Anderson Could Be Freed Today

A federal appeals court in San Francisco has ordered Barry Bonds’ personal trainer to be released from prison by 5 p.m. today unless a lower court again holds him in contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the Giants slugger for perjury.

Greg Anderson, who served a three-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to steroid distribution and money-laundering charges in the BALCO steroids case, has been imprisoned twice for refusing to testify whether Bonds used steroids.

Mark Geragos, Anderson’s attorney, has been demanding Anderson’s release. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday, giving U.S. District Judge William Alsup a day to issue another contempt ruling or to set Anderson free.

Alsup responded by setting a hearing today.

In its Wednesday order, the appeals court did not rule on the merits of Anderson’s challenge to his latest contempt order. Federal rules of court prohibit a person from being imprisoned on a civil contempt charge for more than 30 days unless the charge is affirmed by a federal appeals court.

Anderson’s latest stint in prison has lasted 36 days, and the San Francisco-based appeals court neither has upheld nor rejected the contempt order issued Aug. 28. A three-judge panel last week sent the case back to the trial judge to clarify the contempt order.

Authorities suspect Bonds might have perjured himself in 2003 when he testified before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds said Anderson gave him flaxseed oil and arthritic balm.

A new grand jury wants Anderson to address that statement, but Anderson twice has refused.

Two men accused of shooting five Duquesne University basketball players outside a school dance were ordered to stand trial in Pittsburgh.

William Holmes, 18, of Penn Hills, and Derek Lee, 18, of Pittsburgh, face five counts each of attempted homicide and aggravated assault and one count of carrying a firearm without a license in the Sept. 17 shootings. Neither is a Duquesne student.

A woman who allegedly encouraged the men, Erica Sager, 18, of Wilkinsburg, also was ordered to stand trial.

TENNIS

Federer Challenged but Prevails

Top-seeded Roger Federer had a rusty start at the Japan Open before overcoming Viktor Troicki, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3), to reach the third round in Tokyo.

Federer will next face defending champion Wesley Moodie, who beat Stefan Koubek, 6-3, 6-4.

Jiri Novak upset fourth-seeded Andy Murray, 6-3, 7-6 (1).

In women’s play, second-seeded Ai Sugiyama beat Emma Laine, 6-4, 6-3.

Marat Safin needed less than an hour to oust fourth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the Open de Moselle in Metz, France.

Third-seeded Elena Dementieva overcame cramps and unforced errors to beat Katarina Srebotnik, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.

Second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova earned a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Martina Muller.

Second-seeded Elena Vesnina lost, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, to Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round of the Tashkent Open in Uzbekistan.

Kim Clijsters hopes to return at the Generali Ladies Linz tournament at the end of the month because her injured left wrist is healing faster than expected. Clijsters was sidelined after falling on her surgically repaired wrist during a match in August.

PRO BASKETBALL

Wizards Extend Grunfeld’s Contract

Ernie Grunfeld, the Washington Wizards’ president of basketball operations, signed a multiyear contract extension.

A basket collapsed during Charlotte Bobcats training camp in Wilmington, N.C., leaving assistant coach Jeff Capel with a bruised right arm. It came down after a dunk by rookie Ryan Hollins.

MISCELLANY

Soccer Player’s Sister Kidnapped

Gunmen kidnapped Maria de Lourdes Silva de Oliveira, the 35-year-old sister of AC Milan striker Ricardo Oliveira, from her home in Sao Paulo, the eighth abduction involving relatives of soccer players in Brazil in the last two years.

The abductors had not made contact with the family by late Wednesday.

The U.S. Olympic Committee hired former Olympic gold medal kayaker Norman Bellingham as its new chief operating officer. He replaces Wallace Gregson, who resigned last spring.

Four-time world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas of Brazil retired from pro boxing. Freitas, 30, was 38-1.

The Arena Football League’s two conferences will be realigned, with the New Orleans Voodoo rejoining the National Conference Southern Division after missing last season because of Hurricane Katrina. The Kansas City Brigade, a 2006 expansion team, will shift to the American Conference Central Division after competing in the Southern Division last year.

Li Du of China and Thomas Farnik of Austria set world records in the 10-meter air rifle competitions at shooting’s World Cup in Granada, Spain.

Li shot a perfect round of 400 to equal the women’s qualifying record shared by eight others. Farnik broke the men’s final record with a 703.1 total, surpassing the 702.7 by Qinan Zhu of China in 2004, and American Jason Parker last year.

PASSINGS

Heyliger, 87, Former Hockey Coach

Vic Heyliger, former hockey coach at Michigan, Air Force and of the 1966 U.S. national team, died Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was 87.