Ill Andy Roddick loses in opening match

Facing match point and feeling lousy, Andy Roddick bent over behind the baseline with his hands on his thighs, looking like someone desperately needing to take a seat in the shade.

That’s where he was headed one point later. An ailing Roddick lost his opening match Saturday in the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne, Fla., to Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Two-time champion Roddick requested three visits from a trainer in the second set and said he had trouble breathing because of chest congestion. He has struggled to shake a bronchial infection he contracted last month and plans to see a doctor when he returns home to Austin, Texas.

Roddick began limping at the end of the match and said he also had an injury, but he declined to elaborate.

“I have to get some stuff looked at,” he said.

Much more robust was another two-time champion, Roger Federer, who beat Radek Stepanek, 6-3, 6-3. The victory was the 762nd for Federer, which tied him with Pete Sampras for seventh place in the Open era.

Five other seeded men lost: No. 10 Jurgen Melzer, No. 20 Albert Montanes, No. 22 Marcos Baghdatis, No. 26 Juan Ignacio Chela, and No. 28 Ernests Gulbis. Melzer was beaten by friend and doubles partner Philipp Petzschner, 6-3, 6-4.

In women’s play, No. 16 Maria Sharapova beat Sabine Lisicki, 6-2, 6-0. No. 11 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2006 champion, lost to Peng Shuai, 6-3, 6-1.

HORSE RACING

Japan finishes 1-2 in Dubai World Cup

Japan’s Victoire Pisa won the $10-million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, capturing the world’s richest horse race and offering some good news to a nation coping with catastrophe.

Victoire Pisa edged Transcend at the wire by half a length for a 1-2 finish for Japan. The victory was the first for a Japanese horse in the Dubai World Cup.

Japan had entered three horses, and from the moment they arrived at Meydan Racecourse they came to serve as potent reminders of the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 and subsequent nuclear crisis.

Trainers of several horses, including Victoire Pisa, talked of stables left in shambles by the tsunami. Many of the Japanese teams wore black polo shirts with the word “hope” on the sleeve alongside Japan’s flag and the date of the double disaster on the back.

The victory prompted an emotional outpouring, with fans of Victoire Pisa breaking down as the national anthem played. The horse’s trainer, Katsuhiko Sumii, said he hoped the victory would lift the spirits of survivors.

“This victory won’t change people’s lives, but I do hope that in some way I will give back to the horse riding and horse racing community in Japan,” Sumii said.

The Dubai World Cup was the highlight of the eight-race card that featured 110 horses racing for $26.25 million.

Pants On Fire came from just off the pace to win the $1-million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

Mucho Macho Man, the 3-2 favorite, finished third.

Sent off at odds of 6-1 and trained by Kelly Breen, Pants on Fire covered the 11/8 miles in 1:49.92 under jockey Rosie Napravnik.

ETC.

Ferrie (60) ties European Tour mark

Kenneth Ferrie shot a 60 to equal the European Tour record in the Andalucia Open at Malaga, Spain, climbing to within one stroke of leader Paul Lawrie entering the final round.

Ferrie had eight birdies and an eagle on No. 12 to jump 43 spots. He was tied at 11-under 199 with fellow Englishman Mark Foster.

Veteran left-hander Mike Hampton retired, ending a 16-year big league career after giving up on a bid to earn a roster spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The oft-injured Hampton, 38, was 148-115 with a 4.06 earned-run average in 419 games, including 355 starts.

Miami Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has recovered from his infected foot and is expected to be in uniform Sunday when Miami hosts the Houston Rockets.

Ilgauskas has sat out Miami’s last eight games because of the foot issue but went through a full workout Saturday without problems. He’s averaging 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds and shooting 51%.

Will Power of Australia is on the pole for IndyCar’s season opener in Florida.

Power claimed his second consecutive pole at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, edging two-time reigning series champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland in the Fast Six competition.

Power, who finished second to Franchitti last season, posted a quick lap of 1 minute 1.96 seconds with about two minutes remaining in the final qualifying session.