The Capital Times from Madison, Wisconsin • 29

Golf. 2D Auto racing. 5D College World Series. 7D 0 1 I am Sports editor: Adam Mertz 252-6474 The Capital Times Monday, June 23, 2003 E-mail: tctsportmadison.com Suters next step pure speculation Mike Lucas Gary Suter was feeling nervous anticipation, uncomfortable anxiety. By his own admission, he was on pins and needles in front of his television Saturday awaiting the start of the National Hockey Leagues entry draft from Nashville.

And this was out of character because Suter, the player, was unflappable rushing the puck during a 1 7-year NHL career, spanning three decades and well over 1,000 games with Calgary, Chicago and San Jose. Gary Suter, the uncle, was a basket case, though. Along with everyone else, he was speculating on where his nephew, Ryan Suter, might be drafted in the first round. I thought the Sharks were going to take him, Gary Suter said of the No. 6 pick which San Jose used on a winger from the Czech Republic.

The Nashville Predators were now on the clock and Gary Suter had a flashback. Bob played his professional hockey in Nashville, he said, rewinding the tape to 1981 when Ryan's dad, Bobby Suter, fresh from the Olympics in Lake Placid, played for the Nashville South Stars of the Central Hockey League. (Gary didnt bring it up, but his older brother, Bobby, collected 160 penalty minutes that season.) Now Ryan is drafted by Nashville, too," icon. Ryan is way ahead of where I was as an 18-year-old, Gary Suter admitted. I was an afterthought at the draft and Ryan was front and center.

Hes a lot more physically mature than I was at that point. As a young guy, hes really mature mentally, too. He seems to be pretty well-rounded. Ryan Suter, a rugged 6-foot-l, 183-pound defenseman, has signed a tender to play next season at Wisconsin, following a family tradi-. tion.

His dad (Bobby) and two uncles (John and Gary) skated for the Badgers. What are the chances that Ryan Suter might turn pro immediately and sign with the Nashville Pred-; ators? Good guess. To be honest, up until recently, we were 100 percent set for Ryan going to college, Bob Suter told the Nashville Tennessean. But the closer we got to the draft, and you hear all the rumors Id say his options are wide open. Well look into whatevers best.

If they think he can come here and physically play in; the NHL, maybe thats the right thing. If its situation where hed be going back to the mi-; nors, hed probably be better off spending the next year or two at Wisconsin getting bigger, stronger and more mature. See SUTER, Page 4D Gary Suter was contemplating moments after the Predators selected Ryan Suter with the No. 7 pick overall in the first round, triggering a standing ovation Saturday from more than 13,000 spectators at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. Shortly thereafter, Gary Suter was on the phone with Ryan.

This is the beginning, he told him. Its the high point of your career right now. But if you work hard in the future there are going to be a lot bigger days than today. Gary Suter chuckled at another recollection. In 1984, he was drafted in the ninth round the 180th player overall by the Calgaiy Flames due in large part to his relationship with Badger Bob, Bob Johnson, the former University of Wisconsin coaching ASSOCIATED PRESS Madison native Ryan Suter, who has committed to play hockey at the University of Wisconsin, was taken No.

7 overall by Nashville In the NHL Draft on Shining in the sun Upset by 6-10 Croat Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt became the first defending mens champion at Wimbledon since 1967 to lose in the opening round, beaten by the tallest player in tournament history 6-foot-l 0 qualifier Ivo Karlovic. Karlovic, a 24-year-old Croat playing his first Grand Slam match, won 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 today. Since the first Wimbledon in 1877, the only other defending mens champion to lose in the opening round was Manuel Santana, who fell to Charlie Pasarell 36 years ago. That was one year before the Open era began. Santana also is the only previous top-seeded man to lose in the opening round.

Its tough, said Andy Roddick, whose path to the semifinals became easier with Hewitts loss. The guy looked like he was serving out of a tree against Lleyton. Karlovic, playing just his seventh tour-level match, achieved the upset on the sports grandest stage. In keeping with tradition, the defending champion played the first match of the tournament on Centre Court, so thats where Karlovic made his Wimbledon debut. The Croat looked nervous at the start but poised at the finish.

He served out the final game at love, hitting a 119 mph second serve for a winner on match point. He raised his long arms and threw a fist, and that was the extent of his celebration. Hewitts loss was in sharp contrast to his girlfriends first-round result. French Open runner-up Kim Clysters beat Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios 6-0, 6-0 in 31 minutes. Other winners in womens play included 2000 and 2001 champion Venus Williams and 1999 champ Lindsay Davenport.

Williams, seeded fourth, beat Stanislava Hro-zenska 6-2, 6-2 in 50 minutes. Davenport, seeded fifth, defeated Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7-3), 7-5. American Samantha Reeves, formerly of Monona, eliminated No. 25 Anna Pistolesi 6-4, 6-4. Roddick, seeded fifth, hit 14 aces and 21 service winners to beat Davide Sanguinetti 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

No. 9 Rainer Schuettler, No. 12 Paradom Srichaphan and No. 16 Mikhail Youzhny also advanced. Among those eliminated were No.

