AP - Tiger Woods played his first round of golf Wednesday since knee surgery two days after the Masters, getting a thumbs-up from his swing coach after 17-plus holes at Torrey Pines riding in a cart.

AP - There have been times this year when Roger Federer's cloak of infallibility slid from his shoulders, when his absolute dominance against anyone but Rafael Nadal and at any tournament but the French Open wasn't quite so absolute.

AP - John Smoltz knew the pain was too intense to keep pitching this season. Now, the Atlanta Braves right-hander hopes to add one more comeback to his remarkable career. Smoltz will undergo season-ending surgery on his ailing right shoulder next week, but the 41-year-old is not ready to concede his next move is retirement.

AP - The Detroit Red Wings are Stanley Cup champions because they excel at both ends of the rink. None of them does it better than Henrik Zetterberg, whose two-way play earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

AP - Oil up the Winged Wheel, it's time for another victory parade. Hockeytown is home to the Stanley Cup — again.

AFP - Roger Federer will have an unexpected foe in the French Open semi-finals on Friday in the shape of unseeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.

AP - The Detroit Red Wings are playing a game they didn't want to play, in a city where they don't want to be, against a growing-confident Pittsburgh Penguins team they were certain would be long gone by now.

AFP - Injury-prone Dutch attacking midfielder Robin van Persie said on Wednesday he was ready to take his place against world champions Italy in their Euro 2008 opener on June 9 - should coach Marco van Basten feel he was match fit.

AP - Joba Chamberlain struggled with his control, walked off the mound in the third inning and threw his glove in the dugout. His first major league start was a memorable one, all right. Just not for the reasons he'd hoped. Chamberlain lasted 2 1-3 innings and Roy Halladay held the New York Yankees in check despite some control problems of his own, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night.

AP - Chicago was among four cities picked as finalists Wednesday for the 2016 Summer Olympics, setting the stage for a high-profile bidding contest between candidates from the United States, Europe and Asia.

AP - Roger Federer lost three of his first four service games Wednesday, causing a stir among French Open fans but only briefly delaying his progress to the semifinals.

AP - Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz will have season-ending shoulder surgery, but he hopes to return in 2009.

AFP - It's Serb against Serb in the women's semi-finals at the French Open on Thursday, the first time that has happened, for either of the sexes, in Grand Slam history.