NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jozy Altidore became the youngest American with an international hat trick, and the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 on Wednesday night to maintain its lead in the final round of qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
Making just his fourth international start, the 19-year-old forward connected in the 13th, 71st and 89th minutes, all three times off passes from Landon Donovan.
Altidore eclipsed the mark for youngest hat trick set in 2004, when 20-year-old Eddie Johnson scored three times as a substitute in a 6-0 win over Panama.
Federer gets past Roddick
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Roger Federer needed dominant serving and one lucky bounce to beat Andy Roddick 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Federer lost serve only once and broke after hitting a passing shot on the penultimate point that clipped the net cord and hopped over Roddick’s racket for a winner.
“I didn’t really catch a break there,” a glum Roddick said.
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams meet for the 20th time tonight in a women’s semifinal.
• John McEnroe will be part of ESPN2’s announcing team when the network carries the U.S. Open for the first time this year.
Maple Leafs fined, stripped of draft pick
TORONTO — The Maple Leafs have been fined $500,000 by the NHL and stripped of a fourth- round draft pick because of how they handled the signing of Swedish defenseman Jonas Frogren.
Frogren, who has been on the injured list since early March, had been under contract to a Swedish elite league club before joining Toronto. The transaction apparently went around the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.
• James van Riemsdyk, the second overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, is giving up his final two years of hockey at the University of New Hampshire to join the Flyers.
Footnotes.
U.S. Olympic luge star Courtney Zablocki underwent surgery on both hands to relieve pain, swelling and reduced mobility she has experienced the past 1 1/2 years.
• Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, who is averaging 15.2 points a game, could miss the start of the playoffs with a sprained ankle.
• Cal’s Dana Vollmer, who won the 100- and 200-yard freestyle NCAA titles, won the Honda Award as the nation’s top female swimmer.
• Georgia Tech recruit Derrick Favors scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the East over the West 113-110 in the boys McDonald’s All-American game in Coral Gables, Fla.
In the girls game, North Carolina-bound Tierra Ruffin-Pratt had 10 points and 10 rebounds to pace the West past the East 69-68.
• Runaway winner of the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct last month, I Want Revenge was made the 4-5 favorite for Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial.
• The Pamplemousse was made the narrow morning-line favorite over Pioneer of the Nile among 10 entries for Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Derby.
The Associated Press
