Finish line, April 17

The Rocky

Published April 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Photo by Pat Sullivan / Associated Press

Blake gets back Top-seeded James Blake beat Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston. Blake's win avenged a loss two months ago to Nishikori in the final of a hard-court tournament in Florida.

Man dies in escalator fall at Shea Stadium

A man attending a New York Mets game at Shea Stadium with his family lost his balance on an escalator and fell two stories to his death, police said.

Antonio Nararainsami, 36, and several relatives, including his two young daughters, were leaving the stadium at the end of Tuesday night's game against the Washington Nationals when he fell in a section below the left field stands and landed on a concrete floor.

Nararainsami, a Guyanese native who lived in Brooklyn, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead half an hour later.

The fall still was being investigated Wednesday, police said.

YANKEES VALUE UP The New York Yankees' value increased to $1.31 billion during the past year, according to the annual estimates by Forbes magazine, a rise of 9 percent from the past year.

The New York Mets were second at $824 million and the Boston Red Sox third at $816 million, the magazine said.

The Rockies were ranked 21st with a value of $371 million.

* Alfonso Soriano hopped onto the 15-day disabled list as the Chicago Cubs lost their leadoff hitter with a strained right calf muscle.

* Reserve infielder Alex Cora was put on the 15-day disabled list by the Red Sox because of a sprained right elbow.

SAMSONOV SIGNS DEAL Sergei Samsonov signed a three-year, $7.6 million contract to remain with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The announcement came roughly one week after Samsonov expressed a strong desire to return and general manager Jim Rutherford said re-signing the 1998 Calder Trophy winner was his top priority of the offseason.

SHARAPOVA WINS Maria Sharapova shut out American Bethanie Mattek 6-0, 6-0 in less than one hour to advance to the third round of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.

Earlier, defending champion Jelena Jankovic overcame a slow start to beat American Alexandra Stevenson 7-5, 6-0.

* Teenager Madison Brengle and former South African player Liezel Huber could play for the star-deprived U.S. team in the Fed Cup semifinals against Russia.

Brengle, an 18-year-old right-hander from Dover, Del., was one of the four players chosen to represent the Americans next weekend in the best-of-five series.

LOVE ANNOUNCEMENT NEAR

UCLA All-American Kevin Love will announce his plans for next season at a campus news conference today.

RECRUIT CHOOSES Tyreke Evans, the most valuable player of the McDonald's All-American Game last month, announced his decision to play basketball at Memphis.

BIG PAYOUT The University of Hawaii will receive nearly $4.4 million for playing in the Sugar Bowl, a record payout to a non-Bowl Championship Series school.

Hawaii is expected to net about $2.2 million after expenses associated with playing in the New Year's Day game against Georgia, school and Western Athletic Conference officials said.

MARTIN, WILDCATS AGREE Kansas State signed coach Frank Martin to a five-year contract that will keep him in Manhattan through the 2011-12 season.

Martin will get a base salary of $180,000 with a total compensation package of $760,000.

DOPING PILOT PROGRAM The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has launched the opening phase of a voluntary pilot program it hopes will improve the accuracy of doping tests.

The antidoping agency will profile the body chemistry of 12 participating athletes using a series of blood and urine tests, and those measurements will be used as a baseline for subsequent tests.

The program was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it, but who did not want to be identified because final details are still being worked out.

At a news conference, track athletes Bryan Clay and Allyson Felix each announced they were part of the project, called "Project Believe."

KLEINE DIES Wally Kleine, a football standout who played defensive tackle for Notre Dame and the Washington Redskins, has died, family members said Wednesday. He was 43.

Kleine died of heart failure Sunday at a Lubbock, Texas, hospital, his sister, Emily Kleine, said.

• April 17, 2008

  12:53 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Sandog writes:

  In response to the "In her own words..." column about Becky Hammon signing to play for the Russian team: It's ONLY because her own country has snubbed her over and over again! This amazing basketball player, I am sure, would prefer to play for her own country, USA! However, she has not been "invited" to play for them in spite of her being the best guard (argueably) in the WNBA! She was the runner-up as the MVP in the WNBA last year (I think she should have won it!), and is a proven Team Player, with 'world-play' experience, yet she is not in the top 29 US players invited to play for the team? This is probably her last shot at playing in the Olympics, so I do not blame her at all for wanting to be a part of it the ONLY way she can. I know I will be rooting for her! Anne Donovan/USA Basketball are the one's responsible here, as Becky can't play for USA if she is not asked or put on the team!! She deserves to be on the team!! BECKY BLEEDS RED, WHITE, & BLUE ANNE, SHE JUST BLED TO DEATH WAITING FOR HER SHOT!!!

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