Sports briefs
TENNISVenus, Federer extended
Venus Williams and Roger Federer ended up playing roles in Survivor, Melbourne, Wednesday at the Australian Open. Williams doubled over in agony after hitting a shot in her first-set tiebreaker against unseeded Sandra Zahlavova. She had strained a hip muscle and later said she was in so much pain that if she hadn't been playing in a Grand Slam, she likely would have retired from the match. She took a medical timeout, had her upper right thigh wrapped and rallied for a 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-4 win.
Federer faced a familiar problem - Gilles Simon, one of only three men on the tour with a winning record against him. Federer raced to a two-set lead. Then Simon, who beat Federer twice in 2008 on hard courts in their only previous encounters, won the next two sets. But Federer persevered, finishing off a 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory on his fifth match point.
In matches completed early Thursday, Kim Clijsters beat Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-3, No. 7 seed Jelena Jankovic was ousted by Shuai Peng, 7-6 (3), 6-3, and Rafael Nadal beat Ryan Sweeting, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.
NFLRaiders coach complies
Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson stopped endorsing a supplement company because his connection violated NFL rules. "We have a long-standing policy that prohibits coaches from any relationship with a supplement company," league spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an e-mail.
Tiger Woods will be starting his season in San Diego. Woods officially entered the Farmers Insurance Open, which has become the traditional start of his season since 2006. He has won the last five times he played Torrey Pines. Woods has lost his No. 1 ranking to Lee Westwood.
Derek Lamely shot a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Bob Hope Classic to take a one-stroke lead over J.J. Henry and Jhonattan Vegas in La Quinta, Calif. - APTELEVISIONFranklin sues ESPN
Former ESPN play-by-play man Ron Franklin has filed a wrongful termination suit against the network, USA Today reported. Franklin declined to discuss details of the suit with the newspaper. ESPN fired Franklin Jan. 4, days after the 25-year veteran of the network allegedly called sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards "sweet baby" and a vulgarity during a Dec. 31 production meeting. ESPN removed him from its Fiesta Bowl coverage New Year's Day. Franklin apologized at the time, saying, "I said some things I shouldn't have and am sorry."
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