Capriati, Mauresmo Show Their Net Gains

Jennifer Capriati and Amelie Mauresmo won comfortably at the Italian Open on Wednesday in Rome. The biggest challenge for both was something they’re fairly uncomfortable doing: coming to net.

The fifth-seeded Capriati defeated Maria Vento-Kabchi, 6-2, 6-1, in 45 minutes before No. 2 Mauresmo faced some resistance in the first set but ultimately prevailed against French childhood rival Nathalie Dechy, 7-5, 6-3.

Capriati acknowledged that it seemed as though she “didn’t have to do much.”

Asked what she was working on, the three-time major champion said: “Trying to be aggressive when I can and move forward.”

Two seeded players lost, with No. 3 Anastasia Myskina falling to Elena Likhovtseva, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, and No. 4 Nadia Petrova losing to local wild-card entry Flavia Pennetta, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Capriati, who like Mauresmo had a first-round bye, dominated her match from start to finish.

“Practice in the beginning is what I probably will need later on against the other top players,” Capriati said.

Her best result of 2004 came last week, when she reached the German Open semifinals before losing to eventual champion Mauresmo.

In Rome’s third round, Capriati faces No. 12 Paola Suarez, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Tatiana Golovin. Mauresmo next plays No. 13 Conchita Martinez, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 winner against Karolina Sprem.

In another match, No. 7 Ai Sugiyama defeated Mary Pierce, 6-2, 6-4.

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Top-ranked Roger Federer needed only an hour to beat Nicolas Lapentti, 6-3, 6-3, to move into the third round at the Hamburg Masters in Germany.

Federer improved his career-best season start to 28-3.

Meanwhile, defending champion Guillermo Coria extended his winning streak on clay to 28 matches with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Luis Horna.

In the third round, Coria will play 16th-seeded Tommy Robredo, who beat Mariano Zabaleta, 6-4, 6-2.

Federer faces No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez, who rallied to beat Julian Knowle, 0-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Italian Open champion Carlos Moya moved closer to a second straight title by beating Alberto Martin, 6-2, 6-3, Marat Safin rallied to defeat Sargis Sargsian, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, and Lleyton Hewitt survived nine set points and recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to beat Tommy Haas, 6-4, 7-5.

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As expected, Kim Clijsters withdrew from the French Open because of a lingering left wrist injury. Clijsters was the French Open runner-up in 2001 and 2003.

Other withdrawals were Mardy Fish, who will be replaced by Greg Rusedski and semiretired Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who will be replaced by Alex Corretja.

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Defending champion Wayne Ferreira of South Africa and fellow 2003 finalist Hewitt, of Australia, have committed to the Mercedes-Benz Cup, July 12-18, at UCLA.

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Former UCLA great Larry Nagler will be inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. Hall of Fame on May 26 during the NCAA championships in Tulsa, Okla. Nagler, who swept the NCAA singles and doubles titles in 1960, was a three-time ITA All-American and the only player to win three Pacific 10 Conference men’s singles title.

Jurisprudence

Valorie Brabazon, the mother of slain Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, has resolved “potential claims” with the school and will not sue, university officials said.

Dennehy was missing nearly six weeks before his body was found near campus last summer. His former teammate and roommate, Carlton Dotson, has been charged with murder.

The university’s attorney, Noley Bice, declined to say whether Baylor would pay Brabazon.

“It means we’re not going to have a lawsuit, and everything’s over,” he said.

Baylor’s announcement comes three months after a judge threw out Patrick Dennehy Sr.’s wrongful-death lawsuit against the university.

College Basketball

Tony Harvey, the suspended top assistant to Missouri Coach Quin Snyder, confirmed that he is accused by the NCAA of giving former player Ricky Clemons $250, an allegation he denies.

“I have not given Ricky any money, period,” Harvey told Associated Press.

Harvey, 37, confirmed that Snyder suspended him with pay until the NCAA proceedings, which could last into the fall, are finished.

The NCAA alleged members of the Missouri basketball staff repeatedly broke its rules. The university blacked out names of employees before releasing the 19-page notice of allegations on Tuesday.

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Larry Krystkowiak, a nine-year NBA veteran, is expected to be introduced today as the new men’s coach at Montana, where he played from 1982 to 1986.

Krystkowiak would replace Pat Kennedy, who left the school Monday to take the job at Towson University.

Miscellany

Diana Taurasi and Swin Cash, former teammates at Connecticut, were selected to play on the U.S. women’s basketball team at the Summer Olympics.

Taurasi and Cash will join Sue Bird, another former Connecticut teammate, on the 12-woman Olympic squad. USA Basketball said it plans to add one more player. Taurasi is a former Chino Don Lugo High standout.

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The addition of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College yielded its first tangible benefit to the Atlantic Coast Conference with the announcement of a seven-year television deal for football worth $263 million.

The deal, with Walt Disney Corp.-owned ABC and ESPN, replaces a seven-year deal that had been signed in 1998 and was reported to be worth between $190 and $200 million. Neither side would discuss specifics but a conference source confirmed the value of the new contract.

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Distance runner Bob Kennedy will make his debut in the marathon at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7. Kennedy, 33, already has American records in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and will attempt to qualify for his third Olympics this summer, this time in the 10,000 meters.

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The Washington Redskins re-signed safety Ifeanyi Ohalete. Ohalete, an undrafted free agent from USC, started 15 games at strong safety last season and made a career-high 105 tackles.