Pierce Pulls Out of French Open

Citing a back injury, defending champion Mary Pierce withdrew from the French Open on Wednesday, less than a week before it starts. She lost in the first round of the Strasbourg Open on Tuesday.

Last year, Pierce became the first Frenchwoman to win at Roland Garros since 1967.

The French Open starts Monday.

Returning from a foot injury, top-seeded Monica Seles was eliminated in her opening match at the Spanish Open, losing to Paraguay’s Rossana de los Rios, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, in Madrid.

Second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain advanced when Barbara Rittner of Germany quit after losing the first set, 7-6 (4), and No. 6 Lisa Raymond defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 6-2, 6-3.

Showing why he likes his chances at the French Open, Australian Lleyton Hewitt overpowered Sweden’s Magnus Norman, 6-1, 6-2, at the clay-court World Team Cup in Duesseldorf, Germany, needing only 72 minutes to beat last year’s runner-up at Roland Garros.

Pat Rafter topped Thomas Enqvist, 6-3, 6-3, as Australia swept its best-of-three encounter with Sweden at the $2.1-million event. Wayne Arthurs and Scott Draper beat Enqvist and Nicklas Kulti, 7-5, 7-5, in doubles.

Spain also beat Germany, 3-0.

Meghann Shaughnessy beat qualifier Selima Sfar of Tunisia, 6-2, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the $170,000 Strasbourg Open in France. Shaughnessy next plays No. 2 Nathalie Tauziat of France who beat Meilen Tu, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. . . . Markus Hipfl of Austria won the last 11 games to beat Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-0, and reach the quarterfinals of the $425,000 Raiffeisen Grand Prix in St. Poelten, Austria.

Georgia, which failed to qualify for the tournament last year, won the NCAA men’s tennis title at Athens, Ga., beating Tennessee, 4-1, in a matchup of Southeastern Conference rivals.

Top-seeded Laura Granville of Stanford and No. 2 Ansley Cargill of Duke advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA women’s tournament in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Jurisprudence

Florida basketball star Teddy Dupay reportedly is being investigated by the school for a possible violation of the student conduct code.

Meanwhile, Gator forward Naomi Mobley, the leading rebounder in the Southeastern Conference the last two seasons, is free on her own recognizance after being arrested for striking a fellow student during an argument over a laptop computer, according to arrest reports.

Tauleah Kelly, the 19-year-old girlfriend of New York Giant defensive end Jeremiah Parker, reportedly told police in Paterson, N.J., she shook her 4-year-old son violently shortly before the child was found motionless in the condominium the couple shared.

Elijah Kelly died May 14. The claim was contained in a bail reduction motion filed by Parker.

Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark lowered bail for Parker and Kelly to $300,000 each.

Pro Football

The Green Bay Packers received a $13-million loan from the NFL to help finance the $295-million expansion and renovation of Lambeau Field. The team will be allowed to repay it over 15 years.

John Guy, who has 26 years of football coaching and scouting experience, was appointed the Buffalo Bills’ pro personnel director. Guy, who spent the last three years as a scout with the Cleveland Browns, replaces A.J. Smith, who joined the San Diego Chargers. . . . Former XFL defensive end Quinton Reese signed a one-year contract with the Chargers.

Soccer

Ronald Cerritos scored on a header in the 15th minute and Dwayne DeRosario added a goal in the 90th minute as the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Dallas Burn, 2-0, in a Major League Soccer game at Dallas. . . . In an MLS game at Denver, Jim Rooney scored in the 79th minute to give the Miami Fusion a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. . . . Bayern Munich outlasted Valencia, 5-4, in a shootout at Milan, Italy, to capture the club’s first Champions Cup in 25 years. It followed a 1-1 regulation tie in which each team’s goal came on a penalty shot. . . . Hernan Dario Gomez, Ecuador’s national coach, put in his letter of resignation, two weeks after he was shot during an argument with men who blamed him for excluding a former president’s son from a youth squad.

Miscellany

UCLA’s Laura Moffat shot her second three-under-par 69 to retain the lead after two rounds of the NCAA women’s golf championship at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. Oklahoma State and Duke lead the team competition at 16-over 592, two shots ahead of UCLA.

Maryland rewarded basketball Coach Gary Williams for leading the Terrapins to their first Final Four appearance, raising his base salary for next season from $175,000 to $190,000. It would go to nearly $200,000 in 2002-2003. . . . Dale Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa, wants a Volusia County judge to look at autopsy photos so he will understand their “gruesome, personal and offensive nature.” She made the request before a June 11 hearing to decide whether the student-run Independent Florida Alligator and DeLand-based Web site owner Michael Uribe can have access to the photos.