Yao plays in China’s Olympic tuneup

Yao Ming is back, transforming China’s basketball team and providing a big relief for Olympic organizers.

The Houston Rockets’ center marked his return from injury Thursday with 11 points in just over 12 minutes of play for the Chinese national team in an Olympics warmup against a Serbian squad.

Entering six minutes into the first quarter to huge applause from the crowd in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Yao appeared a little rusty but made a solid contribution to China’s 96-72 victory in the four-team Stankovic Cup tournament.

It was Yao’s first game since a stress fracture in his left foot ended his NBA season in February and threatened his star turn as part of China’s team.

U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach underwent surgery to repair a broken left leg that will keep her out of the Olympics.

The team’s leading scorer had a titanium rod inserted in her lower left leg during a one-hour operation performed by Dr. Damion Valletta, an orthopedic surgeon for U.S. Soccer. Wambach can begin full weight-bearing activities on the leg in five to six weeks.

Wambach, 28, broke her tibia and fibula during the team’s final tuneup Wednesday night against Brazil in San Diego, and is expected to be sidelined about 12 weeks.

The Americans begin defense of the gold medal on Aug. 6 against Norway.

Laura Wilkinson and her diving partner, Jessica Livingston, have asked an arbitrator to overturn a decision not to have them compete in synchronized platform at the Beijing Olympics, according to a published report.

Wilkinson, the 2000 Olympic platform champion, and Livingston filed an appeal of the decision by the USA Diving selection committee with the American Arbitration Assn., the Houston Chronicle reported on its website. A hearing is scheduled for today in Los Angeles.

TENNIS

Williams sisters head field for U.S. Open

Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are among the five past U.S. Open women’s champions in this year’s field.

Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova are the other previous winners entered in the Grand Slam tournament, which begins Aug. 25.

Fifth-seeded Patty Schnyder displayed a nice array of power and finesse to defeat Alisa Kleybanova, 7-6 (8), 6-4, in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford.

Next up for Schnyder: a match with top-seeded Serena Williams in today’s quarterfinals.

Fifth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic withdrew from the second round of the Croatia Open at Umag because of back pain, allowing Roko Karanusic to reach the quarterfinals. He will play Maximo Gonzales, who upset second-seeded Ivo Karlovic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

PRO FOOTBALL

Browns’ Jurevicius to sit out start of season

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius probably will sit out the start of the regular season because of his recent knee surgery.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage said Jurevicius probably will start the season on the physically unable to perform list.

MISCELLANY

Former women’s coach to lead men’s pro team

A former women’s basketball coach who sued Fresno State for sex discrimination announced that she has been hired as the general manager of a minor league professional men’s team. She reached a $9-million settlement with the school last month.

Stacy Johnson-Klein will begin her new job with the Oklahoma Cavalry -- the defending champion of the Continental Basketball Assn. -- today.

USA Track and Field hired Doug Logan, the former commissioner of Major League Soccer, as its chief executive.

USATF, the national governing body for track and field, long distance running and race walking, had been without a CEO since Craig Masback resigned in January. Logan presided over MLS from its start in 1995 through 1999.

-- Helene Elliott

Pete Thomas of The Times earned the Excellence in Craft award from the Outdoor Writers Assn. of America, with recognition coming at its annual conference in Bismarck, N.D.

His winning submission, “Youngsters Get Taste of Life in the Ocean,” was published Aug. 24, 2007 in The Times.

A memorial service for Mando Ramos, the former lightweight boxing champion who died July 6, will be held tonight from 4 to 8 p.m. at the ILWU Memorial Hall, 231 W. C Street, Wilmington.

The public is invited.

-- Steve Springer