Sloppy Williams Ousted by Zvonareva, 6-2, 6-3

Vera Zvonareva ended Serena Williams’ run in her first tournament in six months, beating the seven-time Grand Slam event champion, 6-2, 6-3, on Saturday to advance to the final of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open at Mason, Ohio.

Zvonareva, unseeded and ranked 52nd, will be making her second appearance in three years in the championship match of the Tier III event today when she faces fourth-seeded Katarina Srebotnik, who upset defending champion Patty Schnyder, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Zvonareva lost to Lindsay Davenport in 2004.

“Two years ago, she was playing so well that I didn’t get a chance to enjoy myself,” Zvonareva said.

Williams committed 19 of her 34 unforced errors in the first set, and Zvonareva committed only six unforced errors in the match, none in the first set.

“I think the results are customary for somebody who makes that many unforced errors,” said Williams, who expects to spend next week in training. “I was fighting, but my balls kept flying. Maybe I should’ve added more spin. I think I was just off today.... Every forehand, I think I was aiming at the ball kids or the umpire instead of the court.”

Andy Roddick used his strong serve to overpower Robby Ginepri, 7-5, 6-3, and move into the final of the RCA Championships at Indianapolis.

Roddick will play James Blake for the title, pitting the top two men’s players in the United States.

Blake defeated ninth-seeded Xavier Malisse, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Roddick, who won the tournament in 2003 and 2004, eliminated the defending champion by winning 32 of 40 first-serve points and 12 of 16 second-serve points. He hasn’t lost his serve all week.

Third-seeded David Ferrer will play fifth-seeded Jose Acasuso in the final of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany.

Ferrer beat second-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 7-5, and Acasuso rallied to defeat Juan Monaco, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Third-seeded Novak Djokovic will play fourth-seeded Nicolas Massu in the final of the Priority Telecom Open at Amersfoort, Netherlands.

Djokovic advanced when top-seeded Guillermo Coria retired because of a neck injury. Djokovic was leading, 6-2, 1-0, with Coria having five double-faults in the first set. Massu beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 6-1, 6-3.

PRO FOOTBALL

Ricky Williams

Breaks His Arm

Running back Ricky Williams broke his left arm in the Toronto Argonauts’ 26-23 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is out indefinitely.

Williams, who was not available for interviews, left the game midway through the second quarter after a three-yard gain.

Williams is playing in the Canadian Football League after he was suspended by the NFL for one year after a fourth positive drug test.

He is still under contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Tight end Jason Witten agreed to a seven-year, $29-million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

The deal includes a $6-million signing bonus, a guaranteed $6-million option bonus next March on top of a $500,000 base salary this season, team officials said. Witten, who caught 66 passes last season, was entering the final season of the original four-year contract he signed in 2003.

MISCELLANY

Bomb Squad Called

to Byron Nelson’s Home

A package sent to the Roanoke, Texas, home of golf legend Byron Nelson, 94, was detonated by a bomb squad after his wife and police believed the parcel looked suspicious.

The contents turned out to include banners from the Masters and a letter, Roanoke Fire Department Chief Mike Duncan said.

Carlos Baldomir tattooed Arturo Gatti with a steady stream of punches that culminated in a ninth-round knockout in Baldomir’s first defense of his World Boxing Council welterweight title.

The Argentine journeyman silenced a sellout crowd in Atlantic City that had come to see Gatti (40-8), but the Jersey City resident was outclassed.

Baldomir (43-9-6) was fighting for the first time since stunning Zab Judah on Jan. 7 to win the WBC belt.

Chicago Bears tight end John Gilmore was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana in Chicago after allegedly refusing to leave a bar and getting into a “small tussle” with police.

The former Penn State player appeared in all 16 regular-season games for Chicago in 2005.

New York Islanders forward Mike York was awarded an $800,000 raise in salary arbitration, bringing his salary to $2.85 million.

The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed forward Jason Chimera to a two-year contract.