Davenport Plays It Straight as She Wins in Semifinals

Lindsay Davenport overcame a rain delay, a sore shoulder and hard-hitting Samantha Stosur to advance to the final of the Pilot Pen tournament with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7) victory Friday at New Haven, Conn.

She will play Justine Henin-Hardenne, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. Because of a knee injury, Henin-Hardenne had not played a tournament for six weeks after losing in the Wimbledon final to Amelie Mauresmo. In the men’s semifinals, Nikolay Davydenko beat Robin Soderling, 7-6 (6), 6-2. He’ll meet Agustin Calleri for the championship today. Calleri advanced after Xavier Malisse retired because of a sore right elbow at the start of the second set.

Venus Williams, sidelined since losing in the third round of Wimbledon, will miss the U.S. Open, which starts Monday in New York. The two-time U.S. Open champion cited continuation of pain in her left wrist. Though Williams has been injured most of the year, this is the first Grand Slam event of 2006 she has missed. Vera Zvonareva will move to Williams’ spot in the draw.

*

-- Lisa Dillman

The Nevada Las Vegas men’s tennis team has added former UCLA standout Travis Rettenmaier to its coaching staff. Rettenmaier, 23, a Camarillo native, played for two years at UCLA before turning professional after the 2001 dual-match season.

MOTOR RACING

Kenseth Wins Busch Race at Bristol

Matt Kenseth drove by Kevin Harvick with 15 laps to go Friday night to win the Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. Kenseth was flagged for speeding on pit road earlier in the race, forcing him to drop to the back of the field and work his way toward the front over the 250 laps.

Harvick, who started 30th after a poor qualifying effort, was leading the race when Kenseth got to the front. His first few attempts to grab the lead were thwarted by cautions, but he finally got a long enough run to make his move shortly after a restart.

Kurt Busch won the pole for tonight’s NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, putting him in position for a season sweep at the track where he has won five of the last nine races. Busch ran a qualifying lap at 124.906 mph.

Sebastien Bourdais bounced off a concrete wall early in a 30-minute provisional qualifying session for the Champ Car World Series’ Montreal Grand Prix in Canada but still turned the fastest lap of the day.

Scott Dixon posted the top speed in practice sessions for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma in California.

Dixon posted a combined speed in the two sessions of 107.662 mph at the twisting 2.26-mile, 12-turn Infineon Raceway.

BASKETBALL

Ginobili, Argentina Beat New Zealand, 79-62

Manu Ginobili scored 28 points, including Argentina’s only three-point basket, as Argentina beat New Zealand, 79-62, early today in the second round of the world championships. New Zealand’s coach, Tab Baldwin, resigned afterward.

Dan Panaggio, a former Marquette and Portland Trail Blazers assistant, was hired as the first coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA’s Development League.

Allen Iverson’s mother, Ann, will be the majority owner on a new American Basketball Assn. franchise that will play in Richmond, Va., next season.

NHL

Red Wings, Standout Rookie Agree to Deal

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen signed a three-year contract after a rookie season in which the 26-year-old Swede scored 12 goals.

The Kings announced a 76-game television schedule, with the majority of those games to be shown on FSN West and FSN Prime Ticket.

Bob Miller and Jim Fox will work the team’s home opener, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 against St. Louis, on FSN West.

MISCELLANY

U.S. Men’s Eight Makes World Rowing Final

The United States qualified fastest for the finals of the men’s eights at the world rowing championships in Eton, England.

The crew, including Athens Olympic gold medalists Matt Deakin and Beau Hoopman, needed a photo finish, it was 0.01 of a second ahead after a late Germany charge. Italy also advanced from that semifinal.

Torrance defeated West End of Williamsport, Pa., 11-3, in the championship game of the Babe Ruth World Series for 13- to 15-year-old players at Clifton Park, N.Y.

JURISPRUDENCE

Titans Cornerback Jones

Arrested Outside Bar

Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested outside a bar early Friday in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication.

Officers said they saw Jones arguing loudly with a woman outside the nightclub, according to the police report.

PASSINGS

Wife of Little League Founder Dies at 92

Grayce Stotz, wife of Little League Baseball founder Carl Stotz who was also instrumental in the youth baseball organization, died at 92.

Her death came on the off-day for the Little League World Series.