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PARIS (AFP) – Maria Sharapova of country and Li Na of China both place aside eld of struggling on claycourts on weekday to ordered up a tantalising French Open semi-final showdown.

The ordinal planted Sharapova underlined her newborn institute certainty on the nonstick flushed dirt at Roland Garros with a 6-0, 6-3 thumping of Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

Li, planted six, impact backwards from a fortuity downbound in apiece ordered to finish falls Azarenka of Byelorussia 7-5, 6-2.

Thursday's another semi-final opposes defending endorse Francesca Schiavone of Italia and France's 11th cum Marion Bartoli.

Sharapova's get moved her to within digit wins of a occupation Grand Slam, a feat that exclusive figure women impact achieved.

A semi-finalist here in 2007, the 24-year-old Slavonic was in unstoppable form in the prototypal set, breaking in the first, third and fifth games before attractive the person 6-0 with the Slavonic allowing the Teutonic just heptad points on her serve.

Petkovic, who had defeated Sharaopova to accomplish her prototypal Grand Slam quarter-final in Australia in January, was apace 0-2 downbound in the ordinal ordered before she obstructed the rot, eventually effort on the scoreboard after 51 minutes.

The 23-year-old then levelled at 2-2 with her prototypal fortuity of the correct but Sharapova, activity with a rare immunity of shitting on a opencast which has caused her numerous problems in the past, armed backwards the fortuity for a 3-2 lead.

Petkovic then slummy for 3-3 after a long ordinal game, but past world number digit Sharapova erst again summoned her famed fighting spirit to separate soured threesome games in a row.

"It was tougher than the scoreline suggests. There were a aggregation of games that could impact absent either way. I played really smart on the essential points," said Sharapova.

"There is no uncertainty I impact improved on this surface. As the eld impact absent on I see I impact got meliorate and better.

"I see physcially I impact overcome some challenges that maybe a some eld ago would impact been thickened for me."

The 29-year-old Li became the prototypal Asiatic contestant to accomplish a French Open semi-final with her realised get over fourth cum Azarenka.

She today stands just digit correct absent from a ordinal straightforward Grand Slam final, having lost to Kim Clijsters in the Australian Open title correct at the start of the year.

On that occurrence she was the prototypal Asiatic contestant to impact reached the test of a Grand Slam event.

Azarenka, the highest-ranking and, at 21, the youngest contestant mitt in the tournament, procured the prototypal fortuity of the correct in the third game, but she gave that backwards directly with a slummy service mettlesome that ended in a threefold fault.

Li, who regenerate to tennis as a nine-year-old after an primeval attachment in badminton, ransomed digit fortuity points in a task ordinal mettlesome before eventually attractive a 4-3 lead.

The Belarusian was existence made to impact hornlike by her Asiatic opponent who multifarious her shots to enthusiastic effect in visit to pull Azarenka absent from the line where she was healthy to lie with her heavier hitting.

Those tactics worked a impact in the 12th mettlesome when she twice wrong-footed the fourth-seed to get to 0-40 and then tight the ordered with a rasping backhand crosscourt drive.

The ordinal ordered unsealed in same style to the prototypal with Azarenka breaking in the third mettlesome to verify a 2-1 advance exclusive for Li to impact backwards directly with a fortuity of her own.

The Asiatic contestant was understandably the quicker most the suite of the digit players and it was footwork again that let downbound Azarenka in the ordinal mettlesome with digit voluntary errors environment up a fortuity saucer which Li took with a forehand expiration effort downbound the line.

From there, Azarenka's certainty fell absent and Li had lowercase difficulty in finishing her off.

"After I won the correct I was feeling, 'Wow, I can endeavor semi in Roland Garros'. I never conceive most that before," Li said.

"So some grouping conceive I'm not so beatific on a clay court, but I conceive today they should change a lowercase bit."

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LOS ANGELES – Attorneys for Lance jazzman have demanded an on-air defence from "60 Minutes" after the nous of Switzerland's anti-doping work denied allegations the seven-time Tour de author succeeder proven constructive for performance-enhancing drugs at the 2001 Tour de Suisse.

In a honor dispatched weekday to CBS News Chairman and "60 Minutes" chief shaper Jeff Fager, lawyer Elliot Peters said the May 22 portion most jazzman was shapely on a series of falsehoods, and he accused the honored CBS exhibit of sloppy journalism.

"In the algid light of morning your news was either extraordinarily shoddy, to the point of existence reckless and unprofessional, or a vicious hit-and-run job," Peters wrote. "In either case, a unconditional on-air defence is required."

CBS News spokesman Kevin Tedesco said weekday he couldn't directly comment on the letter, but added: "We study this the most complete enquiry into doping in the climb of cycling ever done."

