The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 26

THE NEWS OBSERVER THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 2 2010 6c Sports USA 88 IRAN 51 Head injury fells Azarenka 'Just basketball' as US tops Iran lit f' if 1 i ki' 1- 4': ie': 0011011)i i I 'i: to i i i '4 ll -4'jl A medical worker helps Victoria Azarenka before she is PAUL BERESWILL AP 1 ical team before I went on and felt weak" court and they were courtside The match was halted with for monitoring I felt worse as Azarenka trailing Dulko 5-1 the match went on having a "It was terrible It's not nice headache and feeling dizzy" to see someone feelingbad not said Azarenka who is from Be- nice to win a match this way I larus but lives part of the year hope she feels OK now" said in Scottsdale Ariz with the Dulko who walked amund the family of NHL goalie Nikolai net to check on Azarenka "I Khabibulin someone she con- was worried for her" siders a mentor It was by far the most stun- Azarenka began wobbling fling developing on Day 3 of a early in her match against Gi- tournament that produced seta Dulko of Argentina taking 18-year-old American qualifier extra time between points and Ryan Harrison's 6-3 6-7 (4) wincing occasionally clearly in 6-3 6-4 victory over distress Azarenka said she 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic "started having trouble seeing At night defending cham- taken away in a wheelchair pion Kim Clijsters reached the third round by beating 201st-ranked qualifier SA Peers of Australia 6-2 6-1 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick took on Jankc Tipsarevic in a match that did not end by press time for The News Observer Melanie Oudin of Marietta Ga who was 17 a year ago when she reached the US Open quarterfinals by beat ing two top-20 players had a shorter Open stay this year She lost in the second round Wednesday to No 29 Alona Bondarenko 6-2 7-5 pion Kim Clijsters reached the third round by beating 201st-ranked qualifier Sally Peers of Australia 6-2 6-1 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick took on Janko Tipsarevic in a match that did not end by press time for The News Observer Melanie Oudin of Marietta Ga who was 17 a year ago when she reached the US Open quarterfinals by beating two top-20 players had a shorter Open stay this year She lost in the second round Wednesday to No 29 Alona Bondarenko 6-2 7-5 eschew politics flags and a sign reading "PEACE" in between The only sparring on the floor was a playful bump between Haddadi and US forward Rudy Gay teammates with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies The countries have feuded for decades and their relations have deteriorated in recent years with the United States supporting sanctions against Iran for continuing with programs it believes could be used to create nuclear weapons The US team tried to keep the focus on the floor with Krzyzewski saying he had played in Iran in the 1970s with an Armed Forces team and had great respect for the country Krzyzewski was answering a question about turnovers in the postgame news conference when he noticed Iran coach Veselin Matic to his left nodding in agreement "That's the first level of diplomacy That's one thing we're in agreement with" Krzyzewski joked There's no rivalry on the basketball court where the natipns had never met in Olympic or world championship play The Iranian national team even came to Utah two years ago at the invitation of the NBA to play in a summer league as preparation for the 2008 Olympics And in a nod to the Iranian supporters in included minister of sports Ali Saeedlou earlier in the tournament dancers were ordered to cover up for their performances during the game Islam prohibits women from exposing their skin in public and Iranian officials had turned their backs when the dancers performed in earlier games The dancers wore long pants Wednesday Coaches players BY BRIAN MAHONEY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ISTANBUL In the political arena Iran vs the United States is a matchup that gets attention In a basketball arena not so much For me it's a normal game" Iran captain Mandi Kammny said The United States won it easily earning a top seed in the knockout round of the world championship with an 8851 victory Wednesday in the first meeting between the countries with a history of contentious relations The US team which downplayed the political aspect of the game methodically pulled away in the first half wearing down the Asian champions with its depth and athleticism "We just respected their basketball team and we just played a basketball game" US coach Mike Krzyzewski said "There's no political aspect in my mind in the ball-game" Kevin Love scored 13 points and Kevin Durant 12 for the 'Americans (4-0) who will meet the fourth-place team from Group A in the round of 16 After playing his starters for most of the second half of a 70-68 victory over Brazil on Monday Krzyzewski went to the bench early in this one with the Americans shooting 58 percent and scoring 23 points off turnovers in the easy victory Hamed Haddadi scored 19 points for Iran (1-3) and ArsaIan Kazemi had 14 "I'm very happy I played against the best team in the world" Kamrany said The tensions between the nations' governments provided the backdrop off the court with a group of fans sitting near midcourt before the game holding US and Iran APEX 3 CARDINAL GIBBONS 0 Concussion gets blame BY HOWARD FENDRICII THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK The scene was simply scary: Victoria Azarenka a 21-year-old on the rise in the WTA rankings paused about a half-hour into her second-round match Wednesday at the US Open then staggered stumbled and collapsed to the court Azarenka seeded 10th in the Grand Slam tournament rolled over to rest her head on her arm and a trainer rushed over Someone covered Azarenka's legs with a white towel She eventually was helped into a wheelchair her yellow visor askew atop her head then taken to a hospital where tests showed she had a mild concussion As a record-breaking summer suffocates New York the temperature in Flushing Meadows headed into the 90s for a third consecutive day and the mercury topped 100 degrees on court But tournament referee Brian Early said Azarenka's problem did knot seem to be primarily a heat-related illness" Azarenka herself later revealed she fell in the gym while warming up before the match banging her head and arm in the gym "I was checked by the med Cougars BY NATE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER E1GH All the waiting 1 I A 9 17 RALEIGH All the waiting had ended for Apex's Kristen Harris She didn't have to look at her calendar anymore When her chance to serve late in the first set against Cardinal Gibbons Harris took control of the match And she had her answer too Harris along with the rest of the Cougars turned a first-set deficit into a 27-25 25-23 25-22 victory over the host Crusaders on Wednesday night that was a statement to the rest of North Carolina: The Cougars as for now have to be considered the best in the state Entering this season that type of respect belonged to the Crusaders who had beaten the Cougars twice last season Harris has been counting the days waiting to see if Apex which has back its entire rosterhad improved The test to find out was the result against Cardinal Gibbons As the Cougars fell behind five points to the Crusaders in the firsfset Harris felt she needed to give her team a spark "I knew it was time to push through because they were playing really well at that point" said Harris who has committed to Elon Harris gave Apex momen Harris rally to win opener SADERS it k'l 1 ii2i4 4 1 iy-'577 r7---7777 1) 1 ii i i 1 'ti v- -4 41 0 -T- a' ''''IT ir ii 4 I 4 1' fr NI 4 p444 7 :1: i f) ill 1 '1 i 1 (A --tztit797-11 r''1 f' )- f- -71 kgiLiikvamemittainioteasiA1 ck wttiti I INTERACTIVE Volleyball: See more photos from the Apex-Cardinal Gibbons match at newsobservercom Gray ley hitting her in the face In a loud gym that resembled the intensity of a playoff match Harris laughed and told Gray ley not to worry Soon enough every Apex player laughed Gray ley started laughing after coach Nikki O'Conhell called a timeout "We laughed it off" said Harris who had a match-high 15 kills "Megan has improved so much She can be a Division I player" Gray ley won the final point of the set for Apex and had 11 kills of her own "I want them to laugh" O'Connell said of the play "I told Gray ley 'You have to laugh at that because if you got mad and upset it's probably going to make you more tense'" But O'Connell also is pleased with how Harris handled the situation "Kristen is very dynamic" O'Connell said "With her leadership on the court she has the ability to bring everyone together" natetaylornewsobservercom or 919-829-4538 bid again for a one-year waiver for them giving them next year to find investors" AC St Louis and CP Baltimore have had financial trouble this year and both came dangerously close to folding in midseason NASL owners helped the teams make it through the season but new investors are needed Wellman said a waiver request is likely for both The Montreal Impact will be leaving for