Briefs | Penny Hardaway signs with Miami, rejoins Shaq

NBA

Hardaway getting comeback chance with Heat: Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal are together again.

The 36-year-old Hardaway, who last played an NBA game in November 2005, signed with the Miami Heat on Thursday and is reuniting with O'Neal — his former Orlando Magic teammate back in the mid-1990s.

"Penny is a player who has been an All-Star and has enjoyed an illustrious career," Heat president Pat Riley said. "We have been impressed at his hard work and dedication this summer to get back in shape and return to the NBA. He is a skilled player who can help us in multiple positions."

The team said Hardaway wasn't available for comment. O'Neal, who has occasionally offered less-than-glowing comments about his time with Hardaway in Orlando, told the Heat he supports the move to sign his former teammate.

Hardaway, a four-time All-Star Game starter, has averaged 15.4 points in his career, but hasn't finished a season averaging double digits in scoring since the 2002-03 season with Phoenix.

Hardaway figures to be a candidate to inherit the role Eddie Jones held with the Heat at the end of last season, someone who can play either shooting guard or small forward. Jones signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks last week.

Celtics sign Pollard, House: The rest of the Boston Celtics roster is starting to take shape.

Continuing a busy offseason in which the team brought in All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play with Paul Pierce, the Celtics signed role players Scot Pollard and Eddie House as free agents.

"Getting Kevin Garnett has been kind of a big deal. But now that us two are here, you really have a chance," Pollard, who attended Kennewick's Kamiakin High, joked at a news conference. "I'm excited to be the cornerstone of this team."

Soccer

Iraqi player kidnapped: The goalkeeper of the Kirkuk soccer club was kidnapped as he was traveling from northern Iraq to visit relatives in Baghdad, a sports official said.

Baha Abdul Karim Darweesh was seized by gunmen Monday on the outskirts of Khalis, a Shiite enclave in the volatile Diyala province 50 miles north of Baghdad, according to a member of the Kurdish soccer federation.

Darweesh, a 24-year-old Sunni, lived in the northern city of Kirkuk, the federation's Omar Khatab said.

Darweesh was not a member of the Iraqi national team, which last month won the Asian Cup.

Tennis

Federer, Roddick, Nadal, Davydenko advance to quarters: Defending champion Roger Federer beat Italian Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Federer needed only 45 minutes to win the match — including 18 for the first set.

"By the time I sat down, I was [only] kind of starting to get warm, because 18 minutes is really fast, you know," the top seed said. "And the games were going quick, my service games, especially.

Andy Roddick had little trouble beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-3. He will face third-seeded Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Rafael Nadal downed Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with Frank Dancevic.

Fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia also advanced, while Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic upset 12th-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Davydenko posted a 7-6 (8), 6-3 victory over fellow Russian Mikhail Youzhny. Davydenko said this week he is playing with a stress fracture in his left foot, which caused him to retire from a match with Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina at Poland last week.

That loss is under investigation by the ATP because of suspicious betting patterns. Davydenko has denied any wrongdoing.

Sharapova outlasts Krajicek: Neither the sun nor wind nor Michaella Krajicek could beat Maria Sharapova, although all three certainly tried.

Sharapova survived a nearly three-hour struggle, winning 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-4 on her third match point to reach the quarterfinals of the East West Bank Classic in Carson, Calif.

NHL

Savard gets extension: Chicago Blackhawks coach Denis Savard received a contract extension through the 2008-09 season.

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