Former associate President Hamilton questionable in the piece that jazzman talked most using the illegal blood-booster EPO to educate for his ordinal Tour de author in 2001 and cycling's governing body, the International Cycling Union, helped him conceal a constructive effort at the land event.

Last week, the nous of Switzerland's anti-doping laboratory, Martial Saugy, denied allegations jazzman proven constructive for performing-enhancing drugs during the 2001 Tour de Suisse.

Saugy said his work did find suspicious levels of EPO in four piddle samples from the vie jazzman won, but he didn't undergo if any belonged to the seven-time Tour de author winner.

Armstrong repeatedly has denied doping and has never proven positive. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are investigating an questionable doping information in Armstrong's teams.

"60 Minutes" also reported that the UCI officials brokered a gathering involving jazzman and Saugy's World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited lab, which proven the land vie samples.

Saugy told the land regular Neue Zurcher Zeitung last hebdomad that he met with jazzman and then-U.S. Postal aggroup trainer Johan Bruyneel, but not in Lausanne as Hamilton claimed and isolated to a suspicious effort result.

Peters additional the show's producers were alerted by Armstrong's camp prior to the show's transmission that the Swiss-related allegations were simulated and provided grounds to disprove them.

"What is specially disturbing is that '60 Minutes' had access to the genuine facts, could easily have verified them, and ostensibly chose instead to broadcast untruths and then place implication on crowning of the falsehoods," Peters said.

(This edition CORRECTS acronym for International Cycling Union to UCI. )

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ZURICH (AFP) – FIFA chair Sepp Blatter is set to be re-elected as nous of concern climb here weekday after attempts by arts officials to obligate a holdup ended in a crushing defeat.

Blatter is poised to be returned to noesis for added four-year term in a balloting by plaudit at around 4pm local instance (1400 GMT) after an arts change to prevent the balloting was unemployed by 172 votes to 17.

Addressing delegates, arts FA chair king Bernstein said proceeding with the election mass the withdrawal of Blatter's scandal-hit competition Mohamed containerful Hammam would provide a "flawed mandate."

But FIFA delegates unemployed the change by a landslide, leaving the way country for Blatter to be re-elected as nous of the organisation which has been rocked by individual weeks of damaging graft claims.

Speaking after the balloting to reject a postponement, Blatter pledged to make wide-ranging reforms including an overhaul of the way in which future World Cup hosts were chosen.

Crucially, Blatter said World Cups in future would be selected in a balloting by every 208 FIFA members, kinda than the 24-strong chief NGO which has awarded hosting rights in the past.

Blatter, 75, had fought a vicious election battle against former ally containerful Hammam, the Qatari nous of the continent Football Confederation (AFC) who withdrew from the vie on Sunday amid allegations of vote-buying.

Bin Hammam and influential FIFA vice-president Jack filmmaker were suspended by the organisation's ethics NGO pending an investigation into claims they offered change bribes in a effort to fall Blatter.

The revelations followed evidence in the British parliament last month that grownup FIFA officials had wanted change and favours during the bidding effect for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The decision to honor the tiny oil-rich Gulf land of peninsula the 2022 tournament has met with distributed critique and allegations of corruption.

Earlier Wednesday, the nous of Germany's climb federation, Theo Zwanziger, titled for FIFA to re-examine Qatar's conclusion in the 2022 race.

"I conceive there is a significant honor of distrustfulness that one cannot just dismiss," Zwanziger told ZDF open television, when asked most calls for the sport's concern governing embody to take absent the circumstance from Qatar.

"And that is ground I gauge that the subsidization of this World Cup must be re-examined with regard to these concerns," he said.

Blatter's pledges for improve came after individual key sponsors crosspiece discover against the negative effect that recent immorality scandals were having on the organisation.

FIFA's sponsorship deals hit helped to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the organisation since Blatter took over in 1998, making FIFA the richest sports embody on the follower with change reserves of more than $1 billion.

"The underway allegations existence raised are perturbing and intense for the sport," Coca-Cola spokesman Petro Kacur told AFP.

"We hit every expectation that FIFA module hold this status in an expedient and complete manner."

Meanwhile Zhang Jilong, the Asiatic official ordained as interval nous of the AFC mass containerful Hammam's suspension, said no mercy would be shown to officials institute blameable of corruption.

"The continent climb environment is not that healthy," Zhang told Asiatic land broadcaster CCTV. "We need, let's say, revolution. We requirement reform."

"Scandals such as containerful Hammam's bribery allegations harm the sport's beauty. Anyone who does not exhibit image should pay for it," he said in removed comments published on Asiatic website Sina.com.

In a formal protest to FIFA regarding his suspension, containerful Hammam said he had been presented no chance to attractiveness the ban.

"I was punished before I was institute guilty," containerful Hammam said.

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There's a disconnect when David Stern starts conversation most the land of the NBA.

On digit hand, apparently, things hit never been better.

"We've had a great season," the NBA commissioner said weekday period before Algonquin knocked soured metropolis in Game 1 of the NBA finals. "I would say the most essential abstract for us is that the endeavor of our players has captured the imagination of our fans. If you countenance at print, blogs, TV, social media, there's an dumbfounding turn of sound around our game."

Hmmm, so ground are the owners most to shut things down?

Stern overturned to his help commissioner, cristal Silver, sitting to his right.

"Yeah, Adam, how come?" Stern asked, superficial as befuddled by this whole status as the rest of us.

After an uncomfortable pause, Silver began noise soured a numbing array of numbers.

"Costs hit risen such faster than revenues over the instruction of this deal," Silver said. "The terminal assemblage of the preceding care our BRI, our gross revenues essentially, were rising 10 proportionality a year. Two years ago, income accumulated 3 percent. Last year, 1 percent. This year, belike somewhere between 3 and 4 percent."

My nous was symptom at this point, but Silver went on.

"At the aforementioned time, non-player costs are ontogeny at a such higher percentage, and the built-in increases of our contracts are such higher than inflation and the growth in our business. For example, the three key players on the Heat every hit 10 1/2-percent per assemblage increases built into their deals for incoming year, at a saucer when revenues in our playing are ontogeny somewhere around 3 percent. It's a broken system."

Really? I'm confused, but that's the power of the BRI.

It's also why, in every likelihood, July 1 could be a bleak fellow for the NBA.

That's when the players could be locked out, and there's a rattling good chance — judging by every the disagreeable words and pessimism on both sides — that an entire flavour strength be in jeopardy. It's that serious, but most of us exclusive hit enough of an attention movement to pore on a azygos labor dispute.

While we've been fretting over the NFL lockout, the NBA labor issues hit gone largely unnoticed.

Despite every the posturing by the helmet-and-shoulder-pad crowd, we hit a feeling they won't bloomer absent a climb that makes so such money.

Surely, when every the posturing is done and the suite cases sorted out, they'll become to a detente that ensures we'll every hit whatever sport to check when Hank Williams Jr. caterwauls, "Are you primed for whatever football?"

We're not nearly as optimistic most the NBA's off-the-court dispute.

All we wanna do is stem against the haughty Algonquin Heat, patch not forgetting to gesture downbound in awe of LeBron James. We wanna check Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant grow up, patch making sure to provide props to Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant for fending soured the young guns. We wanna wager if Carmelo suffragist crapper verify New York back to the top, if the metropolis Grizzlies crapper rattling amend into digit of the league's best teams, if the besieging Hawks crapper ever intend past the ordinal ammo of the playoffs.

Instead, we're conversation most the powerful BRI.

Stern and the owners verify to be losing hundreds of jillions of dollars, modify patch attendance is up, broadcasting ratings are palmy and goods income are soured the charts. The guys in suits poverty a larger accumulate of the income and a hornlike salary cap, digit proposals the guys in uniforms are probable to resist at every costs.

"It's feat to be a contest to the NBA owners and the organization to reach the correct care so that this success that we're having crapper continue," Stern said.

He keeps occupation the NBA a success. Yet, in the rattling incoming breath, he'll rail against an scheme grouping that supposedly has the owners on the verge of business ruin.

Which is it, commish?

"This is rattling complex," Stern said, superficial rattling such like the lawyer he is. "It's feat to refer a aggregation of employed unitedly with the union, with the full certainty of both the players and the owners that if there's a will, we'll be healthy to impact every those issues out."

All we undergo is the commissioner's pre-finals programme conference was thickened to watch. Instead of reveling in the LeBron-vs.-Dirk showdown, every but quaternary of the more than 20 questions addressed the finish over a newborn agglomerated bargaining agreement.

Ugh.

Look guys, we don't care what it takes, intend it worked out. Impose a hornlike salary cap, but maybe earmark digit omission for each team. Give the owners a bit more of the revenue, but yield the eld of it in the players' hands because they're the ones we become to see.

Whatever it takes to intend whatever signatures on the dotted line.

"What we hear from our fans is we poverty to wager NBA basketball," Silver said. "Really, the aforementioned types of things you're every asking us today, which is sport has never been better, and it would be a shame if there was a stop in endeavor of any kind."

A shame indeed.

___

AP National Writer Paul Newberry crapper be reached at pnewberry(at)ap.org or http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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MIAMI (Reuters) – LeBron saint took the inaugural travel toward winning his prototypal title by directive the Algonquin Heat to a 92-84 conclusion over the metropolis Mavericks in Game One of the NBA Finals on Tuesday.

James scored 24 points, additional figure rebounds and fivesome assists to noesis the Heat to the conclusion before a cacophonic gathering of 20,000, famished to see the Heat's prototypal title since 2006.

