Burton comes back to win Busch race

Jeff Burton came from the back of the field Friday night to win the crash-filled NASCAR Busch Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

The Nextel Cup star had a fast car but was overshadowed for much of the 200-lap race by runaway points leader Carl Edwards and pole-winner Greg Biffle, who swapped the lead back and forth several times before both went out in multicar accidents only seven laps apart.

Burton, who moved steadily through the field after having to start from the rear because of an engine change, took the lead and control with 61 laps to go in the Dollar General 300.

Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who both also started deep in the pack, finished a distant second and third.

Dale Jarrett, 50, says he plans to run in only seven races in 2008 before turning the No. 44 Toyota over to David Reutimann.

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TENNIS

Top-seeded Blake in Stockholm semifinal

Top-seeded James Blake rallied past Jarkko Nieminen, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2, to reach the semifinals in the Stockholm Open.

He will play former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, who defeated Mario Ancic, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3).

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic saved two match points before beating Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (2), in the quarterfinals of the BA-CA Tennis Trophy at Vienna. He will next play Andreas Seppi, who upset two-time defending champion Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3, 6-3. . . . Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova won matches and will face each other in the Kremlin Cup semifinals at Moscow. Williams beat eighth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova, 6-4, 7-6 (7), and the top-seeded Kuznetsova defeated Vera Dushevina, 6-2, 6-2. . . . Venus Williams moved into the semifinals of the Bangkok Open in Thailand with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Camille Pin. Williams will meet Flavia Pennetta, who upset fourth-seeded Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

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BASEBALL

Mitchell report could be issued by end of year

Investigator George Mitchell probably will issue his report on steroids use in baseball by the end of the year, and there is a strong possibility he will identify individual players.

A lawyer for the firm representing Major League Baseball in the investigation updated representatives for the 30 teams during a conference call and told them Mitchell’s report probably would be issued in November or December, several baseball club officials said.

Third baseman Shea Hillenbrand elected free agency rather than being removed from the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, signaling the probable end of his brief stay. Released by the Angels and San Diego Padres this season, Hillenbrand signed with the Dodgers in late July and hit .243 with one home run and nine runs batted in in 70 at-bats. Olmedo Saenz and Roberto Hernandez also elected free agency this week. . . . Leo Mazzone was fired as pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles. . . . Dusty Baker has interviewed with the Cincinnati Reds for their vacant managing job, according to a person within the organization familiar with the search. . . . San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman had arthroscopic surgery to clean out his right elbow and shave a bone spur, but he was expected to be ready for spring training.

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SOCCER

Solo back with U.S. but not at practice

Goalkeeper Hope Solo missed practice but is back on the U.S. women’s soccer roster.

“We’re initiating a process of reconciliation, and in doing that you can’t mandate reconciliation,” Coach Greg Ryan.

This was the team’s first practice since Solo triggered a flap over playing time during the World Cup last month.

Chivas USA forward Ante Razov underwent an MRI on his left knee, but the results will not be known until the team doctor examines him. Razov will not play in Sunday’s game against Colorado at the Home Depot Center. Razov, the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals this season, was injured Thursday in the 70th minute of a 0-0 tie against FC Dallas.

-- Jaime Cardenas

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Playing without the Iranian-born player who refused to compete in Israel, Germany was held to a 2-2 tie by the Israelis in an under-21 European Championship qualifier at Tel Aviv. Ashkan Dejagah, who was born in Iran but moved to Germany as a child, cited “political reasons” and his Iranian descent for pulling out of the game.

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MISCELLANY

Johnson not surprised by Jones’ confession

Disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson wasn’t surprised by Marion Jones’ confession, and he’s waiting for more athletes to admit they took banned drugs.

“I believe that everyone on the international level is using performance-enhancing drugs,” Johnson said in a radio interview with Al-Jazeera.

Etan Thomas was recovering from open heart surgery Friday, and Hartzell Schaff, the doctor who performed the operation, didn’t rule out the possibility of the Washington Wizards’ center returning to play this season.