Williams’ Status for French Open Is in Doubt

The pain of a strained stomach muscle forced Venus Williams to quit during the third set of the J&S; Cup final against Amelie Mauresmo of France on Sunday, leaving her status for the French Open in doubt.

Mauresmo, who lost all five previous matches against Williams, led the championship match at the clay-court tournament in Warsaw, 6-7 (6), 6-0, 3-0, when play was stopped.

“The injury isn’t good,” Williams said. “They’ve told me that an abdominal strain needs more time to heal than a regular strain, so I have to take advice and see how I’m doing.”

The French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay, starts in three weeks. Williams reached the final there for the first time last year, losing to her sister, Serena.

“I can walk around fine,” Williams said, “but I don’t have a desk job.”

Even if she can play at Roland Garros, her preparation will be hampered. Williams already had pulled out of the May 12-18 Italian Open, saying she didn’t want to play too much leading up to the French Open, which begins May 26. Now she might have to withdraw from this week’s German Open.

Williams was hurt in the first set but said she didn’t realize right away how badly. She left the court for treatment after the second set.

When she returned, she looked in real pain while falling behind, 3-0, in the third set. When her 13th double-fault made the score 30-40 in the next game, she stopped.

*

Roger Federer of Switzerand won his third ATP title of the season, needing only 56 minutes to defeat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, 6-1, 6-4, in the final of the BMW Open at Munich, Germany.

The top-seeded Federer won the first set in 19 minutes and clinched the victory on his third match point when the eighth-seeded Nieminen missed the line with a forehand.

*

Top-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain improved to 17-1 on clay this season by beating unseeded Christophe Rochus of Belgium, 6-2, 6-4, to win the Valencia Open in Spain.

Motor Racing

Michael Schumacher won the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona for his second consecutive victory, moving within four points of leader Kimi Raikkonen, who crashed just after the start.

Schumacher, driving his new Ferrari F2003-GA, won his third consecutive and fifth overall Spanish Grand Prix. The five-time Formula One champion, who started on the pole, won his 66th career race.

Renault’s Fernando Alonso was second, 5.7 seconds behind Schumacher in the 65-lap race on the 2.93-mile Circuit de Catalunya. Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello finished third, 18 seconds behind.

Raikkonen started last after failing to record a qualifying time Saturday. The McLaren driver had gone only 30 yards before crashing into rookie Antonio Pizzonia, who had stalled.

Raikkonen’s right front wheel came off, leaving the car stranded in the middle of the grid, while Pizzonia’s Jaguar was forced to the edge of the track.

Schumacher saw Raikkonen on the side of the track after the first lap.

“At that moment, you were aware he couldn’t get any points today and we just do our job and get the maximum number of points,” Schumacher said.

Williams-BMW drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Paul Tracy will try to become the first CART driver to win the first four races of the season today at Brands Hatch, England, in the London Champ Car Trophy. And he will start from the pole for the first time since the Michigan 500 in 2000.

Tracy had a time of 37.006 seconds at an average speed of 115.960 mph on the narrow 1.192-mile circuit Saturday and it held up through Sunday’s final qualifying.

Cristiano da Matta (2002), Alex Zanardi (1998) and Al Unser Jr. (1990) have won four consecutive races since CART made its debut in 1979, but the victories came in midseason.

The record for consecutive victories in American open-wheel racing, and victories to start the season, is seven by A.J. Foyt to begin the 1964 season when USAC sanctioned the races.

Tracy will share the front row with Newman-Haas’ Sebastien Bourdais, who had the fastest time in Sunday’s qualifying at 37.044 seconds.

Larry Dixon reclaimed the top fuel division points lead with his victory at the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. He covered the quarter-mile track in 4.569 seconds at 323.89 mph for his third win of the season and the 28th of his career.

Tony Pedregon won the funny car division with a run of 4.874 at 318.77. Warren Johnson earned his 90th career pro stock division victory with a run of 6.853 at 201.46.

Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau got a hospital visit from Kyle Petty, Jeff Burton and former NASCAR great Bobby Allison.

Nadeau remained in critical condition two days after his car slammed into a wall during practice at Richmond International Raceway.

The drivers visited Nadeau the morning after the Pontiac Excitement 400, which was won by Joe Nemechek. Nadeau’s parents, sister and wife also were at Medical College of Virginia Hospitals.

Nadeau has a partially collapsed lung and unspecified rib and head injuries. His condition remained unchanged from Saturday.

Miscellany

Oscar De La Hoya suffered a strained left wrist during Saturday night’s title defense against Yory Boy Campas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

He was fitted with a soft cast, which he will wear for at least 10 days, but is expected to be ready for his Sept. 13 rematch against Shane Mosley, according to Richard Schaefer, De La Hoya’s business advisor.

X-rays taken after De La Hoya stopped Campas in the seventh round to retain his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Assn. super-welterweight titles showed no further damage. He believes the injury occurred in the first round.

De La Hoya underwent surgery on his left hand in 2001 to repair torn cartilage and re-injured it last year, causing postponement of his fight against Fernando Vargas.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic remained unbeaten at the World Hockey Championships in Finland.

Ziggy Palffy of the Kings had a goal and two assists as Slovakia routed Austria, 7-1, in Helsinki. Slovakia, the defending champion, had already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Czech Republic, which has also clinched a quarterfinal spot, beat Germany, 4-0, at Helsinki behind two goals from Jan Hlavac of the Carolina Hurricanes.