The Gazette from Cedar Rapids, Iowa • 19

The Gazette, Sept. 7, 2005 3C NEWS NOTES U.S. OPEN ft Switzerlands Roger Federer returns a shot to Germanys Nicolas Keifer at the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New York. Federer won, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4.

Federer proves hes human in victory U.S. Open highlights Attendance: Day: 20,345. Results: Men, Fourth Round: No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt and Jarkko Nieminen won in straight sets, while No. 1 Roger Federer needed four sets to beat Nicolas Kiefer.

Women, Quarterfinals: No. 1 Maria Sharapova beat No. 9 Nadia Petrova in three sets, and No. 2 Kim Clijsters met No. 10 Venus Williams in the night matches.

Stat of the day: James Blake and Robby Ginepri are the first pair of Americans to reach their first U.S. Open quarterfinals in the same year since Pete Sampras and David Wheaton in 1990. Quote of the day: "Nine times out of 10, 1 think if you're going to win the tournament, youre going to have to come up against Federer at some stage. Lleyton Hewitt, who would meet Roger Federer in the semifinals if they both continue to advance. Associated Press nament before beating fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, the ninth seed, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, to reach the semifinals against the winner of the Venus Wil-liams-Kim Clijsters match.

Sharapova won her first four matches in an average of 59 minutes. Against Petrova, each of the first two sets took almost as long, and the match ran 2 12 hours before Sharapova, shrieking on nearly every point, ended it with a break in the final game on a lunging backhand return that Petrova couldnt handle. Swiss star finally drops a set, as does Russias Sharapova NEW YORK (AP) Roger Federer sneered, tossed his racket in disgust. Horror of horrors, he lost a set. For most of the U.S.

Open, the defending champion and top seed had seemed to sleepwalk through his matches, playing only as well as necessary, waking up and painting lines when pressed. He made up shots as he went along a sprinkling of aces at various speeds and angles, a backhand pass that got him out of trouble, a volley that came out of nowhere between yawns. That was enough until he got into a little trouble against Nicolas Kiefer on Tuesday. Suddenly Federer had a reason to elevate his game and stir some emotion. Now he swept in toward the net, pounded winners from the baseline, stopped wasting time and effort.

Under just the hint of pressure, Federer produced his best tennis of the tournament to beat Kiefer, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, and land safely in the quarterfinals. Match point was a masterful final stroke an inside-out forehand crosscourt that Federer tucked neatly in the comer, far from Kiefers reach. Womens top seed Maria Sharapova also yielded a set for the first time in the tour- Tulane moves teams DALLAS (AP) Tulane athletic teams displaced from their New Orleans campus by Hurricane Katrina will be based this fall at five different universities. The Green Wave student-athletes will live and attend classes at schools in Texas and Louisiana. The teams will stay together and play under the Tulane banner.

Tulanes football team, which has been working out at SMU in Dallas, is moving later this week to Louisiana Stoops still confident in Longs play calling NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops on Tuesday reinforced his support for offensive coordinator Chuck Long, three days after listing play calling as one of the Sooners possible downfalls in their season-opening loss to TCU. I have total confidence in Chuck, Stoops said. Stoops pointed out Longs success in developing a Heis-man Trophy winning quarterback in Jason White and installing systems to allow Quentin Griffin to rush for 1,884 yards out of the shotgun in 2002 and Adrian Peterson to run for 1,925 yards from the I formation. Tressel not saying who will start at quarterback COLUMBUS, Ohio Will it be Justin Zwick or Troy Smith? Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel isnt saying wholl start at quarterback in the fourth-ranked Buckeyes showdown with No.

2 Texas on Saturday night. As we stand right now, yeah, Id say we have two starting quarterbacks, Tressel said during a crowded news conference on Tuesday in the teams training facility. Saints owner formally backs Baton Rouge option SAN ANTONIO Saints owner Tom Benson, who drew criticism for his silence concerning where the team should play home games in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, prefers to call Baton Rouge home. NFL spokesman Joe Browne said the league has been in contact with LSU and Baton Rouge officials and hopes the Saints eventually will be able to play home games there. Lions QB Garcia will not need surgery ALLEN PARK, Mich.

Detroit Lions backup quarterback Jeff Garcia wont need surgery on his broken left leg. Garcia is expected to be out six to eight weeks. They will open the season Sunday against Green Bay with starter Joey Harrington and backup Dan Orlovsky, a rookie out of Connecticut. Armstrong already considering comeback AUSTIN, Texas Recently engaged to rocker girlfriend Sheryl Crow, Lance Armstrong issued a statement Tuesday confirming that hes contemplating a return to competitive cycling in part because he knows how much it would rankle French media who believe his record of seven straight Tour wins is tainted by drug use. While Im absolutely enjoying my time as a retired athlete with Sheryl and the kids, the recent smear campaign out of France has awoken my competitive side, Armstrong said.

Im not willing to put a 'percentage on the chances, but I will no longer rule it out. No new races on 2006 Nextel Cup schedule DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. NASCAR released the 2006 Nextel Cup Series schedule Tuesday, a 36-race slate that is virtually identical to this season. Richmond International Raceways spring race will move up to May 6 and Darlington Raceways race will follow on May 13, again the night before Mothers Day. Also, Kansas Speedways 2006 event will switch weekends with Talladega Superspeedway.

The Kansas race will be Oct. 1, while Talladega will be run Oct. 8. Associated Press 2 if 'i iM Iowa City Highs Matt Gatens putts Jones Park Golf Course. Gatens mire Si Basketball standout ties for medalist at CRANDIC Meet By Jeff Johnson The Gazette CEDAR RAPIDS Its all about hoops for Matt Gatens.

