Israel-Austria Cup Game Postponed After Crash
The World Cup qualifying game between Israel and Austria was postponed Thursday by soccer’s governing body, which cited the crash of a charter flight from Tel Aviv.
A chartered Russian airliner heading from Israel to Siberia exploded Thursday and crashed off the Black Sea coast with at least 76 people on board.
FIFA President Joseph Blatter said the “tragic event” forced the federation’s emergency committee to put off Sunday’s scheduled game in Tel Aviv. No makeup date was announced.
On Monday, FIFA had denied Austria’s request to move the match because of security fears.
Yasser Salem of the United Arab Emirates scored with three minutes left to lead a 2-1 upset of host Qatar in a Asian World Cup soccer qualifier at Doha.
Boxing
Former champion Roberto Duran, 50, was injured and had surgery after the car in which he was a passenger crashed on a Buenos Aires highway Duran’s injuries include a collapsed lung and broken ribs. He was stable after surgery, although doctors said they would keep him under observation for 48 hours.
Tennis
Unseeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia upset second-seeded Marat Safin of Russia, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (5), in the Kremlin Cup at Moscow. In women’s play, Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic ousted second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4, and unseeded Barbara Schett of Austria eliminated third-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-2.
U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt breezed past Michael Russell, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals of the Japan Open at Tokyo. Michael Chang, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, was upset by Japan’s Takao Suzuki, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Suzuki worked through five deuces in the final game of the second set.
Venus Williams has pulled out of next week’s WTA tournament in Filderstadt, Germany, citing “family reasons,” the tournament director said.
Miscellany
Jimmy Spencer won the pole for the UAW-GM Quality 500 with a lap of 185.147 mph to take the top spot for Sunday’s race at Concord, N.C. ... Scott Riggs set a track qualifying record with a lap at 181.953 mph to earn the pole for the NASCAR Truck Series’ Silverado 350 at Fort Worth.
Sophomore forward Glen McGowan of Pepperdine’s basketball team has been suspended from school for the fall semester because he instigated a fight with a teammate in the campus library last month, team sources said.
The 6-foot-8 McCowan was projected as a potential starter after leading the Waves with an 18.8 scoring average during a five-game tour of France and Switzerland in August.
A source said McGowan attacked teammate Will Kimble during a team study hall on Sept. 17 after the two had been involved in a scuffle earlier in the day during a pickup game. It has yet to be determined if McGowan will be allowed to re-enroll in school and rejoin the team after the semester ends in December.
Denny Crum, former UCLA assistant basketball coach and longtime coach at Louisville, will receive the fourth Legends of Coaching Award. The award, for long and meritorious service, was announced by Duke Llewellen, chairman of the L.A. Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award. Crum will receive the award during the April 7 Wooden Award ceremony honoring the collegiate player of the year.
The USC basketball programs will begin their respective 2001-2002 seasons Oct. 12 with a Midnight Madness event at the on-campus Lyon Center.
Doors will open at 11 p.m. and tickets are $5, $2 for students with ID, and can be purchased at the USC ticket office or by calling (213) 740-4672. Proceeds will go to disaster relief for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Los Angeles-Anaheim chapter of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America, in conjunction with on-line sports auction specialist Real Legends, will hold a sports memorabilia auction to benefit the family of Terry Johnson, the longtime Southern California baseball writer who died in July.
Among the items in the auction, which begins today on eBay, will be bats signed by Cal Ripken Jr., Sammy Sosa, Todd Helton and George Brett, baseballs signed by Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Mark McGwire, a Shaquille O’Neal-signed shoe, a Wayne Gretzky-autographed jersey and stick, a John Wooden-signed basketball, and a PGA championship flag signed by Tiger Woods.
Proceeds from the auction will go to help Johnson’s wife and four sons. Johnson died of a heart attack and did not have life insurance.
Passings
Joan Elizabeth Sullivan Carder, a 1950s player from a well-known tennis family, has died at 64 in Westport, Mass.
