Off the wire

TENNIS Djokovic, Nishikori advance

Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call Wednesday and claimed he didn’t realize he had broken the rules. When Andy Murray walked to the net and challenged him about it, Djokovic responded with a shrug and a sheepish smile. Murray lost the dispute and the match. The pivotal ruling against the defending champion helped Djokovic win 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Open at Key Biscayne, Fla. The point in question occurred at the start of the 12th game, with Murray serving at 5-6. Djokovic charged forward to volley a short ball and hit it for a winner. Murray argued - and TV replays confirmed - he should have be awarded the point because Djokovic’s racket was on the far side of the net when he hit the ball. Chair umpire Damian Steiner declined to change his call, and such rulings can’t be appealed for video review. A flustered Murray committed unforced backhand errors on the next three points to lose the game and the set. Djokovic, bidding for his fourth Key Biscayne title, will play Friday against Kei Nishikori, who beat Roger Federer on Wednesday night. Li Na became the first Chinese woman to reach the Key Biscayne semifinals when she beat Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 7-5. Li’s opponent tonight will be Dominika Cibulkova, who erased three match points in the second set - one when a call was overturned via replay - and beat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Six-time champion Serena Williams will play five-time runner-up Maria Sharapova in the other women’s semifinal. Williams has beaten Sharapova 14 consecutive times.

HORSE RACING Cairo Prince favorite

Cairo Prince is the early favorite for Saturday’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and has drawn the third starting spot in an eight-horse field. Cairo Prince is the 9-5 early choice for the major Kentucky Derby prep race, followed by Wildcat Red at 3-1. The post-position draw was Wednesday, with Wildcat Red starting on the inside spot. Cairo Prince has won three of his four career starts, including his only outing this year in the Grade II Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream back on Jan. 25. Wildcat Red has won his past two stakes races and has prevailed in four of six lifetime starts, all at Gulfstream. Wildcat Red’s last loss came on Jan. 1 to General a Rod, the third choice in the Florida Derby field at 7-2.

Intense Holiday has drawn the first post position and is listed as a 2-1 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Grade II Louisiana Derby, one of the premier prep races for the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Intense Holiday already has a major victory at the New Orleans Fair Grounds race course, taking the Grade II Risen Star Stakes last month. There are two second favorites listed at 4-1: Lecomte Stakes winner Vicar’s In Trouble, starting from the sixth post, and similarly named In Trouble in the ninth slot. Risen Star runner-up Albano, trained by Larry Jones, drew the 10th post position and is listed at 9-2 odds. Rise Up, trained by Tom Amoss, will start from the eighth post, opening at 10-1 odds.

GOLF R&A to vote on women

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club will vote in September on whether to have women as members for the first time in its 260-year history. A statement from the club Wednesday said all committees are “strongly in favor of the rule change and are asking members to support it.” The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, has about 2,400 members from around the world and dates to 1754. The clubhouse is among the most famous buildings in golf, overlooking the Old Course at St. Andrews. Pressure has been building in recent years on the R&Ato change its men-only policy, especially after Augusta National Golf Club announced in August 2012 that it was inviting two women to join - former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore. The R&A governs golf everywhere in the world except for the United States and Mexico. It also organizes the British Open and other championships. But it shifted responsibility for the Open and administering the Rules of Golf to a separate entity in 2004 known as The R&A.

BASEBALL Yankees most valuable

Forbes ranks the New York Yankees as baseball’s most valuable team for the 17th consecutive year and lists the Tampa Bay Rays with the lowest valuation. Forbes said Wednesday it estimates the Yankees are worth $2.5 billion, up 9 percent from last year.The Los Angeles Dodgers are next at $2 billion, a 24 percent hike and matching their actual sale price in 2012. Boston was third at $1.5 billion, followed by the Chicago Cubs ($1.2 billion), San Francisco ($1 billion) and Philadelphia ($975 million). At the bottom were the Rays ($485 million), Kansas City ($490 million), Oakland ($495 million) and Miami ($500 million). Major League Baseball’s average team value rose 9 percent to $811 million. Forbes said values rose primarily because of increased media rights fees.

Clayton Kershaw will miss his scheduled start for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres this weekend because of an inflamed muscle in his back. The two-time Cy Young Award winner had an MRI on Wednesday that showed the swollen muscle in his left upper back. Kershaw had complained of tightness while throwing at a workout on Tuesday. The team said Kershaw’s next start will be decided by his progress while throwing in the next week. The Dodgers open the North American portion of their schedule at San Diego on Sunday. They began the season with two victories over Arizona in Australia last week. Kershaw started the first game Down Under, winning 3-1.

Kansas City Royals reliever Louis Coleman probably will start the season on the disabled list because of a bone bruise on his right middle finger. Coleman gave up 6 runs, 3 hits and 3 walks in one-third of an inning Monday against San Francisco. He has had the injury since early in spring training. Coleman and second baseman Omar Infante, who has a bone spur in his right elbow, were left in Surprise, Ariz., when the Brewers headed to Milwaukee on Wednesday for a pair of exhibition games.

The Texas Rangers say ace Yu Darvish has no structural damage in his stiff neck but will likely begin the season on the disabled list. Darvish was examined Wednesday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas. The right-hander will start a throwing program on Saturday. Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels says he expects Darvish will be put on the 15-day DL. The Rangers open Monday at home against Philadelphia.Darvish led the majors in strikeouts last year. With him out, Tanner Scheppers will start the season opener. Scheppers will be making his first big league start after 115 relief appearances.

The Los Angeles Angels have granted right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton his unconditional release, but will still have to pay him $8.5 million. The Angels made the move Wednesday. Blanton, 33, struggled in spring training with a 7.08 ERA in five appearances over 20 1/3 innings. He was 2-14 last year and sent to the bullpen in midseason. The Angels will absorb Blanton’s contract and pay him $7.5 million this year, with another $1 million to buy out the $8 million club option for 2015. Blanton’s departure leaves the Angels with 39 players on their 40-man roster and takes him out of competition for a bullpen roster spot. The team’s starting rotation appears set with Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs.