Off the wire

— TENNIS Top-ranked Djokovic loses

Bernard Tomic upset topranked Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, but Australia lost to Serbia 2-1 at the Hopman Cup on Wednesday in Perth, Australia. Ana Ivanovic evened the round-robin event by overwhelming Australian 16-yearold Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-3. Barty made a positive start, but once Ivanovic made the first break to lead 4-2 she took control. The Serbians combined to win the mixed doubles 6-4, 6-7 (8), 10-6. Tomic put Djokovic under pressure right from the start, holding five break points in the opening game. Djokovic survived that threat and held a break point of his own to lead 5-3 but netted a backhand. Tomic broke serve in the next game with a crosscourt forehand winner and served out the set. The United States team of John Isner and Venus Williams will play the Spanish pair of Fernando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues today for a place in Saturday’s final.

After struggling with injuries last year, Nikolay Davydenko and Gael Monfils are playing some of their best tennis at the Qatar Open in Doha, Qatar. Davydenko reached the quarterfinals by beating fourthseeded Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-3. He was joined by Monfils, who upset third-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Top-seeded David Ferrer beat German qualifier Tobias Kamke 6-3, 6-2. Secondseeded Richard Gasquet rallied past 55th-ranked Grega Zemlja of Slovenia 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 in a match that lasted nearly 3 hours.

Top-seeded Li Na advanced to the Shenzhen Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Julia Cohen of the United States in the second round in Shenzhen, China.The Chinese star overcame five double faults and struggled with her serve during the 94-minute match. Li will play eighth-seeded Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia. No. 2-seeded Marion Bartoli also advanced by defeating Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele 7-5, 6-4. Bartoli will take on fifth-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic for a place in the semifinals.

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka opened her 2013 season with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki on Wednesday to join No. 3 Serena Williams and fourthseeded Angelique Kerber in the Brisbane (Australia) International quarterfinals. Azarenka, who won here in 2009 without dropping a set, got the better of 37th-ranked Lisicki in a match that had nine breaks of serve. In earlier secondround matches, Angelique Kerber recovered from 5-2 down in the deciding tiebreaker to beat Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and Sloane Stephens had a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson to set up a quarterfinal against fellow American Williams. BASEBALL RHP Jackson signs with Cubs

Edwin Jackson has signed afour-year, $52 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. The team announced the move Wednesday after reaching an agreement last month with the 29-year-old righthander, giving the Cubs a durable starter to add to their rotation as they try to dig themselves out from a 101-loss season. Jackson is on his eighth team in 11 years, including a run with the crosstown White Sox, and is 70-71 lifetime with a 4.40 ERA. He made the All-Star team with Detroit in 2009 and pitched a no-hitter for Arizona in 2010. He also has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Washington, going 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA for the National League East champion Nationals last season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced American League Cy Young Award winner David Price has agreed to a one-year deal forjust more than $10 million and avoided arbitration. Price became the franchise’s first 20-game winner in 2012, going 20-5 with a leaguebest 2.56 ERA. He narrowly beat out Detroit’s Justin Verlander for the honor that goes to the league’s top pitcher. The hard-throwing left-hander is 61-31 with a 3.16 ERA in five seasons with the Rays. The 27-year-old ranks second in club history in victories and is third in innings pitched, strikeouts and starts.

The Cleveland Indians have reclaimed infielder Russ Canzler off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Canzler was designated for assignment last month, when the Indians signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds. Canzler could become the Indians’ full-time designated hitter if the club doesn’t make any more offseason moves. To make room for Canzler, right-hander Jeanmar Gomez was designated for assignment.

BASKETBALL Jazz point guard out 6 weeks

Utah Jazz point guard Mo Williams is expected to miss six weeks following surgery on his right thumb. Williams opted for surgery after flying to New York to have a second magnetic resonance imaging and meet Wednesday with Dr. Michelle Carlson, a hand specialist. The decision to have surgery was made following a consultation between Carlson and the Jazz medical staff. After surgery, Williams’ thumb will be placed in a splint for six weeks and he will be re-evaluated afterward. Williams is in his 10th season and second stint with the Jazz. He has appeared in 24 games this season and is averaging 12.9 points, 6.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for a flagrant foul on Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas on Tuesday night. Villanueva was ejected for the foul late in the second quarter of the Pistons’ 103-97 home victory.

BASKETBALL Son of Clippers owner found dead

LOS ANGELES - The son of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was found dead of an apparent drug overdose at his home in Malibu, Calif., authorities said Wednesday.

The body of Scott Ashley Sterling, 32, was found shortly after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Larry Dietz of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The death occurred at a beachfront apartment building on Pacific Coast Highway. Deputies dispatched to check on Sterling’s welfare found his body. A friend of Scott Sterling said he hadn’t been heard from for several days, according to a statement from the sheriff’s department.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

“Sheriff’s homicide and Los Angeles County coroner’s personnel at this time believe that Sterling died of an apparent drug overdose,” the statement said.

Dietz said the death appeared to be accidental, but an autopsy was planned to determine the exact cause of death.

Messages left for Donald Sterling and a Clippers spokesman were not immediately returned.

In 1999, Scott Sterling, then 19, was arrested for shooting his friend with a shotgun. Beverly Hills police said Philip Scheid was shot in the legs during an argument at Donald Sterling’s mansion. Scheid said he was shot from behind while running away. Sterling said he fired in self-defense after Scheid approached him with a knife. The county district attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges, citing credibility problems with the victim.

Scott Sterling’s father is a multimillionaire and a philanthropist. The Clippers recently enjoyed a franchise-record 17-game winning streak, which ended Tuesday night with a 92-78 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Sports, Pages 16 on 01/03/2013

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