WPPA / T-102 SPORTS / Thursday

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - The women's semifinals highlight
today's Wimbledon schedule after Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Andy
Roddick and Tommy Haas advanced to the men's semis yesterday.
Today's schedule has top-ranked Dinara Safina (dee-NAH'-rah
sah-FEE'-nuh) facing third seed Venus Williams after No. 2 Serena
Williams battles No. 4 Elena Dementieva (dee-mehn-tee-AY'-vuh).

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit Pistons have opened the
NBA's free-agent negotiating period by working out five-year
contracts with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Gordon accepted a
$50-million package and Villanueva took a contract worth $35
million. League rules prohibit the team from announcing the
free-agent signings until next week.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A team spokesman says Kobe Bryant is staying
with the Los Angeles Lakers after declining to opt out of the final
two years of his contract. Bryant has spent his entire 13-year NBA
career with the Lakers, winning four NBA championships. The Lakers
and Bryant will now try to work out a contract extension.

UNDATED (AP) - Right wing Marian Hossa (HOH'-sah) was among
several players to join new teams on the first day of the NHL's
free-agent signing period. Hossa has accepted a 12-year,
$62.8-million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks after scoring 40
goals and 71 points for Detroit last season. High-scoring forward
Marian Gaborik (GAB'-uh-rihk) worked out a multiyear contract with
the New York Rangers, Washington inked forward Mike Knuble
(kuh-NOO'-bul) to a two-year deal and defenseman Mattias Ohlund
(mah-TEE'-uhs OH'-luhnd) took a seven-year pact from Tampa Bay.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Jeremy Mayfield is free to drive again
after a judge lifted the suspension imposed by NASCAR. The judge
ruled the harm to Mayfield significantly outweighs any harm to
NASCAR. He was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR May 9 after testing
positive for methamphetamines eight days earlier.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Wednesday's Games
Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 0
Boston 6, Baltimore 5, 11 innings
Minnesota 5, Kansas City 1
Oakland 5, Detroit 1
Chicago White Sox 6, Cleveland 2
N.Y. Yankees 4, Seattle 2
Texas 9, L.A. Angels 7
Thursday's Games
Seattle (Vargas 3-3) at N.Y. Yankees (Sabathia 7-4), 7:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Buehrle 7-2) at Kansas City (Chen 0-1), 8:10
p.m.
Baltimore (Guthrie 6-7) at L.A. Angels (Lackey 2-3), 10:05 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Wednesday's Games
Florida 5, Washington 3
N.Y. Mets 1, Milwaukee 0
L.A. Dodgers 1, Colorado 0
Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh 1
Cincinnati 1, Arizona 0
Atlanta 11, Philadelphia 1
St. Louis 2, San Francisco 1, 10 innings
Houston 7, San Diego 1
Thursday's Games
Arizona (D.Davis 3-8) at Cincinnati (Harang 5-8), 12:35 p.m.
N.Y. Mets (Redding 1-3) at Pittsburgh (Maholm 5-4), 12:35 p.m.
Houston (W.Rodriguez 6-6) at San Diego (Correia 5-5), 3:35 p.m.
Philadelphia (Happ 5-0) at Atlanta (J.Vazquez 5-7), 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco (Zito 4-7) at St. Louis (Wellemeyer 6-7), 7:15
p.m.
Milwaukee (McClung 3-1) at Chicago Cubs (Dempster 4-5), 8:05
p.m.