UCLA Tennis Is in Final

UCLA has not won an NCAA men’s tennis title since 1984, but another upset of a higher-seeded team has the Bruins in position to end their drought.

Benjamin Kohlloeffel defeated Eric Claesson of Mississippi, 6-1, 6-3, and clinched a 4-2 victory by the seventh-seeded Bruins (26-3) over the third-seeded Rebels (25-4) in the semifinals Monday night at College Station, Texas.

UCLA will play defending champion and top-seeded Baylor. Baylor (33-0) has won 57 consecutive matches dating to last year.

Philipp Gruendler of UCLA defeated Karim Alayli, 7-6 (5), 6-1, and Alberto Francis defeated Bram ten Berge, 6-3, 6-0. Kohlloeffel, a sophomore from Germany, teamed with Gruendler to beat Frederik Aarum and Erling Tveit in doubles.

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Freshman Riza Zalameda of UCLA upset sixth-seeded Robin Stephenson of Alabama, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, and Lindsey Nelson of USC defeated Romy Farah of Clemson, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the NCAA women’s singles tournament at Athens, Ga.

Pro Football

Receiver-turned-defensive back Troy Brown is returning for a 12th season with the New England Patriots after agreeing to a one-year contract with the team.

Brown, 33, had been released two months ago in a cost-cutting move by the Patriots. Financial terms of the new deal weren’t disclosed.

Defensive back R.W. McQuarters, who signed a $21-million contract extension with the Chicago Bears in January 2002 that ran through 2006, was released by the team.

Jurisprudence

Former Carson High football star Kevin McCall, a sophomore running back at Washington State, began serving a 45-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation.

McCall originally was charged with third-degree rape in connection with an alleged March incident in a university dormitory. A prosecutor in Whitman County, Wash., said a plea arrangement was made after McCall’s accuser declined to testify in a trial.

McCall was suspended from the team in March. Coach Bill Doba could not be reached for comment, but assistant Robin Pflugrad said he expected McCall would rejoin the team.

Receiver Tyrone Calico of the Tennessee Titans has been cited for public indecency for allegedly having sex with an 18-year-old woman in his car on a Nashville street May 12. Calico, 24, and the woman are scheduled to appear in court May 26.

A Superior Court judge in Danielson, Conn., dismissed charges against Connecticut football players Daniel Davis and Daniel Lansanah, who were arrested May 8 after a shot was fired from a pellet gun into a car at a convenience store parking lot.

Ohio State lineman Tim Schafer was charged with disorderly conduct for fighting with a man outside a bar in Columbus, Ohio, early Saturday.

Miscellany

USC sophomore pitcher Ian Kennedy was invited to try out for the U.S. national baseball team. Kennedy played on the U.S. team last year.

Lafayette Stribling, Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball coach for the last 22 seasons, retired. He had a 315-207 record with the Delta Devils.

Marion Jones is expected to compete in the 100 meters Sunday in the FBK Games at Hengelo, Netherlands, said Fedde Zwanenburg, the meet director.

It would be the first appearance in Europe this season for the American sprinter, who has been shunned by many European meet organizers since being linked to the BALCO steroid scandal.

Rookie Kendra Wecker of the San Antonio Silver Stars is scheduled to have knee surgery June 8 after suffering torn ligaments against the Houston Comets on Saturday and probably will sit out the rest of the WNBA season.

The Mighty Ducks have signed a five-year agreement to have Portland (Maine) of the American Hockey League as their minor league affiliate.

A vote on New York state’s commitment to a proposed $2-billion stadium in Manhattan to be used by the NFL’s New York Jets and considered crucial for New York City’s chances of playing host to the 2012 Olympics was postponed.