The biggest losers at the Rome Masters yesterday were the fans.
One after the other, Andy Roddick and Radek Stepanek quit shortly after their semifinal matches began.
Roddick pulled out with a back problem after falling behind 3-0 in the first set against Stanislas Wawrinka. Stepanek stopped while trailing Novak Djokovic 6-0, 1-0 after appearing to be affected by the heat.
Total elapsed time for the two matches: a wimpy 49 minutes.
“You don't want to have these kind of situations at big events,” said Djokovic, who joined the chorus of players complaining that the schedule is too tough.
“The players are not getting injured for nothing, you know. There is a big reason why they're having these difficulties. I understand that because I was in that situation many times.”
At the Monte Carlo Masters last month, Djokovic pulled out of his semifinal match against top-ranked Roger Federer with a sore throat.
Stepanek called for a trainer after the first set and had ice applied to his neck. He retired after one game in the second.
Roddick pulled up awkwardly after Wawrinka hit a forehand winner in the third game, then asked for a trainer on the changeover. He came back out and double-faulted, then quit.
“I felt a little something last night in my back when I was getting treatment. Then, one wrong movement and I had a complete spasm,” Roddick said. “I can't really move my left arm right now. You can't really play around that.”
Fans started whistling and booing after the day's second retirement, and an announcement was made that those in attendance would get 50 percent off tickets for next week's women's tournament.
MORE TENNIS
Elena Dementieva beat second-ranked Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 7-5 to reach the final of the upset-filled German Open in Berlin. In today's final, the ninth-ranked Dementieva will face 17th-ranked fellow Russian Dinara Safina, who beat 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-1.
NFL
Receiver Mario Manningham and quarterback Andre' Woodson were sidelined by injuries during the New York Giants' minicamp for rookies and free agents. A third-round draft pick from Michigan, Manningham suffered a left hip flexor running a pull-up pattern early in the morning workout in East Rutherford, N.J. Woodson pulled his left quadriceps a short time later. The injury happened as the sixth-round draft pick from Kentucky was scrambling to his left during an 11-on-11 drill.
CRIME AND COURTS
The man accused of kidnapping the mother of Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie was acquitted by a jury late Friday night. Willie Colson was found not guilty of kidnapping with a firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm by a jury in Tallahassee, Fla. Cassandra Gardner, who had been separated from Colson after a short marriage, accused Colson of kidnapping her on Nov. 2.
HOCKEY
Eric Staal scored four goals to help Canada rout Germany 10-1 for its fifth straight win at the hockey world championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canada will face Finland tomorrow with the top seed in the single-elimination quarterfinals at stake. Martin St. Louis had five assists, and Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Patrick Sharp, Derek Roy and Mike Green scored the rest of the goals.
In Quebec City, Alexander Ovechkin scored with six seconds left in the third period to lead Russia to a 3-2 comeback win over Sweden.
Russia trailed 2-1 going into the third period, but Sergei Fedorov scored at 4:57 to tie the game.
With overtime looming, Alexander Semin fed Ovechkin on a break for a shot that goalie Henrik Lundqvist got a piece of, but the puck jumped into the air and landed behind him in the net.
Mattias Weinhandl and Tony Martensson scored for Sweden, while Semin got one in the second period for Russia, which stayed atop its group.
Earlier, the Czech Republic beat Belarus 3-2 in a shootout.
CREW
Purdue won the men's varsity heavyweight eight and claimed the overall point trophy at the 70th Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Purdue won its second straight Richard O'Brien Trophy by defending its title in the varsity heavyweight eight in 5 minutes, 47.40 seconds. Colgate was second in 5:49.34, and hometown favorite Temple third in 5:52.29.
In the women's competition, UC Davis captured the varsity heavyweight eight in 6:34.01, ahead of Sacramento (6:35.76), Purdue (6:36.89), Buffalo (6:42.12), with USD fifth at 6:43.10, well ahead of Saint Joseph's (6:45.44).
SOFTBALL
Monica Abbott struck out five of the six batters she faced and the U.S. softball team beat NPF's Washington Glory 2-0 in front of 8,724 fans in Bowie, Md., the largest crowd to see an American pre-Olympic tour game.
WOMEN'S WATER POLO
Tanya Gandy scored three goals in the first four minutes of the third period to help top-ranked UCLA beat UC Davis 11-4 and advance to the NCAA championship match against USC. The Trojans advanced to today's title game with a 10-6 victory over host Stanford as Michelle Stein scored three straight goals to open the fourth period.
San Diego State beat Pomona-Pitzer 11-4 in a consolation match.
SOCCER
Dwayne De Rosario converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute to lead the Houston Dynamo to its first win of the MLS season, 2-1 over the visiting Colorado Rapids.
Kyle Beckerman scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute and Real Salt Lake stayed unbeaten at home with a 2-1 win over FC Dallas.
Natasha Kai scored her first career hat trick and led the U.S. women's team to a 6-0 win against Canada in a friendly at RFK Stadium.
