AP - Lorena Ochoa withdrew from the Ginn Tribute, putting the top-ranked player's duel with tournament host Annika Sorenstam on hold.

AP - Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from returning to the NBA finals. Bryant had 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

AP - Top-seeded Maria Sharapova struggled with her serve in the wind at the French Open, hitting 17 double-faults and barely managing to defeat 103rd-ranked Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 Wednesday in the first round.

AP - Michelle Wie will make her first appearance in a full Ladies European Tour field at this week's German Open.

AFP - Yannick Noah, who is marking the 25th anniversary of his French Open title, sprang to the defence of his son Joakim on Tuesday after the basketball star was arrested for possession of marijuana.

AP - Mike Jarvis found a home in Boca Raton four years ago. Now, he's got a job to go with it.

AFP - Japan coach Takeshi Okada admitted Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura was vital to their World Cup qualifying campaign after being recalled from eight months on the sidelines.

AP - Jose Lopez lined a single past diving third baseman Mike Lowell to score Wladimir Balentien with the game-winning run and the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night to end a season-high seven-game losing streak.

AFP - The Los Angeles Lakers handed the defending champion San Antonio Spurs their first home defeat of the playoffs Tuesday to take a stranglehold on their National Basketball Association semi-final series.

AP - Amelie Mauresmo took what amounted to a three-hour lunch break during her match at the French Open.

AP - Pedro Martinez is likely to rejoin the New York Mets' rotation early next week in San Francisco. He is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start for Class-A St. Lucie tomorrow and would probably make his major league return against the Giants.

AP - Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka left his start against Seattle on Tuesday night before the bottom of the fifth inning with what the team later said was a tired shoulder.

AP - Tiger Woods entered the room with a slight limp and unwavering determination to play the U.S. Open. "The knee's doing better," said Woods, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee April 15. "The rehab is boring. It gets really old riding that bike, man. But everything's on schedule. Just been training and trying to get this thing organized for the Open, and it's right on schedule for that."

AP - Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from returning to the NBA finals. Bryant had 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.