In Brief

GOLF

Mika Miyazato leads by shot
at stormy U.S. Women's Open

Mika and Ai Miyazato finished 1-2 after the second round of the U.S. Women's Open on Saturday before play was suspended because of thunderstorms in the Colorado Springs, Colo., area.

Mika Miyazato shot 4-under-par 67 to take the lead at 5-under 137 -- one shot ahead of Ai Miyazato, who shot 68.

The 72-player field waited for more than two hours before being sent home.

The Miyazatos, who are from Okinawa, Japan, but not related, will play together when the third round begins early today. The USGA still hopes to finish today despite another weather interruption.

Each day, lightning in the area has stopped play.

On Thursday, the championship was suspended after dark clouds started collecting over the mountains around the Broadmoor. On Friday, play was delayed for more than an hour.

Also: Steve Stricker assumed a familiar spot atop the leaderboard at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., shooting an 8-under-par 63 to lead by two strokes after three rounds.

Stricker knocked in a 75-foot birdie putt on the first hole and went on to post his best round of the year while closing in on his third straight victory in the tournament.

He's at 20-under 193 after a par save on 18, where he twice hit into bunkers before drilling a 15-foot putt.

Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge is alone in second at 195 after matching Stricker's 63.

Second-round leader Chez Reavie, who started the day two strokes ahead of Stricker, shot 68 and was 17 under, one ahead of Kyle Stanley (65).

Jay Haas shot a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead over three other players after two rounds of the First Tee Open in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Haas, who owns 14 Champions Tour titles but is winless since 2009, had seven birdies, including three of the four par-5s, and played bogey-free to get to 11-under 133.

Mark Brooks (64), Bobby Clampett (66) and Brad Bryant (68) are at 135. First-round leader Russ Cochran (71) is among five players tied at 136.

Defending tournament champion Ted Schulz had a 67 and is tied for 17th at 140.

The Scottish Open was reduced to a three-round event after torrential rain overnight and throughout the day flooded the Castle Stuart links course at Inverness, wiping out the entire third day's play.

Organizers worked to restore the course to playable conditions after heavy downpours in the Highlands, and the unfinished second-round groupings -- which amounted to half the field -- took their positions on the course late in the day.

As players were about to restart their rounds more than 24 hours after their last shot, officials decided conditions were still too poor to resume.

With no shot being hit, the leaderboard was unchanged, leaving 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell in a three-way share of the lead at 11 under with Scottish pair Peter Whiteford and Scott Jamieson.

HORSE RACING

No way, dude! First Dude nips
Game On Dude in Gold Cup

First Dude held off Game On Dude by a nose to win the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup in Inglewood, Calif., giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish.

With the victory, First Dude earned an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Churchill Downs.

First Dude ran 1¼ miles under Martin Garcia in 2:01.57 and paid $10.20, $4.80 and $3.20.

Ridden by Chantal Sutherland, Game On Dude returned $5.60 and $3.60, while even-money favorite Twirling Candy was another neck back in third and paid $2.40 to show. Sutherland was the first woman to have a mount in the race's 72-year history.

It was the trainer's second career win in the Gold Cup. He trained 2003 winner Congaree.

Earlier, Dreamy Kid upset 1-2 favorite Coil to win the $150,000 Swaps Stakes, denying Baffert a record fifth victory in the race for 3-year-olds.

Joe Talamo and Dreamy Kid ran down Coil in the final strides to spring the upset at 19-1 odds. Dreamy Kid covered 1 1/18 miles in 1:50.43 and paid $40, $8 and $4.40. Coil returned $2.60 and $2.10, and Uncle Sam paid $3 to show.

Also: Irish-bred Cape Blanco denied Gio Ponti a threepeat in the Man o' War Stakes, winning the $600,000 race by 2¼ lengths on the turf at Belmont Park in New York.

Cape Blanco ran the 1 3/8 miles in 2:14.06 over the course rated good, earning $8.10, $4.10 and $2.80. Gio Ponti, the even-money favorite, returned $2.60 and $2.10, and Boisterous paid $2.90.

Favored Sassy Image rallied from 18 lengths back to beat Musical Romance by a neck in the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder Race Course in Miami.

