IN BRIEF

TENNIS

95th-ranked player sends Serena packing

Top-ranked Serena Williams was upset by 95th-ranked Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 Wednesday in the first round of the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain.

Zakopalova converted seven break points to beat Williams.

Williams won less than half of her service points to lose her second straight match.

Also: Top-seeded Nadia Petrova beat 14-year-old American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of The MPS Group Championships in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

MOTOR SPORTS

Lack of funding dooms Almirola's No. 8 car

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing has shuttered the No. 8 car driven by Aric Almirola because of a lack of funding.

Almirola and the car started this season without full sponsorship, and team owner Chip Ganassi had not ruled out closing the team. The No. 8 was the centerpiece at Dale Earnhardt Inc. before the team merged with Ganassi in November.

Also: AJ Allmendinger picked up a sponsor that will keep his Richard Petty Motorsports entry running at least until September.

Hunt Brothers Pizza will sponsor six races and the All-Star event, ensuring the No. 44 will stay on the track at least through the Sept. 12 race in Richmond, Va.

Michael Waltrip Racing has signed Ryan Truex, the 17-year-old brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup regular Martin Truex Jr., as a development driver.

MISCELLANEOUS

Maryland takes steps to keep Preakness

Gov. Martin O'Malley introduced legislation aimed at strengthening the state's hand in keeping the Preakness Stakes horse race in Maryland.

The future location of the Preakness has been thrown into question because of federal bankruptcy filings by the race's current owner, Magna Entertainment Corp., of Canada.

O'Malley and other state officials pointed to the bitter memory of losing the Baltimore Colts football team 25 years ago as an example of why the state must do all it can to protect the storied horse race. More than 112,000 people attended the Preakness last year.

Also: Amir Khan will make his first world title challenge when he moves up to light welterweight to face WBA champion Andreas Kotelnik on June 27. The venue is still to be decided.

Puerto Rican police said they are investigating an alleged fight between WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and his trainer after the two exchanged blows Wednesday after a heated argument about training at a gym in the champ's hometown of Caguas.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall was arrested in southwest Ohio and charged with drunken driving, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Michigan freshman receiver Darryl Stonum has been sentenced to a year's probation for driving while impaired.

A woman pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting the pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bears All-Pro safety Shaun Gayle.

Marni Yang, 41, of Chicago, is charged with nine counts of first-degree murder and three counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child in the shooting death of Rhoni Reuter, who was seven months pregnant.

Australian cycling mourned Jobie Dajka, a former world champion who starred at the 2002 Commonwealth Games but was shadowed by "some pretty dark times."

South Australia state police confirmed that the body of a 27-year-old man was found Tuesday inside a house Dajka had been renting. Police did not release a cause of death.

The U.S. bid committee hoping to stage the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 sent initial letters to public officials and stadium operators of 70 potential sites in 50 markets for soccer's showcase tournament.

Sixty-five stadiums have a capacity above 60,000, including 20 above 80,000. Among the stadiums listed were Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, University of Michigan Stadium and the Yale Bowl.