has been suspended for 15 days by Belmont Park stewards because a banned drug was found in one of his horses after a race June 14.

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Columnist T.J. Simers has the day off.