Unforced Errors

Andre Agassi saved the U.S. Davis Cup team from an embarrassing collapse. His Czechoslovak opponent fell apart instead.Agassi beat Karel Novacek, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, 6-0, giving the Americans a shaky 3-2 quarterfinal victory yesterday at the PTC Sonesta Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers, Fla.Before Agassi won, the U.S. team was in danger of blowing a 2-0 lead for the first time since 1960. The Czechoslovaks upset John McEnroe and Rick Leach in doubles Saturday, then drew even in yesterday's first singles match when Petr Korda beat Pete Sampras in four sets.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Two days before the start of Wimbledon, on their favorite practice court at the back of the All England Club, tournament favorite Serena Williams and big sister Venus were laboring through a one-hour hitting session and, despite what the oddsmakers had portended for the coming fortnight, there was no question who was striking the ball better. With titles at the Australian Open and Key Biscayne, Serena was once again the queen of the fast surfaces. But both sisters knew at the onset of this Wimbledon it was Venus who was playing better ball.

NEW YORK -- No. 4 seed Michael Stich is looking for that perfect match, for the match that will let him walk off the court in complete peace.He wouldn't mind if it came today in the U.S. Open finals against unseeded Andre Agassi, though he is not so conceited as to believe it will."

By the third game of yesterday's Class 3A East regional semifinal against No. 1 and host Centennial, Broadneck's intermission high-fives became less spirited and their claps half-hearted.Broadneck coach Tom Cole could see that Centennial's clinic in the first two games had taken the Bruins out of the playoffs.With the exception of uncharacteristic errors in the third and final game, Centennial had little problem advancing past eighth-ranked Broadneck, 15-4, 15-13, 15-10.Centennial (20-1) will play host to county rival and sixth-ranked Mount Hebron (14-5)

The Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers came into last night's Catholic League Tournament final hoping to find an answer to Mercy's hard-hitting duo of 5-foot-10 Kelley Jefferson and 6-foot Player of the Year Stephanie Hansen.An hour later, they discovered that the only reasonable answer is to stop asking the question."There is no answer for them," said Mercy coach John SingletonJefferson and Hansen had nine kills and one ace each, leading the ninth-ranked Magic to a 15-6, 15-9, 15-11 win over the Cavaliers at Seton Keough.

It's a drill the Dulaney Lions incorporate into their daily practices. Last night, it may well have been the deciding factor in their biggest match of the year. The drill, which simulates being down by three points late in a game, became a reality for the Lions last night against Bowie, as they rallied from late deficits in each of the first two games to win, 15-13, 17-15, 15-1, in the Class 4A state volleyball semifinals at CCBC-Essex. "The drill is called `12-9', because it starts with us down, 12-9," said Lions coach Ian Blanchard.

The fourth-ranked Francis Scott Key volleyball team has spent much of this season attempting to speed up its offensive transition game. Last night, the extra work helped spell a speedy finish to the Eagles' Class 2A state semifinal match against North Caroline. The quicker, more powerful Carroll County team overwhelmed its Eastern Shore opponent from start to finish, rolling to a 15-1, 15-1, 15-2 win in 57 minutes at CCBC-Essex to advance to Saturday's Class 2A state final. There, Key (16-2)

NEW YORK - - Maria Sharapova came armed with her nerve and her serve Tuesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Dressed asymmetrically in gauzy black, gray and white, and showing no evidence of an uncertain serve that has plagued her this summer, Sharapova dispatched Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-3, 6-0, in 73 minutes. Because Sharapova missed the first five months of this season while recovering from shoulder surgery last fall, the 22-year-old Russian is seeded only 29th. It is an unaccustomed place in the draw for Sharapova, who was once ranked No. 1. Sharapova said she was particularly happy with how she attacked the match by moving forward.

Josh Peck's third goal with 2:50 remaining proved to be the game-winner as No. 9 Broadneck took a 6-5 boys lacrosse decision from archrival Severna Park in Anne Arundel County last night. The visiting Bruins (8-0) lost three straight to the No. 12 Falcons (4-2) last spring, which made this win more special. "We came in here thinking we were going to run over them, but it didn't happen like that," said Peck. "We didn't play amazing and they played well, got to give it to them. There was a lot of heart and a lot of hitting like it always is when we play Severna Park.

Poly senior Erin Cox was pretty happy about last night's volleyball victory at Western, but she won't celebrate too much right now. "I won't be satisfied until we win the city championship," Cox said. Last night's 29-27, 29-27, 21-25, 25-12 victory was the Engineers' second straight regular-season win over the Doves, but Western came back last year to win a grueling five-game city title match. Cox, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter who had 12 kills and did not miss a serve, said the Engineers (5-0)