Associated Press PARIS Andre Agassi lost the first two sets and trailed in the third, rallied to take the lead, blew one chance to close out the match and finally beat 19-year-old Mario Ancic at the French Open. Twice down a service break in the third set, Agassi finally found his groove and won 5-7, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. It was this close: 148 points for Agassi, 147 for Ancic. The second-round marathon lasted 3 hours, 13 minutes. It was the fifth time Agassi has won after losing the first two sets. He did it to beat Andrei Medvedev in the 1999 French Open final, and again at Roland Garros in the fourth round last year to overtake wild-card entry Paul-Henri Mathieu. WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. The United States will play its Fed Cup quarterfinal against Italy at Washington, D.C., on July 19-20. BASKETBALL Cavs close to naming coach CLEVELAND The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly narrowed their list of candidates for the vacant head coach position down to two: Jeff Van Gundy and Paul Silas. Sources say the Cavs will interview Silas for a second time today, and could be ready to make a choice by this weekend. PORTLAND, Ore. The Trail Blazers turned down the Philadelphia 76ers request to speak to Portland coach Maurice Cheeks as a possible replacement for Larry Brown. Blazers spokesman Mike Hanson said Philadelphia management had asked to speak with Cheeks, but the request was denied. FAIRBORN Wright State announced Wednesday that Kyle Getter, a former graduate manager at the University of Dayton, has been named director of basketball operations. BASEBALL Zimmer shoots back at Steinbrenner NEW YORK Don Zimmer lashed out at New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for saying it was up to Joe Torre to fix the struggling team. I got fed up reading all the things about our manager who has won four World Series in seven years, Zimmer said Wednesday. Thats a joke. Then again, hes the Boss. Steinbrenner told newspapers earlier this week that he had given Torre everything he had asked for, so it was the managers responsibility to make sure the team started playing better. MILWAUKEE For $36, the Milwaukee Brewers will guarantee fans leave Miller Park with either a foul ball or a ball used during a game. The tickets, in the outfield boxes at field level, come with a voucher that can be redeemed for a game-used baseball. The promotion begins with the Brewers next home game, on June 6 against the Boston Red Sox. ATLANTA A federal appeals court upheld a ruling barring the Florida attorney general from investigating baseball owners attempt to eliminate two teams. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion released Tuesday, affirmed the decision made in December 2001 by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle, who said the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court decision exempting baseball from federal antitrust laws extended to state laws as well. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Fan sues former Miami coach HUNTINGTON, W.Va. A man has filed a lawsuit against Miami University of Ohio and a former assistant football coach accused of knocking the man to the ground during a post-game celebration. Robert Flaugher, 36, of Pickerington, Ohio, filed the lawsuit against Miami and Jon Wauford in Cabell County Circuit Court. Wauford, a former defensive coordinator, has pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an incident during Marshalls last-second 36-34 win over Miami on Nov. 12. Waufords attorney has requested a change of venue for his trial. HOCKEY A content Roy retires DENVER Colorados Patrick Roy retired as one of the NHLs greatest goaltenders, saying he did everything he could to be the best. The 37-year-old Roy owns nearly every major goaltending record. He is a four-time Stanley Cup champion, winning two each with Colorado and Montreal. He is the only three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoff MVP, and is the NHLs career leader in victories with 551 and games played with 1,029. He said playing with consistency always has been important to him, and he wanted to leave when he felt ready. BUFFALO, N.Y. The Buffalo Sabres rehired coach Lindy Ruff and retained general manager Darcy Regier. The decision, announced by new managing partner Larry Quinn, marks the first significant move since Rochester billionaire B. Thomas Golisano purchased the team last month.
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