Bill gives financial backing to L.A.’s bid

The California Assembly passed a bill Thursday to give state financial backing to the 2016 Summer Olympics should Los Angeles win its bid to host the Games.

The bill, AB 300 by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), gives Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the authority to enter into an agreement to make the state jointly liable for any debt related to the Games. The bill passed, 65-0.

Backers of Los Angeles’ bid say that the Olympics would more than pay for themselves.

“The Olympic charter and USOC require host cities and countries to have backup financial commitments from governmental bodies, which this bill would provide through a joinder agreement that the governor will sign,” said Assemblywoman Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles).

The U.S. Olympic Committee will meet April 14 to decide if Los Angeles or Chicago will be the American city recommended for consideration to the International Olympic Committee.

TENNIS

Williams advances

to final in Florida

Serena Williams defeated Shahar Peer, a 19-year-old corporal in the Israeli Army, 7-6 (4), 6-1, for a berth in the Sony Ericsson Open final at Key Biscayne, Fla.

“I started out really slow,” Williams said. “I think I was a little nervous. And then I just finished well.”

Williams will meet Justine Henin, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Anna Chakvetadze. The two haven’t met since the 2003 Wimbledon semifinals.

“Justine has been playing some of the best tennis on the tour,” Williams said. “She’s doing awesome.

“This will be a real test of my game.”

Qualifier Guillermo Canas and No. 7 Ivan Ljubicic will meet tonight in the men’s semifinals. The other semifinal will be between two 19-year-olds, No. 10 Novak Djokovic and No. 12 Andy Murray.

Canas advanced by beating No. 6 Tommy Robredo, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Ljubicic is the highest-seeded man in the final four. He defeated No. 23 Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-3, 7-5.

The ATP Tour, the governing body of men’s professional tennis, was sued by organizers of the Hamburg Masters tournament to block a plan to downgrade their event’s status.

The group wants to stop the tour from stripping Hamburg of its Masters status, which would make it harder for the tournament to attract the tour’s top players.

The Newport Beach Breakers of World TeamTennis hired former ATP and WTT player Trevor Kronemann as coach.

Kronemann is a former All-American at UC Irvine and winner of six ATP Tour titles.

JURISPRUDENCE

Urbina is given

14-year sentence

Former major league pitcher Ugueth Urbina has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in Venezuela for the attempted murder of five workers on his family’s ranch.

Urbina, a former pitcher with Montreal, Boston, Texas, Florida, Detroit and Philadelphia, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005, according to the attorney general’s office.

The 32-year-old free agent was accused of joining a group of men in attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family’s ranch, located south of Caracas.

A two-time All-Star, he last pitched in the majors with the Phillies in 2005.

MISCELLANY

New Zealand rolls

to win over West Indies

New Zealand cruised to a seven-wicket victory against the West Indies in its opening Super Eight game at cricket’s World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados, inflicting a second consecutive loss on the host team.

The Kiwis bowled out the West Indies for 177 in Antigua and reached the target with more than 10 of their allotted 50 overs remaining to join Australia atop the standings with four points.

Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona is being treated for alcoholism and excessive eating and smoking in Buenos Aires.

A day after Maradona was taken by ambulance to the Guemes Sanatorium, clinic director Hector Pezzella said the 47-year-old former standout was under sedation to avoid problems with withdrawal from alcohol.

He said Maradona’s life was not in danger and that he remained in stable condition and was improving.

Milka Duno could join Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick to make the first trio of women to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in the same year.

Duno will drive two cars entered by Samax Motorsport for the May 27 race.

Cars for Fisher already have been entered by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Cars for Patrick are expected from Andretti Green Racing before Wednesday’s entry deadline.

Practice for the race will begin with the rookie orientation program on May 6-7.

Jermain Taylor (26-0-1) will put his middleweight title on the line May 19 against Cory Spinks (36-3) in Memphis, Tenn. Spinks, the son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, is the International Boxing Federation junior-middleweight champion.