NCAA women’s tourney back at U.Va.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA women's tourney back at U.Va.

The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament will return to Charlottesville in 2011 for the first time in 14 years.

John Paul Jones Arena, the 14,593-seat facility on the campus of the University of Virginia, was one of 16 venues selected yesterday to play host to firstand second-round NCAA women's tournament games in 2011. Four teams - including, conceivably, the Cavaliers - will compete at U.Va. on either March 19 and 21 or March 20 and 22. Dates will be assigned during the NCAA Division I women's basketball committee's meeting in June 2010.

Cavaliers Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said his department is "very excited, obviously," about the NCAA's decision to return the women's tournament to Charlottesville for the first time since the 1997 West subregionals. That event was played in 8,400-seat University Hall. John Paul Jones Arena opened in the summer of 2006 and played host to its first basketball game Nov. 12 of that year.

Knight not attending Hall induction

INDIANAPOLIS - Former Indiana coach Bob Knight will not attend next week's Hall of Fame induction. Athletic director Fred Glass said that Knight contacted him directly to decline the invitation. Glass said Knight was concerned that the interest in him would be a distraction from the other six inductees.

The General won a school-record 662 games and three national championships at Indiana before being fired by then university president Myles Brand in September 2000. Knight retired in 2008 with the most wins (902) of any coach in Division I men's basketball.

INDOOR FOOTBALL

Richmond Raiders hold open tryouts

The Richmond Raiders of the American Indoor Football Association will be holding their first player tryout at the Sports Center of Richmond on Sunday. The tryouts will begin with registration at 11 a.m., and workouts will begin at noon.

Participants must be at least 18 and will be evaluated in the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard short shuttle, 225 bench and the vertical leap as well as a variety of team and position drills. The tryout is for all positions. There is a $55 registration fee (cash or money order) on the day of the tryout. Players wanting to submit game film can bring it to the tryout, all game films submitted become the property of the Richmond Raiders.

Conducting the tryout will be Richmond Raiders coach Mike Siani, a former Oakland Raider and veteran indoor football coach. For more information call the Raiders at 804-859-0825 or go to their Web site at http://www.richmondraidersprofootball.com.

TENNIS

Serena advances to semis

DOHA, Qatar - Serena Williams became the first player to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships, defeating Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4. Her sister Venus, the defending champion, stayed alive by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4 for her first win in three matches. She needs Kuznetsova to beat Dementieva today to have a chance of advancing to the semifinals.

ELSEWHERE

• Paul Casey lost twice yesterday and won't advance in the group stage of the World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain. Casey, the highest ranked player in the tournament at No. 4, lost by a hole to Scott Strange and 3 and 2 to American Ryder Cup player Anthony Kim. Casey lost to the 168th-ranked Strange when he missed a 7-foot birdie chance at the last.

• The first round of the Viking Classic was suspended because of impending rain and wet conditions at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss., pushing the PGA tournament into a Monday finish and leaving officials hoping for better weather today.

• In the Champions Tour, Phil Blackmar and Jeff Sluman shot 6-under 66s to share the first-round lead in the eason-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Sonoma, Calif.

• Abby Wambach scored for the United States to beat world champion Germany 1-0 in yesterday's friendly. Wambach scored for the Olympic gold medalists in the 34th minute after capitalizing on a defensive mistake by the Germans.

• D.C. United goalie Josh Wicks is expected to be sidelined for four to six months after having surgery on his left shoulder. He was hurt when he collided with another player during a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 27.

• Former NFL running back Chuck Levy has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and possessing marijuana. Gilbert, Ariz., police say Levy, 37. was taken into custody Oct. 14, five days after he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court.