Briefs | Cycling: Tour de France opens door for Lance Armstrong

Cycling

Armstrong's team likely will be approved for Tour: Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, said Lance Armstrong's comeback team, Astana, should be allowed to race in 2009 as long as it avoids doping problems before cycling's showpiece event starts July 4.

The Tour barred Astana this year, when Armstrong was still in retirement, because of its doping history.

Armstrong, 37, has agreed to ride five races for the Astana team, including the Tour, the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia, in January and the Amgen Tour of California in February.

Armstrong said he doesn't expect to be the Astana team leader if he's not the best rider. He said his close friend and Astana team director Johan Bruyneel will make the decision. Astana's other top rider is Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France winner.

In another matter, cycling's world governing body and Tour de France organizers agreed to end years of feuding over control of the sport. Conditions of the deal were not revealed.

Germany's Grabsch wins men's time trial: Germany's Bert Grabsch won the time trial world championship with a strong finish to beat Canada's Svein Tuft in Varese, Italy. David Zabriskie of the United States took bronze, while teammate and prerace favorite Levi Leipheimer was fourth.

Tennis

Roddick advances to quarterfinals: Andy Roddick overcame a Davis Cup loss and jet lag to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open, while David Ferrer of Spain wasn't as fortunate.

The second-seeded Roddick defeated fellow American Brendan Evans 6-4, 6-3. Top-seeded Ferrer was never in his second-round match, falling 6-3, 6-3 to Dudi Sela of Israel, who is No. 92 in the rankings — 87 spots behind Ferrer.

In women's play, second-seeded Ana Ivanovic defeated Alize Cornet 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) to reach the quarterfinals.

Djokovic reaches quarterfinals in Bangkok: Top-seeded Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over qualifier Simon Stadler at the Thailand Open in Bangkok.

Kirilenko triumphs in Seoul: Top-seeded Maria Kirilenko advanced to the Korea Open quarterfinals, beating Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-3 in Seoul.

Soccer

European Championship to be extended to 24 teams: UEFA has agreed to expand the European Championship to 24 teams starting in 2016.

Franz Beckenbauer, a FIFA executive member who sits in on UEFA's executive committee meetings as a nonvoting observer, said the decision will be officially ratified and announced today.

He also dismissed speculation the 2012 championship would be moved from co-hosts Poland and Ukraine because of organizational delays.

The European Championship currently has 16 teams.

Fire beats Galaxy: Chris Rolfe scored two goals and Cuahtemoc Blanco added a goal and two assists to lead the host Chicago Fire (12-9-5) to a 3-1 MLS victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Eddie Lewis scored for L.A. (7-11-8).

Sailing

America's Cup billionaires try to calm waters: The billionaire heads of two feuding America's Cup syndicates are expected to meet this weekend in California to try to get sailing's premier event out of legal gridlock and back on the water in its traditional format.

It would be the first face-to-face chat between Swiss biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli, head of two-time defending champion Alinghi, and his counterpart with BMW Oracle Racing, Silicon Valley maverick Larry Ellison, since the dispute over rules for the next America's Cup began in July 2007.

College basketball

Summitt has shoulder surgery: Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt had offseason shoulder surgery, not for a sports injury but because of a tussle with a raccoon who was poised to attack her Labrador.

Pitt extends Dixon's contract: Pittsburgh men's coach Jamie Dixon's contract was extended three seasons through the 2015-16 season, a deal that came two years after his last extension. Dixon will receive a raise from his $1.3 million salary of last season.

NHL

Lidstrom breaks nose: Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom has a broken nose after being hit in the face with a puck during an exhibition game Wednesday against Montreal.

Seattle Times news services