the MLS in 2012 and PC Edmonton has spent the past year assembling a team and getting its franchise in order Puerto Rico's expected defection leaves only three current USSF D-2 teams that are not part of the NASL The Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers are moving to the MIS next year The Austin Aztex a team that Wellman said does fit the requirements for Division 2 sanctioning remains affiliated with the USL Apex senior Kristen Harris goes for the kill over the block attempt of Gibbons junior Lauren Willoughby GREG MINITEL 111111111114M1inos ---74 4 "7777: 1-y ti7 4 0 I A i'A47 I NN 'k --t -I l'''' 4 (I I 7 1 I 7: ii s- -149- I i i 4 4 ::4 I P'-0' (1( 3 1 4 -6 rktrA I 51' r7 'n'tt 1 1' lis 001 PI 4 441 '4 1'' ri 3 i kin ''-11v1 i 1 'r 4 4 ''j 7 1VOMT 1 provided one Not only could Harris win points but she could set up teammates such as Megan Gmvley And when the Crusaders (3-1) threatened to win the second set Harris turned a negative into a positive With Apex leading 23-21 a volley over the net surprised Raillawks others Tyson Chandler dunks over Iran's Aren Nvoudichegani during Team USA's dominating victory Wednesday MARK TERRILL AP turn with aces and drop-shot volleys to bring the Cougars back Once the Cougars had a chance to win the set Harris moved up to the net for the final two kills and the Apex won 27-25 From there each time Apex (7-0) needed an answer for Cardinal Gibbons Harris leagues There must be a minimum of eight teams to apply and all must pay a $750000 bond that would be set aside in case a franchise hits hard times (as St Louis and Baltimore did this year) Another standard aimed at removing the unstable franchises from the league was the requirement for a single owner with a financial worth totaling more than $20 million to control at least a 35 percent share of the team "There are six of us who meet all of the standards so we're two short" Wellman said "The candidates who do not meet all of the standards would be St Louis Baltimore Puerto Rico and Minnesota who are not in the core six" The deadline to apply for USSF sanctioning is Sept 15 Wellman said NASL has requested that USSF president Sunil Gulati rule on the matter on or before Oct 1 to allow franchises to move forward with ticket sales promotions and sponsorships try NASL ing out your plans for 2011 specifically sponsorships" Wellman said Puerto Rico which was aligned with the USL before signing on with NASL this week doesn't meet the owner requirement But the Islanders team has been in operation since 2004 and recently defeated Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy 4-1 in a CONCACAF Champions League match "They've never done anything but play at a high level and represent our league at a high level" Wellman said "Trying to get a waiver for them we think would not be that difficult" A waiver would be needed for the other three teams in question as well although ideally the waiver would be for only the 2011 season NSC Minnesota is seeking new investors as are the Rail-Hawks But Minnesota unlike Carolinafails to meet the owner requirement "They're trying to find an investor group because they BY MIKE BLAKE STAFF WRITER The North American Soccer League plans to submit its bid to the US Soccer Federation this week for the Carolina Rail Hawks and nine other teams to play next year as NASL clubs RailHawks owner Selby Wellman said The other teams in the proposed NASL would be the Puerto Rico Islanders the Montreal Impact the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies Miami FC Blues the Rochester Rhinos NSC Minnesota Stars Crystal Palace Baltimore AC St Louis and FC Edmonton an expansion franchise Wellman and other team owners had hoped to break away from the USL earlier this year and create an owners-controlled league However the USSF stepped in to operate this year's USSF D-2 Pro League after it determined that the United Soccer League and NASL were unfit to independently sustain leagues This month the USSF -r elk I lg 4e re I ID'11 it 1 1 i------Ta's i ''A zit dqr 4-1 siikl'ir i -it f'i01t i''- 7- Ti I ta--i-1 i 4 4 4 I4117'' 1 i' eq 1 t- ---41P 07 it 7 poi it---L-1-'v- i I 1 IS' lo Ot 770( --4 1 ''1 0 t--C1 0- l-4- 40 I I 1' i 4- 7 IPPY2110 wig 14 tf 1 1 Iannounced a new set ot stan- "Oct 1 is about the latest don't meet the standards" dards for Division-2 pro date yOu can really start lay- Wellman said "We would go or 919-460-2606 announced a new set of standards for Division-2 pro "Oct 1 is about the latest date you can really start lay don't meet the standards" Wellman said "We would go or 919-460-2606.