LITTLE ROCK — TENNIS
Nadal, Djokovic reach semis
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic completed the semifinal lineup at the ATP World Tour Finals with straight-set victories Friday in London. The top-ranked Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6 (3), 6-1 in the early match to leave Djokovic needing only one set to finish second in Group A, and the third-seeded Serb defeated a listless Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3. Nadal will meet Andy Murray in today’s opening semifinal as he bids for his first title at the end-of-season tournament. Djokovic plays Roger Federer.
HOCKEY
Stars’ Fistric sidelined
The Dallas Stars have placed defenseman Mark Fistric on injured reserve after he was hurt during practice earlier this week in Toronto. The Stars said Friday that the 24-year-old Fistric has a lower body injury. The former first-round pick has one assist and 20 penalty minutes in 16 games this season.
The Phoenix Coyotes assigned right winger Petr Prucha to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Friday. Prucha has been in and out of the lineup this season, notching 1 assist in 11 games with Phoenix. The Czech forward was a regular with the Coyotes last season, finishing with 13 goals and nine assists in 79 games.
BASKETBALL
Warriors’ Lee cleared to play
Golden State Warriors forward David Lee has been cleared to rejoin the team after two elbow operations. The Warriors said Lee worked out in Oakland on Friday and was examined by the team physician. He was set to fly to Minneapolis, where the Warriors face the Timberwolves today. It has not been decided if Lee will play. Lee initially had surgery Nov. 12, two days after he cut the inside of his left elbow on the mouth of New York’s Wilson Chandler. A fragment of Chandler’s tooth stayed in Lee’s arm. After Lee’s elbow swelled and bled, he was given antibiotics in an emergency room and needed more surgery. He is averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds for Golden State, which acquired him in July from the Knicks.
The Chicago Bulls have signed free agent guard John Lucas III. The Bulls did not reveal the terms of the contract, announced Friday. With the signing, Chicago’s roster now stands at 14 players. The 5-11 Lucas saw action in five preseason games with the Bulls. He averaged two points over a little more than six minutes of action in each game. Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2005, Lucas spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets and appeared in 60 regular season contests.
Dallas Mavericks center Brendan Haywood is out against the streaking San Antonio Spurs afterbeing suspended one game for an undisclosed violation of team rules. The Mavericks made the announcement about an hour before tipoff Friday. Coach Rick Carlisle declined to reveal why the 10-year veteran was disciplined.
Purdue women’s player Drey Mingo remains hospitalized with bacterial meningitis, but her condition has been upgraded to fair. She was admitted three days ago in critical condition with inflamed membranes around the brain and spine. The illness can be fatal. Purdue said Friday that Mingo’s family has been with her at the hospital. The Boilermakers canceled a holiday tournament trip to Mexico. Purdue says no other players have shown signs of meningitis. Mingo is a junior from Atlanta who is averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds this season.
BASEBALL
Dodgers, Garland reach deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent pitcher Jon Garland have agreed to a $5 million, oneyear contract that includes a club option and could be worth $16 million over two seasons. The righthander went 14-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 200 innings for the San Diego Padres last year. In 2009, Garland played for Arizona and Los Angeles and went 11-12 with a 4.01 ERA. He was acquired by Los Angeles on Aug. 31, 2009, for infielder Tony Abreu and went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 6 starts for the Dodgers. Garland can make $3 million in performance bonuses next year. Los Angeles has an $8 million team option for 2012 that could become guaranteed depending on his 2011 performance.
GOLF
Fisher, Poulter share lead
Ross Fisher led an English run up a star-studded leaderboard Friday at the Dubai World Championship, matching a course-record 8-under 64 to tie Ian Poulter at 9 under for the second-round lead. England’s Lee Westwood tightened his grip on the No. 1 ranking by moving into third with a 5-under 69 at the European Tour’s season-ending, $7.5 million tournament in Dubai. He stood at 8 under, one shot ahead of European money leader and third-ranked Martin Kaymer, who could overtake Westwood only with a top-two finish and the Englishman falling out of the top 27.
A maintenance worker at a central Florida country club is dead after being struck by a golfer’s tee shot. Police say Maurice Hayden was pulling weeds near a tree at the Mayfair Country Club in Sanford on Wednesday when he was struck in the temple about 30 yards away. The 42-year-old man was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital. Police say he died Thursday after being removed from life support. Police say the shot was an accident and that the golfer will not face charges.
HORSE RACING
Giant Oak breaks through
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Giant Oak spent most of the last year teasing trainer Chris Block, coming so close in a series of big races that Block wondered if his massive but mercurial colt would ever come through.
For a few moments Friday at Churchill Downs, it appeared Giant Oak had teased his connections once more, finishing second by a head to Successful Dan in the $500,000 Clark Handicap.
Then the objection sign went up and chaos broke out.
It took stewards 15 minutes to siphon through the mess before awarding Giant Oak and his trainer a long-awaited victory. Officials elevated Giant Oak from second to first after ruling Successful Dan interfered with Redding Colliery, who initially finished third, at the top of the stretch.
It wasn’t exactly theway Block planned it, but after so many near misses, he wasn’t complaining.
“This guy, we’ve worked so hard getting him where he’s at today, this has to rank right up there,” Block said.
Successful Dan went off as 9-5 favorite and appeared to claim his third consecutive victory when he outdueled Giant Oak to the wire.
Yet officials took exception with a pair of collisions between Successful Dan and Redding Colliery when the field of 11 turnedfor home and dropped Successful Dan to third.
Redding Colliery jockey Rosie Napravnik said Successful Dan’s antics ended her own bid for the victory.
“He slammed me pretty hard,” she said. “He knocked us completely off stride.”
Successful Dan trainer Charlie Lopresti argued his horse did nothing wrong, claiming Demarcation’s sudden move to the inside forced Successful Dan and jockey Julien Leparoux to theoutside and into Redding Colliery’s path.
“It was a terrible call,” Lopresti said. “Up there in the stretch that horse [Demarcation] came over on us and knocked us into the other horse and after that we’re clearly the winner.”
Officials ruled otherwise. Kentucky chiefsteward John Veitch said there was no indication that Demarcation’s move had anything to do with Successful Dan’s eventful trip.
“We couldn’t see any evidence of that,” Veitch said.
Officials also dropped Demarcation from fourth to last for colliding with Dubious Miss.
A roar went up when Giant Oak’s No. 4 was moved from second to first on the tote board. The 4-year-old colt paid $24.20, $10 and $5 for his first graded stakes victory while covering the 11/8 mile race in 1:50.82.
Sports, Pages 20 on 11/27/2010