Juan Monaco, Venus Williams advance at Mexican Open

Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco was knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open at Acapulco on Thursday by Juan Monaco, and the top-seeded woman, Venus Williams, fought back from 1-5 down in the final set to survive.

Monaco of Argentina beat Verdasco of Spain, 7-5, 6-3.

Williams had a harder-than-expected struggle against Spanish qualifier Laura Pous Tio, finally winning, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Pous Tio is ranked No. 399 and Williams is No. 5. This is Williams’ first tournament this season on clay.

Fernando Gonzalez of Chile rallied to beat Eduardo Schwank of Argentina, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, and third-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas, 7-5, 6-4.

In a late match, two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro of Spain faced countryman and No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero.

On the women’s side, Polona Hercog of Slovenia advanced to the semifinals over second-seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary. Hercog won the first set, 6-4, and Szavay was up, 1-0, in the second before she retired because of a left thigh injury.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic rallied past Ivan Ljubicic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, to advance to the semifinals at the Dubai Championships in the United Arab Emirates.

Djokovic will play Marcos Baghdatis. The unseeded Baghdatis defeated Michael Berrer, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Defending champion Mardy Fish beat Mischa Zverev of Germany, 6-2, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Florida.

SOCCER

U.S. has roster for Netherlands

Bob Bradley, coach of the U.S. national team, on Thursday named a 20-player roster for Wednesday’s match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The game will serve as a warmup for both teams for the World Cup in South Africa in June.

The U.S. squad includes 16 players based in Europe, three from Major League Soccer -- Chivas USA’s Jonathan Bornstein, FC Dallas’ Heath Pearce and Real Salt Lake’s Robbie Findlay -- and one based in Mexico, Pachuca midfielder Jose Torres. Six of the players were on the U.S. team at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

-- Grahame L. Jones ETC.

Ducks recall four from minors

The Ducks recalled defensemen Brett Festerling and Brendan Mikkelson from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, right wing Dan Sexton from the Manitoba Moose, also of the AHL, and goaltender Timo Pielmeier from the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL.

After freezing ticket prices for the 2009-10 season, the Ducks will raise the average price for season-ticket packages for 2010-11 by 1.8%. A jump in the facility fee ranging from 25 cents to 50 cents more puts the total average increase at 2.6%.

The club, among the teams with the lowest average ticket price, said next season’s tickets will begin at $12.50 per game.

Purdue forward Robbie Hummel will sit out the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

The injury occurred during the first half of No. 3 Purdue’s 59-58 win at Minnesota on Wednesday.

A private memorial service for former USC fullback Mosi Tatupu, who died Tuesday, will be held Sunday in Wrentham, Mass., the school announced.

Cards to the Tatupu family can be sent to Linnea Garcia-Tatupu, P.O. Box 426, Lemon Grove, CA 91946.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to USA Football, c/o Mosi Tatupu Memorial Fund, 8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 625, Vienna, VA 22182. Checks must be payable to USA Football and should include “Mosi Tatupu” in the memo line.

The tax-deductible donations assist in the development and advancement of youth football in American Samoa.

-- Gary Klein

Times sports columnist Bill Dwyre earned second place for his column on David Duval at the U.S. Open in the daily columns category of the annual Golf Writers Assn. of America writing contest. Dwyre also received an honorable mention for his column on the soggy Bethpage Black course for the Open. Ian O’Connor of the Record in New Jersey won first place.