Navratilova to Play Paris

Martina Navratilova, who has played only doubles in recent seasons, will play singles at the French Open, a decade after her last Grand Slam singles match.

Navratilova, 47, was given a wild card for the clay-court major she last won 20 years ago, tournament spokesman Christophe Proust said Thursday in Paris.

Another former champion, Monica Seles, who is recovering from a lingering left foot injury, pulled out of the event, which would have been her first in a year.

Navratilova has said she plans to retire from all competitive tennis at the end of this season. She requested the wild card Wednesday.

“Tennis is not a contact sport, and I’ve never been afraid in my life,” Navratilova said after playing a doubles match at the Italian Open in Rome. “I’m certainly not going to start now.”

Navratilova last played singles at the French Open in 1994, losing in the first round. She played her last Grand Slam singles match later that year at Wimbledon, where she reached the final.

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Marat Safin cracked his racket on a linesman’s chair during a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Juergen Melzer in the third round of the Hamburg Masters in Germany.

“I didn’t really feel like playing tennis today,” the 2000 U.S. Open champion said. “I had no motivation. I didn’t want to be on court. I’m not a morning person. The balls are of bad quality. They are a nightmare. You don’t have confidence in your shots.”

Safin had 31 unforced errors to Melzer’s 18, and only 11 winners to Melzer’s 28.

Top-ranked Roger Federer beat Fernando Gonzalez, 7-5, 6-1, and improved to 29-3 in 2004, and second-seeded Guillermo Coria defeated Tommy Robredo, 7-6 (2), 6-4, for his 29th consecutive clay-court victory.

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Top-seeded Serena Williams easily defeated 97th-ranked Dally Randriantefy, 6-1, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.

Also advancing at the clay-court tournament were second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and fifth-seeded Jennifer Capriati. Mauresmo defeated four-time Italian Open champion Conchita Martinez, 6-3, 6-4, and Capriati beat Paola Suarez, 6-2, 6-2.

Golf

After not playing the first six weeks of the PGA Tour season because of a cracked rib, Peter Lonard shot a six-under-par 64 that gave him a share of the lead at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, with J.L. Lewis. Tiger Woods shot a 65 and is tied for second with Dudley Hart.

Motor Racing

Kyle Busch and 13 others christened Richmond International Raceway’s new asphalt surface with the fastest speeds in the history of NASCAR Busch Series qualifying on the three-quarter-mile oval.

Busch turned the fastest lap at 129.348 mph in a Chevrolet to earn the pole for today’s Funai 250. That broke Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s mark of 126.868, which had stood since September 2002.

College Football

University of Colorado football coaches regularly charged the school for beer delivered to their hotel rooms the night before away games, an audit found.

The practice, a violation of state rules, has cost the university at least $1,465 since 1999, according to preliminary results of the internal audit.

Despite three losing seasons in the last four years, Joe Paterno received a four-year contract extension from Penn State that will take him past his 80th birthday. The Nittany Lions went 3-9 last season, the worst record in his 38 seasons as head coach.

UCLA center Mike McCloskey, who did not participate in spring drills because of a case of pleurisy, an inflammation in the lining of the lungs, has been cleared to return to the team after undergoing an extensive battery of tests.

Defensive end Kevin Harbour underwent successful knee surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament torn during spring practice in April.

Miscellany

A Greek group claimed responsibility for triple bombings at a police station in Athens and warned that some Olympic visitors -- from heads of state to wealthy Western tourists -- would be “undesirable.”

The proclamation by the group Revolutionary Struggle did not threaten future attacks, but its anger over Olympic security measures could further affect international confidence about the Aug. 13-29 Olympic Games.

Troy Hambrick was released by the Dallas Cowboys, a move that probably clears the way for Julius Jones, their top draft pick from Notre Dame, to be the starting running back.... Larry Krystkowiak was introduced as Montana’s new basketball coach.

Passings

Rex Dixon, basketball coach at Compton College in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, died Wednesday of complications of pneumonia. He was 90.