IN BRIEF

BOXING

Ex-champ Margarito to return
from suspension in May fight

Disgraced former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito plans to return to the ring in May, more than a year after he was suspended for illegal handwraps discovered before a bout against Sugar Shane Mosley.

Margarito will fight Roberto Garcia on May 8, the Cinco de Mayo weekend, in a 10-round junior middleweight bout in Aguascalientes, Mexico, promoter Bob Arum told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The fight will headline a previously planned card that includes WBA interim super featherweight champion Jorge Solis defending against Mario Santiago.

"We felt it was time he got back in action," Arum said. "He has to make a living."

Margarito was preparing to fight Mosley on Jan. 24, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles when Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, noticed a plaster-like substance in his wraps. A hard substance such as plaster can give a fighter heavier hands and more punching power.

Margarito's hands were rewrapped, and he wound up getting stopped in the ninth round by Mosley in what was considered a mild upset. After a hearing before the California Athletic Commission, Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo were each suspended for at least one year, a decision that has been upheld by other state athletic commissions.

TENNIS

Henin coasts in Sony opener;
Blake struggles with newcomer

Justine Henin advanced to the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open by beating Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-2 in Key Biscayne, Fla.

The 33rd-ranked Henin, a former No. 1 and a seven-time Grand Slam champion, is mounting a comeback this year after a 20-month retirement. She'll play fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the second round Friday.

On the men's side, American James Blake struggled to oust 18-year-old Serbian wild-card recipient Filip Krajinovic in a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4 first-round win. Fourth-seeded Rafael Nadal, who has a bye and won't play until Friday, said a toothache sent him to a dentist and kept him from practicing.

Also: The UNLV women's tennis team beat San Diego State 4-3 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.

The Rebels (12-2), who gained their ninth straight win, took two of three doubles matches for the first point, then added singles wins from Nives Pavlovic (No. 3), Adrienn Hidvegi (No. 4) and Rumyana Terzieva (No. 6).

MISCELLANEOUS

NCAA swim championships
delayed by virus outbreak

The NCAA delayed the start of the NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships at Ohio State after 18 athletes and one coach from three schools became sick with a gastrointestinal illness.

An Ohio State spokesman said in an e-mail sent Wednesday night that the meet's start would be pushed back 24 hours until noon Friday. It will now end on Sunday instead of Saturday. Team coaches were notified of the NCAA's decision at a meeting Wednesday night.

Dr. Chris Kaeding, Ohio State's head team physician, said that it was a viral infection resulting in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea -- but no fever -- that had affected the 19 people. The NCAA would not release the names of the schools or athletes involved.

Five UNLV swimmers are competing in the meet.

Also: All that stands between the NHL and a rule banning blindside hits to the head is final approval from the players' association.

The union's representatives on the competition committee signed off on the new rule. The executive board will soon vote on the proposed edict to eliminate dangerous hits against unsuspecting skaters. If the ban passes, the NHL will be allowed to issue supplemental discipline to violators as early as today.

The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the proposed penalty Tuesday. The league's general managers first proposed the rule earlier this month.

Olympic silver medalists Pang Qing and Tong Jian won their second pairs title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Turin, Italy.

The Chinese pair finished with 211.39 points, more than six points ahead of two-time defending world champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany.

In men's singles, Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi took the lead after the short program. Canada's Patrick Chan was second, followed by France's Brian Joubert.

Olympic champion Evan Lysacek isn't competing, and neither is silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko of Russia.