Sports digest 1/18/02

Tennis

Venus Williams looked healthy again and overpowered Daniela Hantuchova 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

After limping through a victory Wednesday with a recurrence of tendinitis in her left knee, Williams again was running wide for returns and chasing down drop shops.

"The main battle was getting the swelling down," Williams said. "It's a blessing I'm here."

In other third-round matches, Monica Seles overcame a slow start and the agile retrieving of Francesca Schiavone, for a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Adriana Serra Zanetti beat 11th-seeded Silvia Farina Elia 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; 13th-seeded Magdalena Maleeva beat No. 18 Lisa Raymond 7-5, 6-1; and Martina Sucha defeated Asa Svensson, Sweden 6-0, 6-4.

On the men's side, Jiri Novak beat Francisco Clavet 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

Golf

John Senden, an Australian who considered not coming to America to qualify for the PGA Tour after the Sept. 11 attacks, eagled his final hole for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the Bob Hope Classic at LaQuinta, Calif.

Senden, a 30-year-old from Brisbane who has played the European tour the past four years, was at 15-under 129 after the second of five rounds.

Brandel Chamblee had a 67 and was one stroke behind.

Phil Mickelson, playing for the first time in five months, made only one birdie on the par 5s and closed with a bogey after hitting into the trees. He had a 67 and was two strokes back, along with 1988 Hope winner Jay Haas (68).

Charles Howell III, the PGA Tour's rookie of the year last season, had a 67 for 132.

College football

Ron Turner, who coached Illinois to its first Big Ten championship since 1990 and a berth in the Sugar Bowl, received a $200,000 raise and a one-year contract extension that keeps him at the school through 2007.

The deal also pays Turner an additional $1 million in deferred money if he stays at Illinois through the end of his contract. The Illinois coach's annual salary increases from $700,000 to $900,000 under the new contract.

Hockey

The Kings will allow forward Ziggy Palffy and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to play a game for Slovakia against Latvia on Feb. 10 in the Winter Olympics preliminary round.

The Kings don't have a conflict with the game against Latvia, playing at Phoenix on Feb. 8 and at home against Dallas on Feb. 11.

Basketball

JaRon Rush, who caught nationwide attention as a Kansas City prep star before leaving UCLA early in hopes of NBA stardom, has been signed to the practice squad of the ABA's Kansas City Knights.

The Knights team drafted Rush in 2000 after the player left UCLA following his suspension-shortened sophomore year and then was passed over in the NBA draft.

But the Knights traded him to the Los Angeles Stars before the start of that season, and he played there only sparingly.

-- From wire services