Venus Williams Finds a Way to Defeat Serena

Venus Williams ended a streak of six consecutive losses to sister Serena, winning, 6-1, 7-6 (8), Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open at Key Biscayne, Fla.

At the end, the sisters met at the net and hugged, and Venus consoled her younger sister with a pat on the back. Venus grinned and waved to the crowd, then gestured to Serena and applauded by patting her racket.

Venus’ opponent in the semifinals Thursday will be No. 2-seeded Maria Sharapova, who disrupted Justine Henin-Hardenne’s comeback from a seven-month layoff by winning, 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-2.

Among those reaching the men’s quarterfinals were top-ranked Roger Federer and six-time Key Biscayne champion Andre Agassi.

Federer was pushed to three sets for the second match in a row but defeated Mario Ancic, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Agassi beat French Open champion Gaston Gaudio, 7-6 (7), 6-2. Gaudio faded after converting only one of 10 breakpoint chances in the opening set, which lasted 85 minutes.

Boxing

Former two-time heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe (41-1, 33 knockouts) has been granted a license by the California State Athletic Commission, after a series of medical tests. Bowe, 37, who has fought only once in the last 8 1/2 years, underwent an MRI exam and a neurological exam at the request of the California commission.

Bowe is scheduled to return to the ring April 7 at Pechanga Casino in Temecula for a 10-round fight against Billy Zumbrun (18-5-1, 1) of Ogden, Utah.

College Football

Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville will be named an associate coach with Hawaii by the end of the week, according to a report in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Hawaii Coach June Jones served two stints under Glanville, as the Houston Oiler quarterbacks coach in 1987 and 1988 and as an Atlanta Falcon assistant head coach from 1991 to 1993. Jones succeeded Glanville as the Falcons’ head coach in 1994.

Glanville, 63, hasn’t coached since being fired by Atlanta after the 1993 season, but he participated in Hawaii’s first spring practice.

The NCAA has decided that Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith can return to the team if he pays back the money he took from a booster and is held out of the Buckeye opener against Miami of Ohio. Athletic Director Andy Geiger said that Smith would be required to pay “around $500” to a charity as restitution.

Jurisprudence

Former Pittsburgh Steeler guard Terry Long, 45, has been indicted on a charge of fraudulently securing loans for a chicken-processing plant that he eventually burned to the ground for insurance money.

Long, who played for Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1991, turned himself in after the federal indictment was unsealed.

The Indianapolis Colts’ Marvin Harrison and two other men are accused in a lawsuit of attacking three boys seeking the receiver’s autograph a day before the Pro Bowl in Honolulu. The suit seeks general, special and punitive damages. It alleges he “violently and physically attacked” the minors, including placing a “potentially deadly chokehold” on one of the boys.

Bryant Jackson, a fan charged with throwing a chair during a brawl involving the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons on Nov. 19, pleaded no contest to a felony assault count.

Hockey

The NHL wants the players’ association to disavow reports it is threatening to decertify agents should they represent replacement players. The league made the request in a March 24 letter -- obtained by Associated Press -- addressed to players’ union lawyer Ian Pulver and signed by NHL vice president Bill Daly.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Peter Laviolette will coach the U.S. team in the hockey world championships, which begin April 30 in Austria. John Tortorella, coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, will be an associate coach.

Miscellany

Lance Armstrong finished 24th at the Paris-Camembert race in Vimoutiers, France, a Tour de France tuneup won by France’s Laurent Brochard.

Bolivia defeated Venezuela, 3-1, in a South American qualifying match for next year’s World Cup soccer tournament.

T.J. Simers is on vacation.