Key Biscayne, Fla. – Serena Williams says a heckler bothered her throughout her match Monday at the Sony Ericsson Open, making at least one racist remark before he was finally ejected.
“The guy said, ‘Hit the net like any Negro would.’ I was shocked,” Williams said. “I couldn’t believe it. I had to do a double take. I think I hit a double fault on that point.”
Williams won the third-round match against Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 6-4. Williams complained late in the match to the chair umpire about the heckler.
“I shouldn’t have let it bother me, because growing up in Compton we had drive-bys,” said Williams, who was raised in Los Angeles. “I guess that’s what my dad prepared me for, but I’m not going to stand for it.”
Fans and security confirmed a man heckled Williams inappropriately, tournament director Adam Barrett said.
“The man was identified and escorted off the site,” Barrett said. “As security determines the severity of his actions, he may not be welcome to return. We take these matters very, very seriously.”
Meanwhile, Amer Delic, ranked 89th, upset fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 for his fifth win in a row, including two in qualifying.
“I just went out there and I said to myself: ‘Swing for the fences. See what happens,”‘ Delic said.
Also reaching the round of 16 was top-ranked Roger Federer, who served poorly but still beat No. 29 Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-3. Federer’s opponent today will be qualifier Guillermo Canas, who ended Federer’s 41-match winning streak two weeks ago at Indian Wells, Calif. Canas advanced by beating No. 15 Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
GOLF
Woods, Cook routed at Tavistock Cup
Henrik Stenson and Chris DiMarco routed Tiger Woods and John Cook 57-65 in best-ball play to help Lake Nona Golf and Country Club take a 10-0 lead over Isleworth after the first day of the Tavistock Cup in Orlando, Fla.
In other matches at Lake Nona, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman edged Stuart Appleby and Nick O’Hern 64-65, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter beat Robert Allenby and Craig Parry 61-67, Ben Curtis and Graeme McDowell topped Lee Janzen and Scott Hoch 63-64, and Ernie Els and Mark McNulty beat Charles Howell III and Mark O’Meara 62-66.
The $2.6 million event will conclude today, with 20 points at skate in the five matches.
Each player’s score will be matched against the two opposing players in the group, with the teams earning a point for a victory and a half-point for a tie.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Former Sooners star Heath dies at 78
Leon Heath, a star fullback at Oklahoma who played for coach Bud Wilkinson from 1948-50, died Friday in Oklahoma City after an illness. He was 78.
Heath, nicknamed “Mule Train,” played for the Sooners in 1950 when Oklahoma won the first of its seven national championships.
During a 35-0 victory over LSU in the 1950 Sugar Bowl, he scored two touchdowns, one on an 86-yard run that set a school record for the longest postseason run. He was honored as the game’s outstanding player.
Heath was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1951 and played for three seasons until an injury ended his pro career.
This year’s game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be played Nov. 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Big 12 Conference said. The game, which will be in Norman, had been scheduled for Oct. 27. The change was requested for television coverage reasons.
FOOTNOTES
Sabres wing Kotalik ready to return
Sabres forward Ales Kotalik, who has missed 16 games with a right knee injury, practiced fully and is expected to play in Buffalo’s home game against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said defenseman Toni Lydman, who has missed five games with an undisclosed upper body injury, and rookie forward Daniel Paille, who has missed 15 games with a broken left index finger, are also close to returning.
Former Boston Bruins coach Mike Sullivan will coach the United States in the world hockey championships in Russia. USA Hockey also said Phoenix Coyotes associate head coach Barry Smith will serve as associate head coach and Boston University associate head coach David Quinn will be an assistant.
Clint Dolezel threw seven touchdown passes – five to Will Pettis – to help the Dallas Desperados beat the host Orlando Predators 70-49 in the Arena Football League. Dolezel was 23-of-28 for 230 yards, and Pettis led Dallas (4-0) in receiving with 12 catches for 108 yards. Pettis also had three carries for 14 yards and a score.
Three-time Olympian Kirsten Clark, the only skier to win four consecutive U.S. downhill titles, won’t be skiing in the U.S. Alpine Championships this week. Clark, who recently announced her retirement, had hoped to finish out her 13-year career at the event. But lingering back pain from a spill at the last World Cup race will prevent her from competing.
Trenton Jackson, a 1964 Olympic sprinter and the inaugural member of the Rochester Track Club Hall of Fame, died Sunday in Rochester, N.Y. He was 65. Representing the Rochester Track Club at the 1964 Olympic trials, Jackson, known as the “Franklin Flash,” was the runner-up in the men’s 100 meters to eventual gold medalist Bob Hayes. Considered a favorite to medal before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Jackson strained a hamstring in the semifinals and finished last in the race.
