Davenport wins easily after 51-week absence

Lindsay Davenport’s first singles match in nearly a year was a winner Tuesday, an overpowering 6-2, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Eleni Daniilidou at the Bali Open in Indonesia.

Davenport, who played her last singles match in Beijing 51 weeks ago and then gave birth to son Jagger in June, won a remarkable 20 straight points after trailing 1-2 to win the first set.

“It did exceed my expectations,” Davenport said. “I know that I can play good tennis, and I know that if I stay healthy and play well, I can do well.”

Davenport said it would take a while to return to top form.

“I’m still a little ways away,” she said. “I still need to work on my movement around the court.”

After skipping Davis Cup play earlier this year, top-ranked Roger Federer will play for Switzerland against the Czech Republic Sept. 21-23 in the playoffs in Prague, the International Tennis Federation announced.

The winners of the eight playoffs will play in next year’s World Group along with the eight quarterfinalists.

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat Zach Fleishman, 6-3, 6-3, in the first round of the China Open at Beijing.

Top-seeded Simone Bolelli advanced to the second round of the BCR Open Romania at Bucharest when Nicholas Almagro retired while leading, 4-6, 5-1.

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TRACK AND FIELD

Gay-Powell rematch

won’t happen in Brussels

Citing fatigue, world champion Tyson Gay pulled out of the Van Damme Memorial and will not face world-record holder Asafa Powell in Friday’s 100-meter race at Brussels.

Gay won gold in the 100, 200 and the 400 relay in Japan, running nine races in eight days.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Nebraska’s Callahan

has incentives unveiled

Coach Bill Callahan would earn bonuses of $200,000 if he leads Nebraska to a national title and $100,000 if the Cornhuskers play in a Bowl Championship Series game, according to details of his contract obtained by the Associated Press.

Tennessee cornerback Antonio Gaines will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a torn knee ligament against Southern Mississippi.

Miami Coach Randy Shannon announced that Kyle Wright will start at quarterback against Florida International, replacing Kirby Freeman.

Colorado State tight end Kory Sperry has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, ending the senior’s season. He will petition the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver.

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BASKETBALL

Shock takes 2-1 lead

in the WNBA finals

Katie Smith scored 22 points, one shy of her career playoff high, to help the defending champion Detroit Shock move within one game of another title by beating the host Phoenix Mercury, 88-83, to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five WNBA finals

Diana Taurasi scored 22 for the Mercury, who shot only 35%.

Greece clinched a berth in the quarterfinals of the European Basketball Championship with an 85-67 win over Portugal, while Croatia advanced despite an 83-70 loss to Russia at Madrid. Spain rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to beat Israel, 99-73, and put the Spaniards atop Group E.

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JURISPRUDENCE

Pacers’ Williams gets

arrested on drug charges

Indiana forward Shawne Williams was arrested on marijuana possession and other charges, Tuesday, the third incident in less than a year involving Pacers’ players.

Williams, the Pacers’ first-round draft pick last year out of Memphis, was also booked on charges of driving without a license, driving with an expired license plate and failure to signal a lane change, police said.

The former Knicks executive who filed a $10-million sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas was a rising star forced to fend off the coach and team president’s clumsy advances, her attorney said in opening arguments in court.

But defense attorney Kathleen Bogas described Anucha Browne Sanders as a liar who made up charges against Thomas to mask her incompetence.

She was fired in 2006.

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MISCELLANY

Tunisian swimmer

banned for 18 months

Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli was banned for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a doping violation and stripped of the gold and silver medals he won at the world championships.

Mellouli, who trains with the Trojan swim club, tested positive for amphetamines at a meet in Indiana on Nov. 30, 2006. The ban, which dates to the time of the doping offense, leaves Mellouli eligible to compete at next year’s Beijing Olympics.

Argentina moved closer to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals with a 33-3 victory over Georgia at Paris.

U.S. center Paul Emerick received a five-week ban for a dangerous tackle on England flyhalf Olly Barkley on Saturday.

Kevin Hatcher was hired as athletic director at Cal State San Bernardino. He most recently was senior associate athletics director for external and internal relations at Colgate University.

For the first time since 1993, the U.S. is hosting the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Championships, an Olympic pre-qualifying men’s tournament starting Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

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PASSINGS

Storer, founded soccer

and rugby at UCLA

Dennis Storer, who founded the soccer and rugby programs at UCLA, died at 75. Section B.