In Brief

HOCKEY

Penguins expecting to lose
Malkin for rest of season

The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't planning to have Evgeni Malkin back this season.

Coach Dan Bylsma nodded his head yes Sunday when asked if he was preparing as if the injured All-Star center won't return until the fall.

Malkin tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his right knee when he collided with defenseman Tyler Myers in the second period of Friday night's win over Buffalo. It was Malkin's first game back after sitting out five games with a knee problem and a sinus infection.

Bylsma, talking before the Penguins' 3-0 loss at Washington, said it hasn't been determined whether Malkin will have an operation or will try to rehabilitate the knee without surgery. Surgery would definitely rule Malkin out for the season.

The Penguins are already missing major star power at the center position. Sidney Crosby is out with a concussion, his return date uncertain. Mark Letestu is out four to six weeks with a knee injury.

Also: Peter Forsberg is returning to the NHL, as the former league Most Valuable Player signed a $1 million prorated contract for the remainder of the season with the Colorado Avalanche.

He joined the team on its charter to Phoenix after practicing at the team facility and meeting with general manager Greg Sherman to sign the deal.

"Peter believes he can compete at the NHL level based on how his workouts went," Sherman said. "He will provide additional leadership to our club, and he will have an impact with this young team."

Forsberg said he made the decision to return following a three-year hiatus due to a chronically injured right foot. He said he doesn't think he can play tonight against the Coyotes.

TENNIS

Clijsters rallies to lift Belgium
over United States in Fed Cup

Australian Open winner Kim Clijsters came from behind to beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-7 (10), 6-2, 6-1 and lead Belgium to a 4-1 win over the United States in a Fed Cup quarterfinal match in Antwerp, Belgium.

After Clijsters gave Belgium an insurmountable 3-0 advantage, Yanina Wickmayer defeated Melanie Oudin 6-2, 6-0 for a 4-0 lead. The U.S. team secured its only point when Liezel Huber and Vania King beat Kirsten Flipkens and An-Sophie Mestach 6-3, 7-5 in doubles.

It is the first time in Fed Cup competition that the Americans have lost two matches in a row, after being beaten by Italy in last year's final. Belgium will host the Czech Republic on April 16-17 in the semifinals.

The Czech Republic reached its third consecutive semifinal by beating Slovakia, 3-2. In the other quarterfinals, Russia beat France 3-2, and Italy earned a 4-1 win over Australia.

Also: The UNLV men's tennis team lost to Cal Poly 5-2 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Rebels (5-3) lost all three doubles matches to drop the first point, then won just two of six singles matches, with Tamas Batyi (No. 3) and Kasper Konyves (No. 6) netting victories.

MISCELLANEOUS

Gelding Gladding claims
win in San Antonio Stakes

Four-year-old gelding Gladding won the $150,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., completing a huge weekend for trainer John Sadler, who took home three major stakes.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Gladding went straight to the front of the field of six and never yielded, beating Spurrier and Joel Rosario by a length and covering 1 1/8 miles on dirt in 1 minute, 48 seconds

The favorite, Aggie Engineer, was coming off a three-race winning streak but finished a well-beaten third.

Gladding paid $5.20, $3.40 and $2.40. Spurrier returned $4.20 and $2.20. Aggie Engineer paid $2.10 to show.

On Saturday, Sadler's 3-year-old filly Zasu won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes, and his star 4-year-old horse Twirling Candy, who Sadler called "the best horse in the country," easily won the Strub Stakes and earned a spot as the likely favorite in the March 5 Santa Anita Handicap.

Also: Robert Kubica will need up to a year to regain full use of his right hand, according to the surgeon who operated on the Formula One driver after his rally car accident in Italy.

The 26-year-old Kubica spent seven hours in surgery after suffering serious injuries in a high-speed crash Sunday while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally.

Kubica's Lotus Renault team said doctors were "reasonably satisfied" with how the operation went, and the driver was in serious but stable condition in an induced coma at a hospital in Pietra Ligure. He was expected to be brought out of the coma today.