31 Vince Spadea and No. 33 Nikolay Davydenko. On a sunny, mild afternoon, Hewitt and Karlovic walked onto the immaculate Centre Court lawn side by side but hardly shoulder to shoulder, since the Croat is 11 inches taller. There were no bows to the Royal Box, a tradition eliminated this year. The match went as expected at the outset.

A shaky Karlovic double-faulted twice to lose the first game, then double-faulted twice more in his next service game to fall behind 3-0. He dropped the first set in 19 minutes. At first I was scared," Karlovic said. Then I start to play better. The momentum turned when Karlovic hit two big serves and a forehand winner to take the final three points of the second-set tiebreaker.

When he reached break point for the first time, Hewitt double-faulted to fall See HEWITT, Page 8D Cross Plains Todd Cushman battles the sun while leaning back to make the catch Sunday during a Home Talent League Northern Section game. Pine Bluff won the game 5-4 to hand Cross Plains its first defeat of the season. Summary and HTL roundup, 7D. Sweep dreams? Brewers wake up Helms before stranding runners on first and second. With a big guy like Sexson, you dont want it hit back up the middle, Rogers said.

Ill be fine, bit I either have to move a lot quicker or make a better pitch. Milwaukee starter Matt Kinney (5-6) allowed six runs and seven hits in 6 xh innings in his first start against his former team. Koskies 11th homer gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead in the first. Jenkins had a run-scoring single in the first and led off the fourth with his 16th homer. of the series and went 2-5 on a seven-game road trip, got home runs from Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, Denny Hocking and Justin Momeau.

Rogers (6-3), who allowed a season-high seven runs in a 14-7 loss at Kansas City on Tuesday, took a sharp one-hopper off his ankle in the bottom of the sixth. Without taking any warm-up pitches, Rogers left with a bruise and is day-to-day. He allowed seven hits and three runs in five-plus innings for his second win since May 4. With Minnesota leading 5-2, Geoff Jenkins led off the sixth with a double and took third on Richie Sexsons grounder that hit Rogers. Johan Santana allowed a sacrifice fly to Wes Associated Press MILWAUKEE Kenny Rogers helped the Twins avoid a sweep.

He just couldnt get out of the way of the ball. Rogers won for just the second time in seven weeks despite leav- TWINS8 jng after he was hit on RRFWFRC left ankle by a Dncviiciu 3 grounder in Minnesotas 8-3 victory Sunday over Milwaukee. It turns out to be a good win for us, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. At least to end up the road trip where we kind of scuffled. Minnesota, which lost the first two games Brewers notes: Koib impresses.

7D Hamm defends title in his backyard GYMNASTICS and Alexander Artemev. Guard Young was designated the second alternate. The worlds are Aug. 16-24 in Anaheim, and the roster will be determined next month. Essentially, Wilson can blame his troubles on his veiy first routine of the competition Thursday night, when he fell off the pommel horse in the first 5 seconds and earned a 7.9.

He actually outscored Hamm over the other 1 1 events, spanning the two days. Its hard to come back from a deficit, and I got tired toward the end, said Wilson, who tramped off the podium after the medals presentation and halfheartedly flipped his flowers into the crowd. I will be making some changes in my training next year, and it will be a different stoiy." Hamm, meanwhile, doesnt have to change much. On a final day that he claimed was merely mediocre I did what I had to do to win, he was excellent where his shoulder would let him See HAMM, Page 4D Associated Press MILWAUKEE Paul Hamm won the national championship with an injured shoulder and a performance he termed mediocre. It may have left the competition wondering what Hamm can do when hes healthy and on his game.

Relentlessly consistent, Hamm defended his tide Sunday, hanging onto the lead he built over Jason Gatson and Blaine Wilson in preliminaries. He put to rest any doubts about who is really the best male gymnast in the country as the Americans prepare for worlds in August Td call Paul the man to beat out there, said his coach, Stacy Maloney. He's one of the few guys out there with six solid events and not any weaknesses. This one might have been the sweeter of the two titles for Hamm. Last year, he defeated Wilson, a fivetime champion, in Cleveland with Wilson still coming back from a shoulder injury.

This time, Wilson was fully healthy and it was Hamm nursing the shoulder injury. Plus, the win came in Milwaukee, just a few miles away from Hamms suburban hometown of Waukesha. I think this will make people realize it was no fluke, Hamm said. People will come around and realize I am the top gymnast in the country right now. He finished with 113.325 points, 1.2 more than Wilson, the five-time champion who finished third.

A full point behind Hamm, Gatson came in second, overcoming a pair of falls on the high bar that netted him a 7.85 on the first rotation. He and Hamm each earned automatic spots on the American world championship team. Later, the mens competition committee picked five gymnasts to compete for the last four spots on the roster Wilson, Hamm's twin brother Morgan, Brett McClure, Rqj Bavshar Waukesha native Paul Hamm, competing Sunday in Milwaukee on the pommel horse, won his second straight U.S. Gymnastics Championship all-around title. 1.