NBA: Union mulls Artest appeal
The NBA players association is considering an appeal of the seven-game suspensions given to Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson for legal issues.
Both players were suspended by the league Saturday without pay and are scheduled to miss the first seven games of next season. Artest, cited for a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, would lose a little more than $470,000 in salary, about $50,000 more than Jackson.
Jackson, who pleaded guilty for firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club, released a statement through the Warriors saying he accepted his suspension. But the union, comparing the penalties to other recent suspensions given to players for off-the-court reasons, may take action.
* Miami’s Alonzo Mourning said last night at his annual Zo’s Summer Groove charity game that he’ll play again next season – a choice he kept secret to the end, insisting he was still deciding just hours before the actual announcement. Next season will be his 15th in the NBA.
TENNIS: Russians KO U.S.
Russia eliminated the U.S. in the Fed Cup semifinals at Stowe, Vt., overcoming Venus Williams’ singles victory and advancing with a win in the decisive doubles match. Nadia Petrova and Elena Vesnina topped Williams and Lisa Raymond 7-5, 7-6 (1) to win the series for Russia 3-2 yesterday in Stowe, Vt.
Williams beat Anna Chakvetadze, 6-1, 6-4, but Petrova forced the tiebreaking doubles match with an easy 6-1, 6-2 win over Meilen Tu, 6-1, 6-2. Russia will next face Italy for the Fed Cup championship in September.
* Fabrice Santoro rode his two-handed style to the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships’ title, beating Nicolas Mahut, 6-4, 6-4, in the first all-French final in the tournament’s 31-year history in Newport, R.I.
* David Ferrer of Spain beat countryman Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 6-2 to win the Swedish Open in Bastad, Sweden . . . Fifth-seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu became the second Frenchman to win the Swiss Open title by defeating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5.
SOCCER: Brazil wins
Brazil won the Copa America for the second time in a row, beating Argentina 3-0 in yesterday’s final in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Julio Baptista put Brazil ahead in the fourth minute and Roberto Ayala put through his own goal five minutes before halftime. Daniel Alves added a third in the 69th minute.
AUTOS: Stewart rolls
Tony Stewart finally broke through for his first victory of the season, holding off Matt Kenseth on several late-race restarts to win the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway yesterday in Joliet, Ill.
Stewart broke a 20-race winless streak dating to last season thanks in part to a hard crash by contender Jimmie Johnson, who was running second behind Stewart with 45 laps left when his tire went flat. Kenseth held off teammate Carl Edwards to finish second.
* Scott Dixon passed Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon on lap 95 and ran away with the Firestone Indy 200 yesterday in Gladeville, Tenn., for his second straight IndyCar victory. Franchitti was second, and Danica Patrick was third.