Mauresmo Steps Up for France

Amelie Mauresmo salvaged the first day of the Fed Cup final for France with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Russia’s Anastasia Myskina, who made one error after another in a tennis match Saturday at Paris that tied the teams at one victory apiece.

“That’s the worst I’ve ever played,” Myskina said. “What can you do when you play like that?”

Elena Dementieva had given defending champion Russia a 1-0 lead by beating Mary Pierce, 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-1. The reverse singles will be played today.

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Top-seeded Rafael Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-4, 6-4, and second-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina defeated fourth-seeded Thomas Johansson of Sweden, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, in the semifinals of the China Open at Beijing.... Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport defeated Li Na of China, 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinals of the Wismilak International at Bali, Indonesia. In the other semifinal, Francesca Schiavone of Italy advanced when Patty Schnyder of Switzerland quit after the second set because of heat exhaustion.

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Martina Hingis accounted for 15 of her team’s 21 points to lead the New York Sportimes to their first World TeamTennis championship, a 21-18 victory over the defending champion Newport Beach Breakers at Citrus Heights, Calif.

Track and Field

Olympic and world champion Justin Gatlin was clocked in 10.01 seconds in winning the men’s 100 meters in the Golden Grand Prix at Shanghai, just ahead of Leonard Scott’s 10.09.

Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China won the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.05 seconds, coming from behind to defeat Allen Johnson (13.20).

Allyson Felix won the women’s 200 in 23.09 and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas won the women’s 100 in 11.02.

Basketball

Free-agent forward Alan Henderson, 32, signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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The Sacramento Monarchs play host to the Connecticut Sun in Game 3 of the best-of-five WNBA finals today at 1 p.m. The Sun tied the series at one game apiece with a 77-70 overtime victory Thursday at Connecticut.

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Juan Carlos Navarro scored 35 points to lead Spain (2-0) to a 114-109 overtime victory over Latvia (0-2) at Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, in a Group D game of the European Championship.

In Group C at Belgrade, Boris Diaw of the Atlanta Hawks scored 23 points and France defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina, 79-62.

In Group A at Vrsac, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks scored 27 points to lead Germany past Ukraine, 84-58.

Miscellany

Dany Betancourt gave up four hits in 8 1/3 innings and Cuba won its eighth consecutive World Cup with a 3-0 victory over South Korea at Rotterdam, Netherlands.

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Aaron Piersol, who won three gold medals at the World Championships and set two world records, was named the USA Swimming Athlete of the Year at the U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention in Greensboro, N.C..

Passings

Donn Clendenon, the power-hitting first baseman who was most valuable player in the New York Mets’ 1969 World Series victory, died of leukemia at Sioux Falls, S.D. He was 70. Story in Section B.