Former Skater Bowman Arrested

Former U.S. figure skating champion Christopher Bowman was arrested on charges he pointed a loaded gun at a friend while drunk, police said Friday.

Police were called to Bowman’s apartment Wednesday night after a woman said he had pointed a gun at her, Lake Orion, Mich., police chief Jerry Narsh said Friday.

The woman had gone to check on Bowman after he failed to show up for an event at her home. After he pointed the gun at her, she left the apartment and called a friend who then called police, Narsh said.

Police found Bowman asleep in the apartment and a handgun on the floor, Narsh said.

Bowman, 37, was arraigned Thursday on charges of felonious assault and being in possession of a firearm while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. Bond was set at $10,000, and he was released. He faces more than four years in prison if convicted.

Bowman was the U.S. champion in 1989 and ’92.

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Tennis

After losing his temper, top-seeded Marat Safin was upset by seventh-seeded Michael Llodra, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. Safin had a chance to break Llodra’s serve at 4-4 of the first set, but chair umpire Carlos Bernardos ordered a point replayed and Llodra won it.

Safin continued to argue with the umpire in the second set and refused to shake hands with the umpire after the match.

A win could have clinched a spot for Safin in the season-ending tournament at Houston next month.

Top-seeded Andre Agassi defeated Fernando Verdasco, 7-6 (4), 6-2, to reach the semifinals of the Stockholm Open. Agassi will play fourth-seeded Tommy Haas, who defeated Olivier Rochus, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Jiri Novak upset second-seeded Tim Henman, 7-6 (5), 7-5, in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors tournament at Basel, Switzerland.

Top-ranked Roger Federer withdrew from next week’s Paris Masters because of a torn left thigh muscle, making Andy Roddick the top-seeded player.

Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo defeated sixth-seeded Ai Sugiyama, 6-2, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Generali Ladies Open at Linz, Austria.

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Motor Racing

Ryan Newman won his third consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup Series pole and his eighth of the year, taking the top spot for Sunday’s MBNA 500 with a fast lap of 191.575 mph in a Dodge at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kurt Busch, who has a 96-point lead over Jeff Gordon in the series championship race, qualified 22nd at 187.722. Gordon will start 10th.

Mike Bliss won the pole for today’s NASCAR Busch Series Aaron’s 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a speed of 188.867 mph to edge series points leader Martin Truex Jr.

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Miscellany

Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe, Chicago center Tyler Arnason, Columbus defenseman Anders Eriksson, and Phoenix defensemen Brad Ference and Paul Mara signed to play in Europe during the NHL lockout. There are 236 NHL players who have gone to Europe during the labor dispute.

A federal judge has dismissed a 6-year-old sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former player Melissa Jennings against North Carolina women’s soccer Coach Anson Dorrance. The “behavior at issue does not constitute severe, pervasive and objectively offensive sexual harassment,” U.S. District Court Judge N. Carlton Tilley Jr. wrote in a 24-page opinion.

No misconduct occurred during the investigation of illegal steroid distribution to some of the nation’s best-known athletes, federal prosecutors contended in briefs filed Friday.

Attorneys for four defendants charged in the case and connected to nutritional supplement lab BALCO allege their clients were subjected to illegal searches and coerced by federal investigators. All have pleaded not guilty.