NEW YORK — The future of testing for human growth hormone is shaping up to be a contentious issue in negotiations between the NFL and the players’ union, with the league supporting blood-based testing and the union less convinced about its validity.
Kevin Mawae, the president of the NFL Players Association, said Sunday that the union is aware of developing tests, one of which is a blood test that could detect HGH for up to 14 days. But he said the union believes the test that is currently available, which has only about a 48-hour window of detection, “is not completely reliable.”
Over the past several months, the league has become a more vocal supporter of blood-based testing, saying the current blood test — widely available since 2008, but not used by the NFL — is reliable, while the test that’s being developed could add another way to catch HGH users.
Fish defeats Rochus
NEWPORT, R.I. — Mardy Fish captured the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, rallying for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Olivier Rochus of Belgium.
Fish overcome his frustration at a close line call at the end of the first set to win his fourth career title. The fifth-seeded American entered the week ranked 79th.
• Argentina and Serbia wrapped up Davis Cup quarterfinal victories on the road to join France and the Czech Republic in the tournament’s last four.
David Nalbandian beat Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3 in the deciding match in Moscow to clinch Argentina’s 3-2 win over Russia, which lost at home for the first time since 1996. In Split, Croatia, second-ranked Novak Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to give Serbia an unassailable 3-1 lead over its neighbor.
The Czech Republic completed a 4-1 victory over host Chile, while host France completed a 5-0 whitewash of defending champion Spain.
Red Bull’s Webber wins F1 race
SILVERSTONE, England — Mark Webber cruised to his third Formula One victory of the season after overtaking Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.
The Australian turned in an immaculate drive and finished 1.36 seconds ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes finished third.
• Austin Dillon held off Johnny Sauter in a green-white-checkered finish and picked up first career win at the NASCAR Trucks Series race in Newton, Iowa.
• Mark Niver, a 60-year-old from Phoenix who was competing in the top alcohol dragster class in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing series, died after he crashed at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash.
Footnotes.
David Ferreira scored from 12 yards from the left side in the 87th minute as visiting FC Dallas pulled out a 1-1 MLS tie with the Seattle Sounders.
• Cappie Pondexter scored 30 points to rally the host New York Liberty to a 57-54 WNBA victory over the Chicago Sky.
The Associated Press
