Sports in brief

TENNIS

Roddick suffers back woes, loses

An onset of back spasms has muddled former champion Andy Roddick's preparations for this year's U.S. Open, which commences its two-week run on Aug. 27. Roddick, who won the Open in 2003 and was runner-up in '06, began to experience discomfort two days ago and said "it got progressively worse" during his first-round straight-sets loss to France's Jeremy Chardy in the Western & Southern Open yesterday at Mason, Ohio.

Roddick, who will turn 30 at the end of the month, received treatment during the second set and said he won't know for several days how his Open possibilities will be affected. "In a perfect world, I'd love to play next week ," he said. "I feel I'd benefit from that."

Roddick had won 12 of his previous 14 matches -- including two tournament titles -- and said he is feeling "much better about my game" recently after falling out of the top 10 for the first time in 10 years during an injury-hampered 2011. "I don't think it's coincidental, as I get older," he said, "that I get hurt more. I don't think I'm naive to that fact."

Venus Williams, who needed a wild card to play here, advanced to the second round with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 win over 12th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia. Williams won an Olympic gold medal in doubles with her sister Serena.JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Franklin Square's rally falls short in tourney

Franklin Square, the East Division champs known for their dramatic come-from-behind victories, fell behind by 10 runs in the fourth inning and their comeback attempt came up short as they lost, 12-8, to Central Division champs, North Canton, Ohio in the Junior League Baseball World Series in Taylor, Mich. last night. Michael Catanese went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Franklin Square, which scored three runs in the fifth inning and five in the sixth. Franklin Square is now 1-1 in the tournament with two games remaining. -- MIKE GAVIN

NFL

Urlacher has knee surgery; expected back

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and still hopes to be ready for the season opener. The Bears said that Urlacher had an arthroscopic debridement procedure yesterday to help relieve swelling in the knee and was back at training camp by 10 a.m. He missed the offseason training program, was ready for the start of camp, but has not practiced since July 31.

GOLF

Pendrick wins LIGA Mid-Amateur

Bryan Pendrick shot a 4-under 68 to finish 5 under and win the Long Island Golf Association's Mid-Amateur Championship at Rockville Links in Rockville Centre. Jonathan Jeter and Ed Gibstein tied for second at 2 under for the two-day tournament.

Liu, Crowley don't reach Amateur match play

James Liu of Smithtown and Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove didn't reach the match play of the U.S. Amateur Championship at the conclusion of two rounds of stroke play qualifying at Denver.

-- AP