Sassy Image, ridden by Mike Smith, ran the six furlongs in 1:11.60 and paid $5.20, $3.20 and $2.80. Musical Romance earned $5.60 and $3.60. Indulgence returned $5.00 to show after finishing another length back in the field of 10 fillies and mares.

Sassy Image, the 4-year-old daughter of Broken Vow, appeared to have no shot after dropping to last soon after the break.

TENNIS

Bryan brothers' victory keeps
U.S. alive in Davis Cup quarters

Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan earned the United States its first point of a Davis Cup quarterfinal against Spain in Austin, Texas, keeping the Americans alive with a 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Marcel Granollers and Fernando Verdasco in doubles.

Granollers and Verdasco were playing their first doubles match together. Granollers was a substitute for Feliciano Lopez, who won a four-hour singles match over Mardy Fish on Friday.

Spain leads the Americans 2-1 heading into today's singles matches pitting David Ferrer against Fish and Lopez against Andy Roddick.

The U.S. is 1-36 in Davis Cup history when falling behind 0-2. The only time the U.S. rallied to win was 1934 against Australia in London.

Also: Slovenia's Polona Hercog beat Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-4, 7-5 to win the Swedish Open in Bastad and claim her first singles title.

MISCELLANEOUS

Yao's American agent won't
confirm NBA center is retiring

Yao Ming's American agent would not confirm reports that the All-Star center is retiring from basketball. But Yao has scheduled a July 20 news conference in Shanghai to reveal his plans.

John Huizinga, Yao's agent, said he was "not in a position to confirm" multiple reports that Yao had informed the NBA he planned to retire.

The 7-foot-6-inch Yao has been plagued by leg and foot injuries late in his career and missed a total of 250 regular-season games in the past six seasons. He played in five games last season before sustaining a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Also: Funeral services for UNLV basketball All-American Armon Gilliam will be Wednesday at South Hills Assembly Church in Bethel Park, Pa.

Gilliam, who played for the Rebels from 1984 to 1987 and helped lead UNLV to the 1987 Final Four, died Tuesday from an apparent heart attack while playing in a pickup basketball game outside of Pittsburgh. He was 47.

Following his senior season at UNLV, Gilliam was selected No. 2 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1987 NBA Draft. He played 13 seasons for six NBA teams.

Teresa Edwards will take over as interim head coach for the WNBA's Tulsa Shock following the resignation of Nolan Richardson, the organization announced.

Richardson, the former longtime coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks' men's team, leaves after guiding the Shock to a 7-38 record.

Brandon Rios stopped Urbano Antillon with 11 seconds left in the third round of an action-packed fight in Carson, Calif., retaining his WBA lightweight title in dramatic fashion.

After two rounds of toe-to-toe slugging, Rios (28-0-1, 20 knockouts) knocked down Antillon twice in the third round. Rios landed a left hook for the first knockdown, and an overhand right hand moments later sent Antillon face-first into the canvas.

Antillon got back up, but referee David Mendoza stopped the bout when Antillon (28-3) staggered toward his corner moments later.

WBA featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico recorded his ninth straight knockout victory, stopping countryman Tomas Villa with a vicious combination in the fourth round of their title fight in Atlantic City.

Gonzalez (49-7, 43 KOs) hit Villa (23-8-4) with a left hook to the body, followed by a right to the head, and referee Eddie Cotton waved off the fight at 49 seconds of the round.

Lucian Bute of Canada retained his IBF super middleweight title by knocking out Jean-Paul Mendy of France in the fourth round in Bucharest, Romania.

Bute's left jab sent Mendy flying face down to the canvas, where the Frenchman was counted out by referee Marlon Wright at 2:48 in the fourth.

Bute (29-0) dominated the fight between the southpaws, handing Mendy (29-1-1) his first loss.

Italian soccer star Fabio Cannavaro announced his retirement five years to the day after captaining his country to the 2006 World Cup title.

The 38-year-old Cannavaro said medical checkups in Italy in June and this month revealed his right knee would not hold up for the second and last year of his contract with Dubai club Al Alhi.

Justin Gatlin edged Dwain Chambers to win the 100 meters at a meet in Madrid, notching a confidence-boosting victory ahead of the world championships.

The former Olympic champion finished in 10.10 seconds running into a headwind to beat Chambers of Britain and fellow American Travis Padgett.