tennis

Last update: December 28, 2007 - 1:45 AM

tennis

Goolagong gets No. 1 ranking, 30 years late

Evonne Goolagong finally made it to No. 1, although the honor was 30 years late in coming.

The Australian tennis star was told by the WTA Tour that she should have surpassed Chris Evert and been top-ranked for a two-week period in 1976 before Evert regained the spot. That was a stretch in which Goolagong was in the middle of winning six tournaments, including the Australian Open and the season-ending Virginia Slims Championship.

But when some tournament records were transferred to a computer in 1976, all of Goolagong's points were not entered and she never received the top ranking, the WTA said.

The WTA has amended its records, making Goolagong the 16th No. 1 player since the introduction of tour computer rankings in 1975.

Two weeks ago, the 56-year-old Goolagong received a trophy from the WTA that is now displayed in her oceanside home.

"I'm very proud of the achievement," Goolagong told The Associated Press. "I was on a roll for that stretch in 1976. It was a great surprise to hear after all these years."

• The ATP, the governing body of men's tennis, confirmed that Italians Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali bet on tennis matches, and the players had no excuse for not knowing this was a rules violation. Starace, ranked 31st, was suspended for six weeks and fined $30,000. Bracciali, ranked 258th, was banned for three months and fined $20,000.

BASEBALL

Erstad signs with Astros

Free agent outfielder Darin Erstad signed a one-year contract worth $1 million plus incentives with the Houston Astros.

The 33-year-old Erstad, a two-time All-Star in 11 seasons with the Angels, hit .248 with four home runs and 32 RBI in 87 games last season for the Chicago White Sox.

• The New York Yankees finalized a $3.75 million, one-year contract with former Twin LaTroy Hawkins, strengthening their weak middle relief with the veteran righthander.

• Former Atlanta Braves player and coach Jim Beauchamp died after a long battle with acute myelogenous leukemia. He was 68. Beauchamp spent 22 years with the Braves as part of a 50-year career in baseball. He had a 10-year major league career, hitting .231.

LEGAL MATTERS

Fresno State seeks to overturn verdict

Fresno State attorneys are asking a judge to overturn a multimillion-dollar verdict against the university in a gender discrimination case involving former women's basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein.

She sued Fresno State claiming gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. Johnson-Klein won $19.1 million from a jury earlier this month.

• Madison Square Garden settled a lawsuit with a former New York Rangers cheerleader who had accused executives of making unwanted advances. Identical statements released by the arena and by Courtney Prince, 29, said the matter had been resolved "with no admission of wrongdoing on the part of any party."

AROUND THE HORN

Hockey: Kyle Turris scored a pair of power-play goals to give Canada a 2-0 victory over Slovakia, its second victory in as many days at the Under-20 World Ice Hockey Championship in Pardubice, Czech Republic. Russia outlasted Kazakhstan 5-4 to climb into first place in Group B.

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