Tennis: Soderling to face Ferrer in final
BASTAD, Sweden -- Robin Soderling of Sweden will play David Ferrer of Spain today in a Swedish Open final between former champions.
The fifth-ranked Soderling routed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, and the second-seeded Ferrer beat defending champion Nicolas Almagro in an all-Spanish semifinal.
Soderling won the tournament in 2009, Ferrer in 2007.
ELSEWHERE --Polona Hercog of Slovenia reached her second straight WTA final by defeating top-seeded Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-2 at the Palermo Open in Palermo, Italy.
The seventh-seeded Hercog will play four-time Palermo champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain today. It’s the first Palermo final since 2007 without an Italian player. ... Juan Carlos Ferrero rallied past Federico del Bonis of Argentina to reach the final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. A former No. 1, Ferrero is ranked 85th. ... Austrian wild card Patricia Mayr-Archleitner routed Ksenia Pervak of Russia at the Gastein Ladies in Bad Gastein, Austria, to reach her first WTA Tour final. She will play Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain.
Cycling: Belgium’s Vanendert wins 14th stage
PLATEAU DE BEILLE, France -- French cyclist Thomas Voeckler retained the lead of the Tour de France after the last stage in the Pyrenees, which was won by Jelle Vanendert of Belgium and failed to be as significant as expected for the main contenders.
Vanendert clinched the 14th stage -- the first Tour stage win of his career -- after finishing 21 seconds ahead of Samuel Sanchez of Spain and 46 seconds in front of third-place Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.
College football: Hall of Fame gets new members
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sixteen players and four coaches were inducted Saturday into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. They include: Dennis Byrd (North Carolina State, DT, 1965-67); Ronnie Caveness ( Arkansas, LB 1962-64); Ray Childress (Texas A&M, DL 1981-84); Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State, LB, 1993-96); Randy Cross (UCLA, OG, 1973-75); Sam Cunningham (Southern California, RB, 1970-72); Michael Favor, North Dakota State, C, 1985-88); Charles Haley (James Madison, DE, 1982-85; Mark Herrmann (Purdue, QB, 1977-80); Clarkston Hines (Duke, WR, 1986-89); Desmond Howard (Michigan, WR, 1989-91); Mickey Kobrosky (Trinity College, Back, 1933-36); Chet Moeller (Navy, DB, 1973-75); Jerry Stovall (LSU, HB, 1960-62); Pat Tillman (Arizona St., LB, 1994-97); Alfred Williams (Colorado, LB, 1987-90). Coach Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin, 1990-2005); Coach Mike Kelly (Dayton, 1981-2007); Coach Bill Manlove, (Widener, 1969-91), Delaware Valley, 1992-95), La Salle, 1997-2001); Coach Gene Stallings (Texas A&M, 1965-71), Alabama, 1990-96).
Byrd, Tillman and Kobrosky were inducted posthumously. After his college days, Tillman went on to an NFL career with the Cardinals. After three seasons in the NFL, he enlisted in the Army. He was killed in Afghanistan in April 2004.
ELSEWHERE -- The UCF Athletics Association has filed a motion attacking Circuit Judge Robert M. Evans’ conduct and seeking to reverse a jury’s decision it was negligent in the death of football player Ereck Plancher. After a three-week trial, an Orange County jury reached a verdict on June 30 stating UCFAA was negligent in Plancher’s death and the his parents should be awarded $10 million in damages. ... A former University of Georgia football coach has been accused in court documents of making millions of dollars from a Ponzi scheme. Court documents filed in Ohio allege that Jim Donnan and his wife, Mary, attracted investments for GLC Ltd., which filed for bankruptcy in February. ... After spending almost 50 years in the same conference, it took only a month for Texas-Arlington to find a new athletics home. Texas-Arlington is joining the Western Athletic Conference effective July 1, 2012. ... Oregon has hired a high-profile law firm and stayed mum as questions mount about the Ducks’ $25,000 payment to a Texas-based recruiting service.
The NCAA is investigating what appears to be an inflated payment for services provided by so-called street agent Willie Lyles of Complete Scouting Services in Houston. At issue is whether Lyles helped steer a highly recruited player to Oregon. Oregon’s silence will be difficult to maintain as the football season nears and the Ducks will garner increasing attention because of their appearance in the BCS championship game.
NFL: Former player pleads no contest
MALIBU, Calif. -- Prosecutors say former running back Corey Dillon has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in Malibu.
Dillon was sentenced Friday to two years of probation, a 12-hour alcohol program and ordered to pay a $250 fine.
Robison says Dillon entered the plea through his attorney with an admission that alcohol was involved.
The former Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots running back was arrested last year in Calabasas in northwestern Los Angeles County on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
He initially was charged with two misdemeanor DUI counts.
Wrestling: Local students win at tourney
David Contarino, a rising eighth-grader at Saint Stephen’s, won two age divisions Saturday at a wrestling tournament featuring more than 200 athletes at Mulberry High School.
Contarino started the day by winning the 13-14 School Boy title at 128 pounds with a 2-0 record. He went on to take the 125-pound title in the 15-16 Cadet division with a 2-1 record.
He had a pair of pins and a pair of technical falls en route to the titles.
-- Herald wire and staff reports
