Venus Williams Returns to WTA Tour’s Top 10

Venus Williams jumped back into the top 10 in the WTA Tour rankings by winning Wimbledon, rising from No. 16 to No. 8.

The woman she edged, 9-7, in the third set of Saturday’s epic final, Lindsay Davenport, increased her hold on No. 1, and Williams’ sister Serena dropped from No. 4 to No. 6 after being upset in the third round at the All England Club.

Roger Federer stayed atop the ATP Tour entry rankings and ATP Champions Race by winning a third consecutive Wimbledon title.

None of the first eight spots in the men’s rankings changed, including Lleyton Hewitt at No. 2, French Open champion Rafael Nadal at No. 3, Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick at No. 4, Australian Open winner Marat Safin at No. 5, and Andre Agassi still at No. 6 despite skipping Wimbledon because of an injury.

The biggest rise among the top men was turned in by Thomas Johansson, who went from 22nd in the rankings to ninth by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals.

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Vince Spadea overcame a slow start to beat Alexander Popp, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport, R.I.

In other first-round matches, fifth-seeded Robby Ginepri, the 2003 Hall of Fame champion, ousted fellow American Scott Oudsema, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-0, and sixth-seeded Lars Burgsmuller retired because of a left leg injury in the second set with Giovanni Lapentti ahead, 7-6 (3), 3-1.

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Andreas Vinciguerra played his first match in two years after being sidelined because of knee injuries, beating Michael Ryderstedt, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round of the Swedish Open at Bastad.

In another first-round match, third-seeded Tommy Robredo outlasted Michal Tabara, 7-5, 6-0.

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Fernando Verdasco beat Jaroslav Pospisil, 6-2, 6-4, in the only match completed before rain suspended play on the first day of the Swiss Open at Gstaad.

Soccer

FIFA suspended the Barbados Football Assn. because of a power struggle between the BFA’s president and former secretary-general.

FIFA did not announce the length of the suspension, but it was not expected to exceed a year. BFA President Ronald Jones confirmed the action, which means that no country can play Barbados during the suspension.

Robinho’s transfer to Real Madrid is being prevented by Brazilian club Santos’ insistence that the striker stay until next year’s World Cup, his agent said.

“The problem isn’t the money anymore, but the refusal by [Santos President] Marcelo Teixeira to let him go until next year,” Wagner Ribeiro told news agency Efe.

Madrid has reportedly increased its bid to $25 million, but Teixeira wants the $50 million stipulated in the buyout clause in Robinho’s contract, which runs until 2008.

Striker Jose Luis Garces and backup goalkeeper Oscar McFarlane were removed from Panama’s Gold Cup team for violating curfew. Panama plays Colombia Wednesday.

Miscellany

Jack Nicklaus, less than two weeks away from his final British Open appearance, rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole to win four skins worth $48,231 and take the first-day lead at the Canadian Skins Game at Whistler.

Canadian Stephen Ames collected two skins worth $28,135, and John Daly won one skin worth $12,058. Vijay Singh missed two short birdie putts and was shut out.

On the par-four No. 4 hole at the Nicklaus North Golf Course, Daly and Singh missed birdie putts from 20 to 25 feet. Nicklaus, who had hit a five-iron from 194 yards within 10 feet, calmly made his birdie putt and winning four skins after the first three holes were carried over.

The Champion Audi Racing team of JJ Lehto and Marco Werner won the American LeMans Series New England Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.

Lehto, from Finland, beat teammate Emanuele Pirro by 1.7 seconds. Pirro shared driving duties with Frank Biela.

Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands won the women’s 10-kilometer Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta for the fourth time, and Gilbert Okari of Kenya won the men’s race.

Kiplagat was timed in 31 minutes 17 seconds in a competition featuring 55,000 runners, the world’s largest 10K race. Okari won in 28:19.

T.J. Simers has the day off.