Sports Briefing
Agassi, Nalbandian pull out of Paris Masters

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Tennis

Agassi cites hip problem: Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian both pulled out of the Paris Masters yesterday, meaning neither will play in the season-ending Masters Cup.

Agassi, 34, cited a problem with his right hip. Nalbandian did not give a reason, although he had said Sunday that a knee he injured at the Swiss Indoors in Basel would likely rule him out.

The Masters Cup begins in Houston on Nov. 15, with eight players selected from the ongoing ATP Tour race. Agassi was in the eighth spot, and Nalbandian was ninth.

Their withdrawals mean Britain's Tim Henman, Russia's Marat Safin and Argentina's Guillermo Coria are guaranteed to take part in the Masters Cup no matter what their results in Paris.

The five other players set to take part are Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Carlos Moya and Gaston Gaudio.

College basketball

Women's selection show to be moved: Make it Selection Monday for the women.

Beginning in 2006, the 64-team field for the NCAA women's tournament will be announced on ESPN on Monday, a day after the men's field is revealed.

"The committee feels the move to Selection Monday will create enhanced exposure and serve as a growth agent for women's basketball as a whole," Lynn Parkes, the chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee, said in a statement.
 
Soccer

U.S. women to play Mexico: In a match that probably will mark the last international appearances of Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, the U.S. women's team will play Mexico on Dec. 8 in Carson, Calif., in the finale of a 10-game tour that followed the United States' gold-medal win at the Athens Olympics.

Joy Fawcett, who has played for the United States in the last three Women's World Cups and Olympics, is injured and will not play, but plans to be at the game.

"How many players get the chance to finish a career that spans 17 years of their life in front of their home fans where they grew up?" said Foudy, from Mission Viejo, Calif.

Golf

Finchem eases situation: PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem sees nothing wrong with the amount of tournaments Ernie Els plays overseas, saying that the three-time major winner from South Africa is playing enough on the PGA Tour to satisfy its requirements.

Finchem's comments took some steam out of speculation there would be a showdown this week at the Tour Championship between the PGA Tour and Els, a 34-year-old who lives in London and has been playing a global schedule the last 10 years.

Duke junior shoots a record 62: Duke junior Liz Janangelo shot a 9-under-par 62 Sunday in Sandestin, Fla., to set an NCAA women's single-round scoring record. Katherine Hull of Pepperdine set the previous mark of 63 in 2002.

Olympics

Kenteris wants to clear name: With a prosecutor expected to announce the results today of an investigation into a doping scandal that disgraced Greece's two top sprinters, former Olympic champion Kostas Kenteris insisted he never tried to evade drug testers and would welcome a chance to clear his name in court.

Kenteris and his training partner, Katerina Thanou, could not be found at the Olympic Village for an Aug. 12 doping test. Hours later, they said they were involved in a motorcycle accident that happened because they were rushing back to the Olympic village to be tested.

Doping sample stolen: Part of a doping sample taken from Waterford Crystal, the horse that won Ireland's only gold medal at the Athens Olympics, was stolen Oct. 21 while being shipped to a lab in England, the International Equestrian Federation said.

Horse racing

Makybe Diva makes history: Makybe Diva became the first female to win the $2 million Melbourne Cup twice, successfully defending her title in Australia's most famous race. Glen Boss rode Makybe Diva, a 3-1 shot, on a wet surface at Flemington.

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