Sports briefs

TENNISInjury forces Serena out

of exhibition at Garden

Top-ranked Serena Williams, citing a leg injury suffered during last month's Australian Open, has withdrawn from Monday night's Madison Square Garden "showdown" exhibition in which she had a scheduled rematch with U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters.

Williams is being replaced by former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, who has been in an extended slump since winning the 2008 French Open. Ivanovic announced hiring 22-time major tournament champion Steffi Graf's former coach, Heinz Gunthardt.

The Garden event, a one-night mini tournament consisting of two one-set semifinals and a best-of-three-set final, now has a lineup of Clijsters, ranked 18th, against Ivanovic, 23rd, in one semi and fifth-ranked Venus Williams against No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 French champion, in the other.

Serena Williams and Clijsters last met in the Open semifinal that ended when Williams was assessed a point penalty on Clijsters' match point for verbally abusing a lineswoman.

DOPINGBritish rugby player is first

to be suspended for HGH

In a major breakthrough in the fight against doping, a British rugby league player has become the first athlete to be suspended for using human growth hormone. Terry Newton admitted taking the substance in a statement released by his attorneys Friday. The United Kingdom Anti-Doping authority announced a two-year ban Monday after Newton was fired by his club, Wakefield.

"It's the first time and very significant," WADA director general David Howman said. "It shows the people who say that HGH cannot be detected that it can. The sports people who said it can't be detected are fooling themselves."

FOOTBALLGiants hire Gilbride's son

The son of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has been added to the Giants' coaching staff. Tom Coughlin announced the hiring of Kevin Gilbride Jr., 30, as offensive quality-control coach. He replaced Sean Ryan, who was elevated to receivers coach last week. The younger Gilbride spent the previous three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Temple.

COLLEGE HOOPSUConn upsets W. Virginia

Kemba Walker had 21 points as host Connecticut beat No. 8 West Virginia, 73-62, the Huskies' third win this season over a top 10 team. UConn (17-11, 7-8 Big East) has won three straight to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Huskies are 3-1 since coach Jim Calhoun returned from a medical leave of absence. Devin Ebanks had 17 points for West Virginia (21-6, 10-5).- AP