Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — TENNIS

Roddick loses opener

Six major champions made their way through the first round of the French Open on Sunday’s opening day in Paris. One didn’t - AndyRoddick. Venus Williams, a seven time Grand Slam champion, recovered from a slow start to beat 19-yearold Paula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. It was her first match at a major tournament since revealing she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. The 31-year-old Williams, a former top-ranked player who is now No. 53, is 12-4 this season. Early in the day, Sam Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetsova were first up on the main two courts, and both won in straight sets. Juan Carlos Ferrero and Juan Martin del Potro soon followed on the same courts, and with similar results. And 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic then made it 5 for 5. “It’s a bit of an early start, but always nice to get through it now,” said Stosur, the U.S. Open champion who beat Elena Baltacha 6-4, 6-0. “You have the whole day and whatever else to recover and, yeah, enjoy.” Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, lost to 88th-ranked Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, exiting in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2007. The 26th-seeded Roddick is 7-10 this season, 0-4 on clay. “I move just horrendously out here. My first step is just so bad on this stuff,” Roddick said. “I feel like I’m always shuffling or hopping or not stopping or something. So my footwork on this stuff now is just really bad.” None of the top three men played on Day 1.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be on court today, while Rafael Nadal is slated to begin his attempt for a record-breaking seventh French Open title on Tuesday. The ninth-seeded Del Potro made his way into the second round despite some problems with his left knee, beating Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-1. Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, beat Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the highest seeded player in action on Sunday at No. 5, also advanced. He defeated Andrey Kuznetsov 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Fabio Fognini was the first man to reach the second round Sunday, beating Adrian Mannarino 6-0, 7-5, 6-1. No. 21 Marin Cilic was next, defeating Daniel Munoz-De la Nava 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Kuznetsova beat Mirjana Lucic 6-1, 6-3. Ivanovic beat Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino 6-1, 6-1. No. 10 Angelique Kerber and No. 20 Lucie Safarova also advanced to the second round, along with Americans Melanie Oudin and Irina Falconi.

MOTOR SPORTS

Webber wins Monaco GP

Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix from the pole Sunday while Fernando Alonso moved narrowly into the championship lead in Formula One. Webber stayed ahead of Nico Rosberg and Alonso for his eighth career victory. It was his second victory in three years at Monaco for Red Bull, which has won the last three at this track from the pole position. Alonso, who is bidding for his third F1 title, headed into the race tied with two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel with 61 points. He now leads Vettel and Webber by three points. Vettel finished fourth and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton finished fifth ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.

HORSE RACING

O’Neill plans Belmont workout

Trainer Doug O’Neill is taking an unconventional path to a Triple Crown bid by using a series of strong gallops rather than formal workouts to prepare I’ll Have Another for the Belmont Stakes on June 9 in New York. “There will be a lot of days when I’ll Have Another, strictly galloping, will pass a lot of workers,” O’Neill said Sunday morning after taking a flight from his West Coast base and being reunited with his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. The last three Triple Crown champions, Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978), all drilled at least one mile in preparation for the race. O’Neill said his plan has everything to do with the vigor the colt brings to his daily morning regimen. “If anyone got a chance to see him, he stretches and puts a lot of effort into his morning gallops,” he said. “We have all the confidence in the world in I’ll Have Another. As long as he stays healthy and injury-free, we think he’ll be very tough.”

Jockey Corey Lanerie rode six winners on the 10-race Sunday card at Churchill Downs, the 11th time a jockey has won at least six races in a day at the Louisville, Ky., track. The all-time Churchill mark is seven wins, set by Pat Day in June 1984 and tied by Julien Leparoux in November 2008. Lanerie got his six victories from seven mounts, winning the first with Roman’s Avenue ($2.60), the second with Alley Sprout ($5.80), the third with Maybelle Slew ($4.40), the seventh with McKayla’s Wish ($6.60), the ninth with Professor Fate ($18.40), and the 10th with Southern Parkway ($8.80). His only losing mount came in the eighth race. The last Churchill jockey to win six in a day was Jamie Theriot in June 2008.

Jockey Corey Lanerie rode six winners on the 10-race Sunday card at Churchill Downs, the 11th time a jockey has won at least six races in a day at the Louisville, Ky. track The all-time Churchill mark is seven wins, set by Pat Day in June 1984 and tied by Julien Leparoux in November 2008. Lanerie got his six victories from seven mounts, winning the first with Roman’s Avenue ($2.60), the second with Alley Sprout ($5.80), the third with Maybelle Slew ($4.40), the seventh with McKayla’s Wish ($6.60), the ninth with Professor Fate ($18.40), and the 10th with Southern Parkway ($8.80). His only losing mount came in the eighth race. The last Churchill jockey to win six in a day was Jamie Theriot in June 2008.

FOOTBALL

Lions’ Fairley arrested

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has been arrested in Tillman’s Corner, Ala., on charges of driving under the influence and attempting to elude police, his second arrest in his home state in two months. Alabama state troopers said the 24-year-old passed a state trooper early Sunday morning at 100 mph in his Cadillac Escalade in unincorporated Mobile County. After initially refusing to stop for the trooper’s emergency lights and siren, Fairley pulled over and seemed impaired. He was arrested without incident. Fairly was also cited for reckless driving, no proof of insurance and open container. Fairley also was arrested April 3 in Mobile on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Fairley was a standout at Auburn and the Lions’ first-round draft pick. As a junior, he was the Lombardi award winner as the nation’s top lineman and helped lead the Tigers to the national title in 2010.