Hewitt, Serena Williams Seeded No. 1 at Wimbledon

Defending champions Lleyton Hewitt and Serena Williams are seeded No. 1 for Wimbledon.

Hewitt got the top seeding Monday ahead of Andre Agassi, who replaced the Australian as No. 1 in this week’s ATP Tour rankings.

Agassi was seeded second, followed by French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

By tradition, Hewitt will play the first match on Centre Court when the two-week championships open Monday.

On the women’s side, Williams was seeded ahead of Belgian star Kim Clijsters and French Open winner Justine Henin-Hardenne. Serena’s older sister, Venus, was seeded fourth.

The draw will be held today.

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American Jan-Michael Gambill was ousted from the Samsung Open in the first round, losing, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, to British wild card Alex Bogdanovic at Nottingham, England.

Bogdanovic, 19, will next face Vladimir Voltchkov, who beat American Justin Gimelstob, 6-1, 7-5.

Paradorn Srichaphan ended a four-match losing streak by defeating Dutch qualifier Paul Logtens, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in the first round of the Ordina Open at Rosmalen, Netherlands.... American Alexandra Stevenson advanced to the second round of the Eastbourne grass-court championship in England with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over British wild card Lucie Ahl.

Colleges

Former UCLA basketball coach Gene Bartow was hired as the interim athletic director at San Diego State.

Bartow, who also served as coach and athletic director at the University of Alabama Birmingham, will begin a three-month term on July 1. San Diego State is rebuilding its department after an audit found poor management practices and misuse of equipment.

Ohio State football Coach Jim Tressel signed a new six-year contract worth at least $1.3 million this season and escalating to $1.8 million in the final year. The contract, which replaces a deal that would have expired after the 2005 season, includes a base salary of $285,700 that increases to $405,300 in the final year.

Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas wasn’t sure he would be a first-round pick in the NBA draft June 26, so he has withdrawn his name from consideration.

Thomas averaged 18.7 points last season as Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA tournament’s round of 16 for the first time since 1987.

Miscellany

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed J.J. Stokes to a one-year contract, meeting their need for a No. 2 receiver and giving the former first-round draft pick a second chance in the NFL.

Stokes’ deal includes a $150,000 signing bonus and is worth $805,000. Stokes, a former UCLA standout who was the 10th overall pick in the 1995 draft, is expected to be in uniform for a mini-camp today.

Roush Racing lost the primary sponsor on Jeff Burton’s car when Citgo Petroleum Corp. said it was leaving at the end of the season. Car owner Jack Roush is looking for a replacement and Burton said he was confident a deal would come together.

Mike Skinner was fired by Morgan-McClure Motorsports, ending a short and unsuccessful stint. The team hit bottom last weekend in Michigan, when Skinner failed to qualify the No. 4 Pontiac for Sunday’s race. Johnny Miller, the Trans-Am Road Racing series points leader, will drive the car this weekend in Sonoma.

A reputed Russian mobster accused of fixing figure skating at the Salt Lake City Olympics will not be extradited, his lawyer said.

Italy’s highest court overturned an extradition order to the United States for Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, according to attorney Luca Saldarelli. The court gave no explanation for its ruling, and it usually takes several weeks for justices’ written rulings to be released.

One of the world’s most prestigious all-woman sailing events has been renamed for a three-time winner, Linda Elias, who died in January at age 52 after a nine-year battle with cancer.

The Long Beach/Los Angeles Women’s Sailing Assn. has rededicated its annual Women’s One Design Challenge as the Linda Elias Memorial Women’s One Design Challenge. The 12th competition, involving 10 teams sailing Catalina 37s, is scheduled Oct. 18-19 out of the Long Beach Yacht Club.

Passings

Olav Ulland, the U.S. ski jumping coach at the 1956 Olympics and the first jumper to clear 100 meters, has died at 92.