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Friday's Sports Briefs

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

Weir Leads At Mercedes

KAPALUA, Hawaii - Canadian Mike Weir, who only 10 weeks ago qualified for the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship, holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 6-under 67 on Friday, giving him a one-shot lead over Stephen Ames and Jonathan Byrd.

Ames also shot 67, making birdie on three of his last five holes despite missing a 6-footer along the way.

Weir, at 8-under 138, will be playing in the final group with Ames, who has lived in Calgary since 1991 and is a naturalized Canadian citizen.

Clemens Asked To Testify

WASHINGTON - Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were asked Friday to testify before a congressional committee on Jan. 16, along with their former trainer, Brian McNamee.

Also invited to appear before the House Oversight Committee was former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, whose allegations were a central part of last month's Mitchell Report on doping in baseball.

It's the same congressional panel slated to hear the day before from baseball commissioner Bud Selig, union leader Donald Fehr and former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, the author of last month's report.

ROYALS: Japanese right-hander Hideo Nomo agreed to a minor-league contract and was invited to spring training. The 39-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005.

YANKEES: University of South Florida volunteer assistant baseball coach Tino Martinez will be a guest spring training instructor, senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said.

Rays Add Minor-Leaguers

TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Rays signed infielder Andy Cannizaro and outfielder John Rodriguez to minor-league contracts Friday and invited both to major-league spring training.

Cannizaro, 29, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2001. In 52 games last season for Triple-A Scranton, Cannizaro batted .295.

Rodriguez, who turns 30 on Jan. 20, is a left-handed batter who hit .263 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs for Triple-A Memphis this past season.

Hingis Banned 2 Years

LONDON - Five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis, who has retired, was found guilty of testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon and was banned from tennis for two years.

A three-person, independent tribunal rejected Hingis' defense, calling it "a simple and straightforward case." Her manager said she won't appeal.

The failed drug test came to light Nov. 1, and the 27-year-old choked back tears while revealing she tested positive for cocaine and said she would leave the sport.

ASB CLASSIC: Lindsay Davenport won her third title in four events since returning after the birth of her first child, beating France's Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2 in Auckland, New Zealand.

HOPMAN CUP: Serena Williams and Tampa's Mardy Fish beat Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic 7-6 (5), 6-2 to give the United States its fifth title in the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis tournament in Perth, Australia.

Hamill Battling Cancer

BALTIMORE - Former Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Hamill said in a statement that she is being treated at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. The prognosis is favorable, but the 51-year-old Hamill said she will miss some of the "Broadway on Ice" tour while she is having treatment. She hopes to rejoin the tour in Fort Lauderdale, where the tour stops Jan. 16-17.

Canada Cruises Past U.S.

PARDUBICE, Czech Republic - Three-time defending champion Canada beat the United States 4-1 and will face Sweden in today's final of the world junior hockey championships. Sweden defeated Russia 2-1.

ARENA FOOTBALL: The Tampa Bay Storm announced the signings of three players, including former USF offensive lineman Kenyatta Jones.

Jones was the first Bulls player to be an NFL draft selection, going to New England in the fourth round in 2001. The Storm also signed quarterback Stoney Case and fullback/linebacker Kevin Clemens.

A Tribune staff, wire report

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