Thursday's Sports In Brief
TENNIS=
NEW YORK (AP) Roger Federer needed only 1 hour, 41 minutes, dismissing 104th-ranked Andreas Beck of Germany 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 with the help of 15 aces, to ease into the third round of the U.S. Open.
Kei Nishikori, the 147th-ranked qualifier from Japan, who fought cramps in his racket-holding right hand and elsewhere while taking a minute shy of five hours to wrap up a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over 11th-seeded Marin Cilic.
Beatrice Capra, an 18-year-old from Ellicott City, Md., made like 2009 U.S. Open darling Melanie Oudin and ousted No. 18-seeded Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Peng Shuai, and No. 22 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez lost to Patty Schnyder. Seeded winners included 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2008 runner-up Jelena Jankovic and 2010 Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki blanked 84th-ranked Chang Kai-chen 6-0, 6-0.
Three-time major champion Maria Sharapova, awaits Capra in the third round. Sharapova beat 68th-ranked Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2.
Sharapova was followed into Arthur Ashe Stadium by 2008 Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic, who beat 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6) 52nd-ranked Philipp Petzschner of Germany.
Among those winning in the afternoon were Richard Gasquet, who eliminated No. 6-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; and Robin Soderling, a two-time French Open runner-up who beat American Taylor Dent 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
Americans Mardy Fish and James Blake won, as did No. 13 Jurgen Melzer, No. 21 Albert Montanes, and No. 22 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Blake, a wild-card entry, will take on No. 3 Djokovic in the third round.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL=
UNDATED (AP) - North Carolina receiver Greg Little won't travel to Atlanta for the 18th-ranked Tar Heels' opener against No. 21 LSU due to the ongoing NCAA investigation at the school, a person with knowledge of the decision said Thursday night.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA probe at the school is confidential.
Little, a senior, was one of six players to decide in January that he would return to Chapel Hill instead of entering the NFL draft. He is North Carolina's top receiver, dealing a significant blow to an offense that was already considered a question mark compared to a defense loaded with NFL prospects.
The NCAA has twice visited campus looking into whether Little and senior defensive tackle Marvin Austin - projected as a possible first-round pick - received improper benefits from agents. Both players worked with the second team for much of training camp.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus has been declared ineligible for two games for accepting nearly $2,000 in improper benefits during two trips to Miami.
An NCAA ruling also ordered Dareus, defensive MVP of the national championship game, to pay $1,787 dollars to a charity of his choice before regaining eligibility. The top-ranked Crimson Tide opens Saturday night against San Jose State and then hosts No. 19 Penn State. Alabama will already be without Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram (knee injury) for at least the opener.
Dareus was ruled ineligible for receiving preferential treatment and agent benefits, including airfare, lodging, meals and transportation during the Miami trips.
Coach Nick Saban said on his radio show in Tuscaloosa that Alabama will appeal the NCAA's penalty and try to get the penalty cut to one game.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Kirk Ferentz has agreed to a five-year contract extension through 2020, possibly keeping him in charge of the Hawkeyes for the rest of his career.
The new deal was announced and bumps Ferentz's salary from roughly $3 million per season to nearly $3.7 million starting immediately.
Iowa spokesman Steve Roe said that the deal should be signed Friday, and it would make Ferentz the highest paid coach in the Big Ten.
PRO FOOTBALL=
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Ben Roethlisberger's first big gain of the season may occur weeks before he returns to the field.
His six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy likely will be shortened to four games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after the two meet in New York on Friday. The meeting will take place about 12 hours after the quarterback played two series in the Steelers' final preseason game, completing 4 of 6 passes for 39 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Pittsburgh.
The league plans to review Roethlisberger's behavior since he was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL=
SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was selected the WNBA's most valuable player for the third time in her career.
Jackson was honored before Game 1 of Seattle's best-of-3 Western Conference final against defending champion Phoenix. Also, the Storm's Brian Agler was the league's coach of the year. Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward from Australia, averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while helping the Storm to a 28-6 record - tying the league mark for the most wins in a season.
Jackson joins Sheryl Swoopes (2000, '02, '05) and Lisa Leslie (2001, '04, '06) as only three-times selections.
TRACK AND FIELD=
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has suspended retired distance runner Chris Lukezic for two years for refusing to take an out-of-competition doping test. Lukezic's ban started Tuesday. He declined to take the test on April 20, so his results since that date also were thrown out.