He starred as a freshman at HIGH SCHOOL GOLF Iowa City High last winter and verbally committed over the summer to play college basketball in three years for the University of Iowa. Golf is just kind of one of those relaxing deals for the City High sophomore. But Tuesday, it was one of those winning deals, too. Gatens shot a 1-over-par 71 at Jones Park to grab a share of medalist honors at the CRANDIC Meet. Cedar Rapids Prairies Mason Linn tied Gatens for the top individual spot, one shot ahead of Linn-Mars Brad George.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy was the team champ at the tournament, which consists of the eight Cedar Rapids-Iowa City high schools that play fall boys golf. Golf helps some from a competition standpoint, but Im mostly just out here to have a fun time, with the guys, Gatens said after his round. Have fun at practice and stuff. But when you do this well, its fun (from a) competitive (standpoint), Laura SegallThe Gazette on the 15th hole during the CRANDIC golf tournament Tuesday at shot a 71, tying Prairie's Mason Linn for medalist honors. LOCAL NEWS NOTES said.

I thought I hit a good (birdie) putt, but it went eight feet past. Then I missed it coming back. Throughout the day, I had putts I shouldnt have had, and I made them. Then I had a couple of good breaks and a couple of bad breaks. But thats golf.

Linn finished eighth at last years state meet and said he feels he is playing very good golf right now, with one exception. Its that finishing hole, Prairie Coach Tom Myers said. Im hitting the ball well to score well, said Linn, who went 35 on the front and 36 on the back. I just need to start finishing better. Kennedy had three golfers shoot under 80 to win the team title.

Josh Peiffer carded the best Cougar score, a 4-over 74. Nate Noble and David Siegel had twin 76s and Jacob Boyle an 82. Iowa City West finished four shots back of Kennedy at 312, and Linn-Mar was third at 313. The eight teams were separated by just 20 shots top to bottom. Were getting there, said Kennedy Coach Mark Wilden.

The competition in the Metro is pretty tough all over We feel very fortunate. Today just must have been our day to win. Contact the writer: (319) 398-8259 or jeff.johnsongazettecommunications.com to 5 different schools Tech in Ruston, about 230 miles north of New Orleans. The players will enroll in classes there that begin next week. The mens basketball team, along with the volleyball, swimming and diving and womens soccer teams, will be at Texas The womens basketball team and the baseball team will go to Texas Tech.

Rice will host the tennis teams, and SMU will be the temporary home for the golf teams. Iowas Munley, UNIs Stelken honored Iowa goalkeeper Lissa Munley the Big Ten defensive player of the week in field hockey. She has a 1.54 goals against average. Northern Iowas Ashten Stelken has been named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week. She averaged 2.00 kills and 0.92 blocks per game over three matches last week.

ner with head coach Mark Carlson or a Riders player. Saturday nights game begins at 7:05. The silent auction will run through the 10-minute mark of the third period. se tbjji Kmpom RATIONAL NOW ONLY Jr. $31.80 College $63.60 Family $139.00 Mult $111.30 Cougle $143.10 $78.75 Exit 13, 3 miles East.

Cedar Rapids 048.4500 Artist, Stork earn Iowa Conference honors CEDAR RAPIDS Wart-burg soccer player Kirk Artist and Buena Vista golfer Jennifer Stork were named the Iowa Conference male and female athletes of the week. Coes Molly Fiala (tennis) and Luthers Emily Ironside (soccer) were among the performers of the week in each of the IIACs eight sports. too. Gatens shot a 39 on the par-35 front nine Tuesday, then went bonkers on the back with five birdies and a 3-under 32. That included holing a flop-shot wedge just off the green for birdie on the par-3 17th.

Gatens had four birdies in the middle of his round, from the 9th to the 12th holes. The back was pretty crazy, Gatens said. The front nine, my putting was what got me. I easily could have shot two shots better on the front. But on the back, No.

9 through No. 12, I got those four straight birdies, and that got me going. While Gatens was ecstatic with being co-medalist, Linn was definitely not. Its the second big tournament this season in which the Prairie junior has had the lead by himself until bogey-ing the final hole. It happened in mid-August at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and again Tuesday.

Linn began his round on No. 18, meaning his last hole was No. 17. He three-putted there to fall into a first-place tie again. I was on the fringe of the green, and I had to go across the whole entire green, Linn mette, and Jordan Baker of Chestermere, Alberta.

Baker is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. Forward Jason Bergeron of Ancaster, Ontario and defenseman Jared Spurgeon of RoughRiders to hold auction for Hurricane Katrina victims select 6 players in USHL The Cedar Rapids Rough-Riders will hold a silent auction to benefit the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina disaster relief operation Saturday night during the RoughRiders preseason game against Des Moines at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville. Auction items include a a home game in a luxury suite at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, complete with free food and drink. Other items to be auctioned are an autographed RoughRiders jersey and din futures draft Edmonton, Alberta also were selected. We think all of these players have a chance to play key roles for the RoughRiders in 2006-07, said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson.

RoughRiders The Cedar Rapids Rough-Riders selected four American players and two Canadians in Tuesdays United States Hockey League futures draft. The six players are not on the RoughRiders roster, but the team controls their USHL rights. The four American draftees are defenseman Colin Trach-sel of St Louis and forwards Greg Squires of White Plains, N.Y.; Tommy Wingels of Wil.