American Bieger Wins Silver Medal

She has been overlooked for a long time, but it turned out to be a great day for American gymnast Jana Bieger.

With the top Americans hurt and sitting out, Bieger finally got her chance Thursday. She won a surprising all-around silver medal, outdone only by the irrepressible Vanessa Ferrari, who zipped and zoomed her way around the arena to bring Italy its first world title at Aarhus, Denmark.

Bieger hardly felt like a runner-up.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s really hard to say anybody lost.”

In the men’s all-around, Yang Wei won the third gold of these championships for China, to go with a sweep of the team events earlier in the week.

Defending champion Hiroyuki Tomita of Japan won silver and Fabian Hambuechen of Germany took bronze. American Guillermo Alvarez finished 18th, and teammate Sasha Artemev was 22nd.

Romanian Sandra Raluca Izbasa won a bronze in the women’s all-around and made up for her country’s first shutout at worlds in the team event since 1981.

Bieger made it through the evening without a fall. One key moment came at the start, when she stuck the landing on her vault -- the same one she faltered on in the team finals.

Her closing floor routine was super. With the crowd clapping to the music, she moved her arms in big circles and clearly was enjoying the dancing, not simply trying to get through it. She stuck her landings on every tumbling pass and scored a 15.375 to briefly take the lead.

When the set was over, there were two key scenes. One was in the stands, where national team coordinator Martha Karolyi gave her a standing ovation -- the first she’d given to anyone all week.

“It was big because of all the frustrations we’ve had,” Karolyi said.

Bieger then shared a long embrace with her mother and coach, Andrea Bieger, a former Olympic gymnast in West Germany.

“I told her ‘Thank you for everything you’ve given me back,’ ” Bieger’s mother said.

Ferrari followed with a zippy routine that was even better -- vaulting her 4-foot-9 body into the air with twists and turns and without an error. It scored a 15.5 -- enough for the win, and to overcome a fall on the beam that would have been costly before the new scoring code was put in this year.

“After I fell on the beam, I knew I had to fight to the last note of the music, and I did,” Ferrari said.

TENNIS

Mauresmo’s Injury

Could Be Costly

Amelie Mauresmo withdrew from the Zurich Open in Switzerland because of a shoulder injury, all but ending her chances of finishing the year as the top-ranked player.

The injury could affect her defense of the season-ending WTA Championships title in Madrid next month.

“I hope I will be able to play in Madrid -- for me it’s an important goal,” Mauresmo said. “But I can’t say for sure I’ll be ready.”

To finish No. 1, Mauresmo would have to win in Madrid and second-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne would have to finish last in her round-robin group. Also in the running is No. 3 Maria Sharapova.

In Thursday’s second-round matches, Katarina Srebotnik upset fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva, 6-1, 6-4, third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Jelena Jankovic, 7-6 (6), 7-5, and Timea Bacsinszky advanced when eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone retired because of a leg injury while trailing, 6-1.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won in contrasting styles to advance to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters.

Defending champion Nadal won 27 of 30 points on his first serve, broke 13th-seeded Tommy Haas three times and eliminated him, 6-4, 6-3, in 88 minutes.

Federer rallied in two tiebreakers to beat Robin Soderling, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8).

Federer next will play Robby Ginepri, who beat Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Nadal advanced to meet Tomas Berdych. The 11th-ranked Berdych fired 23 aces and had the only break of the match to get past sixth-seeded Andy Roddick, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Novak Djokovic saved three break points in the second set as he rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Andy Murray.

Fourth-seeded David Nalbandian defeated Tim Henman, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Texas Tech’s Knight

Agrees to New Deal

Texas Tech Coach Bob Knight has agreed to a contract extension that would keep him with the Red Raiders through 2012.

Knight, who needs 11 wins this season to pass Dean Smith’s 879 to become the winningest men’s coach in Division I history, has not yet signed the extension, Tim Knight, an assistant athletic director at the university and Knight’s son, said.

The contract, which also needs to be approved by the university’s board of regents, would be for $300,000 a year with a guaranteed $600,000 in outside income, Athletic Director Gerald Myers said.

The 65-year-old Knight has a career record of 869-350 in 40 seasons of coaching at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech. He is 105-61 in five seasons at Texas Tech.

Last year Bob Knight’s son, Pat Knight, signed a contract stipulating he would take over the team when his father retires.

The USC men’s basketball team is holding fundraisers to endow a scholarship in the name of slain player Ryan Francis and to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

Fans who make a donation of at least $125 at the Francis event on Tuesday can help endow a scholarship in honor of the freshman point guard who was shot in May while riding in a car in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La.

The event begins with an open practice at 4 p.m. at the Galen Center and includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the new facility and cocktails with Coach Tim Floyd.

At a “Dribble for the Cure” event Oct. 29, those who have helped raise funds for pediatric cancer research and treatment can dribble basketballs through a course beginning and ending at the Galen Center.

Those who raise at least $100 are eligible for prizes including autographed basketballs and jerseys. Information: (949) 859-6312.

-- Ben Bolch

SPEEDSKATING

Ochowicz Wins

500, 1,000 at Qualifier

Elli Ochowicz won two speedskating races at the Fall World Cup Qualifier in West Allis, Wis.

Ochowicz won the 500 meters in 40.47 seconds and the 1,000 in 1 minute 21.14 seconds on the first of four days of competition to select U.S. long-track teams that will compete in World Cup events.

The races run through Sunday.

Tucker Fredricks of Janesville, Wis., won the men’s 500 in 35.74 and Kip Carpenter, a bronze medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics, took the 1,000 in 1:11.23.

MISCELLANY

Commissioner Selig

to Speak Nov. 9 at USC

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will be the first speaker in a series of speeches to be staged by the USC Marshall Sports Business Institute.

Selig will speak at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9 at USC’s Davidson Conference Center. Tickets for the speech, which is open to the public, will cost $75.

The institute will bring NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian Z. France to campus on Feb. 22, 2007 as part of its planned Commissioners’ Series. Information: www.marshall.usc.edu/selig.

-- Greg Johnson

A pit reporter for Speed Channel’s broadcasts of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races has been suspended for this weekend’s race at Martinsville after making on-air comments the network felt were racially insensitive.

The comments were made during Ray Dunlap’s appearance on the Speed Channel show “Trading Paint” that was taped last week.

During a discussion with Nextel Cup driver Michael Waltrip about NASCAR’s efforts to expand its fan base among minorities, Dunlap took issue with a claim that 10% of NASCAR fans are Latino and made some jokes on the topic.

A tape or transcript of the exchange was not immediately available Thursday and Speed Channel declined to say exactly what Dunlap said.