Grand Slam

NEW YORK -- Dressed entirely in black but once again painting rainbows with his magical racket, Roger Federer reached down to wherever champions keep their hole cards and rallied to win his 12th Grand Slam title yesterday, edging to within two of tying Pete Sampras' record for major championships. It was a perfect afternoon and early evening in which Federer played a lot of imperfect tennis, but at the end of his 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) 6-4 victory, he had taught young Novak Djokovic that no matter how well you're playing and how poorly he's striking the ball, you still have to close it out. That's something the 20-year-old Serbian prodigy failed to do several times in this U.S. Open final.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- They said that once the offense got going, everything would change. The starting pitchers would work quicker and have the confidence to throw more strikes. The relievers would enter games with less pressure and more margin of error. And the defense would be sharper and less prone to mental errors. It was only the lowly Kansas City Royals that the Orioles pounded last night, but for a team that has had so many problems putting it all together for the first two months of the season, there's no room for asterisks.

NEW YORK -- Before this tournament began, everyone expected two Americans to be playing in today's U.S. Open men's final. But no one expected No. 2 seed Andre Agassi to be playing No. 7 Todd Martin.The expectation was for No. 1 Pete Sampras to be in Martin's place, but Sampras was forced to pull out with a back injury before playing even one match here, opening the door to someone else.That someone turned out to be Martin."I said before the tournament, that if I was in the finals, I would like to be playing Pete, assuming he was the best player on the other side of the draw," said Agassi, after beating No. 3 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals yesterday.

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets refused to let go of their 1999 season, even after day turned to night and the Shea Stadium public address system celebrated the 14th-inning stretch with a second rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."They played through a steady rain. They arm-wrestled with the Atlanta Braves until a national television audience had to decide between the longest game in postseason history and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on another channel.They played until the pitching staffs were depleted and the benches were empty, and then -- only then -- did third baseman Robin Ventura launch a shot over the right-field fence in the 15th inning to carry them to a 4-3 victory and force the National League Championship Series to return to Atlanta for Game 6 tomorrow.

PARIS -- And the crowd's will was done.As No. 1 Martina Hingis wilted under the deluge of 16,000 manic voices cheering and raging for Steffi Graf, Graf, the 29-year-old former champion, thrived."

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Talk about a grand slam.Reigning Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain wasn't talking about it much yesterday here at the 99th U.S. Open. Nor will anyone else this year when it comes to the possibility of completing golf's seemingly impossible feat.After completing an opening-round 75 Thursday, Olazabal apparently took out his frustrationon a wall in the locker room. As Orioles manager Ray Miller found out recently, the wall usually wins.According to a statement released by the USGA, Olazabal said: "I have a broken bone in the fifth metacarpal on my right hand.

PARIS -- Andre Agassi looks relaxed as he talks about what is at stake today in the French Open men's final. He is almost subdued when asked about the importance of the match that could bring him a prize only four others have achieved in tennis history -- a set of Grand Slam championships.But there was no missing Agassi's intensity and desire on court yesterday, as he finished off his suspended semifinal match with Dominik Hrbaty in 21 minutes, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4.And now, only Andrei Medvedev stands between him and the ranks of Don Budge, Rod Laver, Fred Perry and Roy Emerson, the only men with titles from the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Quote:"I've been fascinated with crocodiles and alligators. I learned so much about them that when I came to spring training, I wanted to go behind the scenes at Gatorland."-- Marlins rookie Bruce Aven, on how he came to wrestle an alligatorIt's a fact: The Reds' Barry Larkin has the most at-bats without a grand slam (5,927) among active players.Who's hot: The Expos' Vladimir Guerrero has three more RBIs (48) than he had at the All-Star break last year and is on pace to drive in a franchise-record 130.Who's not: In five games since coming back from the disabled list, the Giants' Barry Bonds is 1-for-17.

Rockville's Paul Goldstein goes into the U.S. Open already more successful than tennis experts believed possible.In one year, Goldstein, 23, has improved his ranking from 312th to 79th in the world. He has won the Pan American Games gold medal and last week made it to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington.Now, he's going back to the Open, hoping to improve on his initial showing. Last year, he won one round before losing to No. 1 Pete Sampras.The Open begins tomorrow with Sampras attempting to win his 13th career Grand Slam title.

His name is attached to one of the most famous shots ever struck in golf, as well as to one of its most glittering legacies.Gene Sarazen, called "The Squire" because of his jaunty personality and penchant for wearing plus-fours, died yesterday in a Florida hospital from complications of pneumonia. He was 97.Just last month, Sarazen made his annual appearance as a ceremonial starter at the Masters, a tournament he helped legitimize with his victory in 1935."I am very sorry to hear that Gene Sarazen passed away today," Masters chairman Hootie Johnson said yesterday in a statement.

