Off the wire

BASKETBALL Farmar out four weeks

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for at least four weeks with another tear in his left hamstring. The injury-depleted Lakers announced their latest setback Wednesday. Farmar missed 3 ½ weeks after tearing his left hamstring Dec. 1. He got hurt again during the Lakers’ home loss to NBA-worst Milwaukee on Tuesday night. An ultrasound test revealed Farmar tore his hamstring again, but in a different location. The Lakers are without Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry and three point guards: Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Farmar. Bryant and Henry filled in as the Lakers’ point guard while Nash, Blake and Farmar were out in recent weeks. Kendall Marshall, signed from the D-League on Dec. 20, is the only healthy point guard on the roster.

Cavaliers All-Star guard Kyrie Irving only sustained a bruised knee against Indiana and is not expected to miss significant time. The team said an MRI taken Wednesday revealed a bruise to Irving’s left knee. He was injured in the third quarter of Tuesday’s 91-76 loss at Indiana, and Irving feared a more serious injury after he felt a “pop” as he fell awkwardly on a drive to the basket. The Cavs said Irving is questionable for today’s game against Orlando. Irving had to be helped off the floor against the Pacers, but after being examined by a team doctor, he played the final nine minutes of Cleveland’s sixth consecutive loss.

Oklahoma State basketball player Stevie Clark was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of marijuana possession. Edmond (Okla.) police spokesman Jennifer Monroe said Clark was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for a seat belt violation. Police discovered marijuana in the vehicle and arrested Clark and the driver on possession of marijuana complaints. Clark, a freshman backup point guard, is averaging 7.0 points for the No. 6 Cowboys. Oklahoma State opens Big 12 Conference play Saturday at Kansas State.

TENNIS

Murray falls at Qatar Open

Third-seeded Andy Murray, playing in his first tournament since back surgery in late September, was upset by Florian Mayer of Germany 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Qatar Open on Wednesday. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was also taken to three sets but emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 victory over Tobias Kamke of Germany, while second-seeded David Ferrer joined Murray in making an early exit after a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Daniel Brands of Germany. Murray was leading 6-3, 3-0 when the 40th-ranked Mayer started to play more aggressively, going for winners on nearly every shot. The German won 12 of the last 15 games, closing out the match with a netcord winner to seal the victory in1 hour, 51 minutes. Murray hit 25 winners, but the reigning Wimbledon champion also had 37 unforced errors.

Top-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland advanced comfortably but second-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia quit during his second-round match due to a stomach infection in the Chennai Open in India on Wednesday. Wawrinka defeated Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-3, 6-1, while Youzhny retired ill against Dudi Sela of Israel while trailing 3-1 after 24 minutes.

Top-seeded Li Na extended her defense of the Shenzhen Open title to the quarterfinals by easing past Ukraine’s Nadiya Kichenok 6-1, 6-4 Wednesday in China. Li, who won the inaugural title last year, lost her serve once while breaking Kichenok five times. In the quarters, Li will play Monica Niculescu of Romania.

HOCKEY

Leafs trade for defenseman

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired veteran defenseman Tim Gleason from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman John-Michael Liles. In the trade announced Wednesday during the Maple Leafs’ Winter Classic game against Detroit, the Hurricanes also received the rights to defenseman Dennis Robertson. The 30-yearold Gleason was the Hurricanes’ most physical forward and one of the longest-tenured players on the team. Only captain Eric Staal and 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie Cam Ward have been with the franchise longer. The 33-yearold Liles has 15 hits and averaged 17 minutes of ice time in six games this season with the Maple Leafs. He was scratched from the Winter Classic.

The Buffalo Sabres have placed center Cody Hodgson on injured reserve. Hodgson has missed five games since injuring his left wrist and thumb after blocking a shot against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 19.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Jonathan Marchessault from the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons. The team also said Wednesday it was placing forward Matt Calvert on injured reserve for an upper body injury retroactive to Dec. 21.

HORSE RACING Teen Pauline wins at Aqueduct

Teen Pauline took the lead coming out of the gate and never looked back in cruising to a 4¾ -length victory in Wednesday’s $100,000 Affectionately, the New Year’s Day co-feature at Aqueduct Racetrack. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., the 4-year-old filly swung into the stretch with a 3 ½-length lead and was never challenged as she completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.64, returning $8 and $3.20. Favored Centring closed to finish second, earning $2.50, followed by Royal Lahaina and Street Secret. Welcome Guest was scratched. Teen Pauline earned $60,000. Overall, she is 3-1-3 in nine starts and has amassed $281,300.

TENNIS Federer starts year with Brisbane victory

BRISBANE, Australia - Roger Federer showed shreds of Stefan Edberg’s influence as he got his 2014 season underway, advancing to the Brisbane International quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jarkko Nieminen on Wednesday.

Federer worked briefly with Edberg in the off season and will again use the six-time major winner as a coach in Melbourne as he tries to end his Grand Slam drought at the Australian Open this month.

The 32-year-old Swiss star is not suddenly turning to a serve-volley mindset, but he did venture to the net with good effect in his second-round match against Nieminen as he honed certain parts of his game.

“I’ve been serving OK, my forehand is going well, my movement is OK, I’m seeing the ball OK,” said Federer, who won the last of his 17 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2012. “I expect to play a bit better in the next match, even though today was already very good for a first match in so many weeks.”

After a day of injury withdrawals in the women’s draw, No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka finished off the night session with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Casey Dellacqua.

The reigning two-time Australian Open champion followed Federer’s match on center court.

Federer, in the decisive game of the first set,rallied from 40-0 down and won the next five points to break for a 3-2 lead. He started with a pinpoint lob that caught the baseline and followed it up with a sharp, angled volley that turned the momentum.

He broke serve twice in the first three games of the second set and cruised to a comfortable win.