Unseeded Maria Sharapova, an original member of the Newport Beach
Breakers of World Team Tennis, upset top-seeded Elena Dementieva,
2-6, 6-7 (6-4), 6-2, Friday to reach the semifinals of the DFS
Classic in Birmingham, England.
It's the first time Sharapova, a 16-year-old Russian, will play in
a semifinal at a Women's Tennis Association tour event.
Sharapova, who will represent the Breakers when the World Team
Tennis begins next month, has defeated three seeds in as many days at
the DFS Classic, a tuneup for Wimbledon.
Ranked No. 139 in the WTA, Sharapova squares off against Japan's
Shinobu Asagoe in one semifinal today. The final is scheduled for
Sunday.
UCI's Turpin sits 24th
* TRACK AND FIELD: UC Irvine junior Annmarie Turpin is 24th among
27 competitors after the first day of the heptathlon at the NCAA
track and field championships at Sacramento State.
Turpin, the Big West Conference heptahlon champion, had a total of
2,946 points Friday. Georgia's Hyleas Fountain leads with 3,684
points.
In Friday's events, Turpin recorded times of 14.86 in the
100-meter hurdles and 26.51 in the 200 meters. She also cleared 5
feet, 3 3/4 inches in the high jump and put the shot 35-0 1/2. The
even concludes today with competition in the long jump, javelin throw
and 800 meters.
Joyce repeats honor
* VOLLEYBALL: Sage Hill School junior Kevin Joyce, a 6-foot-3
outside hitter, leads three Lightning players included in the boys
volleyball coaches' All-Academy League selections.
Joyce is a repeat first-team pick, while juniors Macsun Frederick
and Julian Smith-Newman are second-team honorees. Joyce was the
leading hitter for Coach Merja Connolly-Freund, while Smith-Newman,
who shared the captain's role with Joyce, triggered the attack at
setter. Frederick helped the Lightning contend for a CIF Southern
Section playoff berth, though it wound up fourth and missed the
postseason. The Lightning tripled its league victories from the 2002
season, going 6-8 against Academy foes.
Lightning recognized
* SOFTBALL: Sage Hill School sophomore Jessica Torino tops a list
of five Lightning softball players named All-Academy League by the
circuit's coaches.
Torino, Sage Hill's lone first-team selection, had six stolen
bases, six RBIs and scored eight runs in 10 league games to help the
Lightning finish third and reach the CIF Southern Section Division V
playoffs.
Coach Jim Percival's squad is represented on the second team by
junior Katrina Redelsheimer, sophomore Alexa Shitanishi, as well as
