Sports briefs
SKIING
Vonn has surgery in Vail
The surgeon who operated on Lindsey Vonn's right knee yesterday in Vail, Colo., was "optimistic for a full recovery" after she shredded two ligaments during a crash last week at the world championships.
In a release issued by the U.S. ski team, Dr. Bill Sterett said the surgery went well and that she was resting comfortably. Sterett said it was too early to issue a specific prognosis, but other doctors believe she could be sidelined for up to eight months. Vonn tore her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments last week during the super-G in Schladming, Austria. She also broke a bone in her lower leg.
Devils surge in second
Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson scored less than two minutes apart in the second period as the Devils beat host Pittsburgh, 3-1, for their fifth straight win . . . Jonathan Ericsson scored with five seconds left to give host Detroit a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles. L.A.'s Alec Martinez had scored on a rebound with 53 seconds left to tie it . . . Patrice Bergeron scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period power play to spur Boston to a 3-1 win over host Buffalo.
GOLF
Mediate wins debut
Rocco Mediate birdied the 18th hole and finished with a 1-under-par 71 to win the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla. He finished the tournament at 17-under 199 and became the 16th player to have a winning debut on the Champions Tour. Mediate's 4-foot birdie putt came after Tom Pernice Jr. missed a 5-footer at No. 18 that could have forced a playoff . . . Richard Sterne shot a bogey-free 64 and cruised to his first European Tour title in more than four years, winning the Joburg Open in Johannesburg by seven shots over Charl Schwartzel.
TENNIS
Italy edges U.S. in Fed Cup
The United States was eliminated in the first round of the Fed Cup, losing to Italy, 3-2, when Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci defeated Varvara Lepchenko and Liezel Huber, 6-2, 6-2, in the deciding doubles match in Rimini, Italy. The U.S. was without Serena and Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens because of injuries.
Nadal loses in final
Horacio Zeballos edged Rafael Nadal, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-4, in the VTR Open final in Vina del Mar, Chile. It was Nadal's first tournament since being sidelined for seven months with a left knee injury.-- AP