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND -- As the fifth set expanded to 6-6 and 10-10 and then an inconceivable 14-14 and refused to end, this latest masterpiece of a Wimbledon final seemed to heave with the audacious aim of rivaling its hallowed predecessor. Whether it succeeded in the end would prove debatable, but nobody at Centre Court on a sunny, blustery Sunday at the All England Club will lament having witnessed a men's singles final so commendable that the fans wound up chanting the name of the man who did not win. "Roddick!

When he was at the plate in the fifth inning, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters stepped out of the batter's box to allow the applause from the frenzied crowd to grow louder. It was his night, so it seemed the least that the 23-year-old could do for one of his new teammates. Wieters' efforts were rewarded when Luke Scott finally emerged from the home dugout and briefly acknowledged the curtain call and the chants of "Luuuuke" with a quick wave. Scott did the impossible Friday night, overshadowing the much-anticipated major league debut of the Orioles' top prospect.

News item: The Ravens might make an offer to the Arizona Cardinals for disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Boldin, though it would probably cost them a first- and third-round draft choice. My take: That's a steep price, but I think general manager Ozzie Newsome should seriously consider it. That late first-round pick isn't likely to add a new dimension to the Ravens' offense. Boldin would. News item: Through the first 10 games of the season, the Orioles' offense averaged 6.4 runs and 10 hits.

Report: Urine samples link Bonds to steroids baseball Federal prosecutors preparing for Barry Bonds' perjury trial are said to have evidence that links Bonds to the use of performance-enhancing drugs other than the "cream" and the "clear." A person who has reviewed the evidence told The New York Times that the authorities detected anabolic steroids in urine samples linked to Bonds that they gathered in connection with their investigation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Grand fashion: : The Orioles broke the game open in a seven-run sixth inning that included Aubrey Huff's fourth career grand slam. It was the 11th grand slam the Indians have allowed this season, most in the majors and extending their franchise record. Doubling out of skid: : Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was in an 0-for-16 skid since he homered in his first at-bat coming off the disabled list Sept. 1. But in the third inning, Jones broke the slump with a double off Cleveland's Fausto Carmona.

BEIJING - The world of tennis, as we know it, spun off its axis a bit here Thursday night in front of thousands of enthusiastic Chinese spectators. This is the Beijing Olympics, not Wimbledon or another Grand Slam tournament. No ivy-covered walls here, no red clay or echoes of Jimmy Connors under the lights in the Big Apple. The stadium here is a big, circular chunk of concrete. It has all the charm of a freeway ramp. Yet it might long be remembered for this night, when what was predictable and comfortable in the sport came unhinged.

They stood and cheered for several moments, waiting for outfielder Jay Payton to emerge from the dugout and acknowledge the crowd. When Payton didn't, starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera ducked his head out of the dugout instead and accepted the adulation. These, indeed, are fun times for the Orioles, who are finding new heroes seemingly on a daily basis. Yesterday, it was Payton's turn as his seventh-inning grand slam capped another gritty comeback, and a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox before an announced 28,939 at Camden Yards.

AUGUSTA, Ga.-- --This wasn't how he had planned it. Wasn't how Sunday evening at the Masters was supposed to go. I guess it's not really a surprise. After all, Tiger Woods played 72 holes of golf and barely gave any indication that he was hungry for the top spot of the leader board, that he really wanted to stretch his bulging arms through the sleeves of a green jacket for a fifth time. So it makes sense that as Trevor Immelman made the slow walk up the 18th fairway, just a couple of shots away from etching his anonymous name permanently into Augusta National lore, Woods couldn't wait to get far away from the celebration.

AUGUSTA, Ga.-- --Ayear earlier, Tiger Woods - cut like an action hero, cast as a folk hero - sat on the same podium and answered a similar question. At the time, he had won two majors in a row. Had the possibility of winning four straight even crossed his mind? "No, I'm thinking about trying to place my ball around this golf course," he said. "That's about it." At the time, he would just as soon talk about Nike's overseas factories as a Grand Slam or a Tiger Slam or even a Denny's All-American Slam.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The first few days of competition in an Orioles uniform have been, to say the least, an adventure for new top prospect Adam Jones, so let's review: In the first intrasquad game of the spring Tuesday, he got hit by a ground ball during a stolen-base attempt, turned the wrong way and fell down pursuing a fly ball in center field, and got doubled off first base. The next day, he hit a grand slam and impressed manager Dave Trembley with his intensity and hustle. In the exhibition opener Thursday, he had some good at-bats but got picked off first base.