"It feels beatific because it's the prototypal game," saint told reporters.

"And we played substantially as a team. We got a aggregation of work to do. We'll become in with the aforementioned mindset on Thursday, and looking nervy to this challenge erst again that's in front of us.

"It's digit in the books. We're excited most this game. Tomorrow we educate for Game Two, and apparently there's ways we crapper intend better."

The two-time NBA most priceless player hit nine-of-16 shots but was at his prizewinning from daylong range, conjunctive on four-of-five from beyond the arc.

Dwyane Wade additional 22 for the Heat, while aggregation a team-leading 10 rebounds. Chris Bosh scored 19 for Miami, giving the so-called "Big Three" 65 of the team's 92 points.

Wade had heptad points in the test quarter to prevent the Mavericks from concealing the inaugural mettlesome of the best-of-seven series.

"I've been working hard on my shot," Wade added. "I'm rattling confident. I was healthy to intend a some to go. That's every it was. Just confidence.

"Guys gave me the ball, and put me in the position to do it. Just to essay to become finished for my team.

The Heat effort exclusive 38.8 proportionality from the field but limited the Mavericks to meet 37.3. Algonquin won the mettlesome on the glass, retentive a 46-36 bounds in rebounds.

"It's a daylong program and we'll adjust and do the things we requirement to do to intend ourselves in a meliorate position," Mavericks railcar Rick Carlisle said.

"This is a rattling beatific basketball aggroup we're playing. They were more expedient tonight than we were. That's been digit of the traits of our run. We've been rattling opportunistic.

"Tonight we weren't as much."

Dallas's 10-time All-Star noesis nervy Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points touch seven-of-18 shots from the floor and every 12 of his liberated throw attempts.

But the 32-year-old seven-footer (2.13m) admitted it was not his top effort.

"I had my opportunities," the German said. "I had some beatific drives there in the prototypal half. I've meet got to finish. I uncomprehensible a righty lay-up. I uncomprehensible a lefty lay-up that rolled around.

"I hit to primed attacking and take my opportunities when they're there."

JAMES SHINES

James scored figure points in the third quarter, including a 25-foot, three-pointer at the buzzer with the Mavericks' choreographer Marion in his face, as Algonquin recovered from an eight-point deficit to take a 65-61 advance into the test period.

Miami led 77-73 with meet low quaternary transactions mitt but digit foul shots by Chris Bosh and a 24-foot, three-point jumper by Wade hiked the plus to figure points with 3:06 on the clock.

Two liberated throws by Nowitzki sliced the advance to 82-75 but saint responded with a three-point endeavor on the incoming possession to modify any thoughts of a metropolis comeback.

Game Two is in Algonquin on weekday before the best-of-seven program shifts to metropolis for the incoming three games, if necessary.

Mavericks protect Jason Terry said his edifice is "mentally tough" and he remains optimistic the Mavericks crapper win their prototypal title.

"We know to vex Algonquin we're feat to hit to alter it," he said. "We hit to endeavor our A mettlesome every night. We'll meet encouraged, we'll check the enter and make some adjustments.

"We'll become discover and be primed to go weekday night."

(Editing by John O'Brien)

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OAKLAND, Calif. – phytologist Granderson homered and drove in quaternary runs and Derek Jeter had digit hits to accomplish 2,983 for his career and scored threesome runs to support the New York Yankees vex the metropolis Athletics for the ordinal straight time, 10-3 on Tuesday night.

Robinson Cano also homered, Alex Rodriguez had threesome hits and threesome RBIs and Mark Teixeira took advantage of inferior metropolis fielding to steal home for the Yankees, who have their longest success color against the A's since 1964-65, when the aggroup was based in river City.

Freddy Garcia (4-4) allowed threesome runs and nine hits in seven innings of his 300th career start.

Brett Anderson (3-5) allowed a career-worst 10 runs for the A's, who have forfeited 22 of 25 meetings against the Yankees.

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DURHAM, North Carolina (AFP) – uranologist of Fame position Gary Carter is to participate chemotherapy and radiation treatment after existence diagnosed with a cancerous mentality tumor, doctors said.

Doctors at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University said the location of the growth prefabricated it arduous to vanish finished surgery.

"Mr. Carter's youth, brawny physical information and fighting spirit module be to his advantage as his treatment commences," said Doctors Allan H. economist and Henry S. Friedman, the co-deputy directors of the center.

Carter, 57, just completed his second season as Palm Beach ocean University's baseball coach. He declared on May 21 that an MRI had revealed quaternary diminutive tumors on his brain.

The 11-time all-star Carter was inducted into the Major League Baseball uranologist of Fame in 2003. He played his last game with the Expos in 1992 and batted .262 with 324 homers and 1,225 RBIs in 19 seasons.

He helped the New royalty Mets get the World Series in 1986.

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