CYCLING
5 OF TOP 15 PRO TEAMS COMMIT TO TOUR OF UTAH RACE:
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Five of the world's top 15 international cycling teams have committed to the 2012 Tour of Utah.
Utah's event is set for Aug. 7-12 and is the first major weeklong stage race following the Tour de France and London Olympics.
Tour of Utah officials said Tuesday that Liquigas-Cannondale, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek, BMC Racing Team, Rabobank Cycling Team and Garmin-Barracuda have confirmed participation. Three other pro continental teams also have confirmed, with the full field of 16 teams to be set in May.
Liquigas-Cannondale is ranked No. 3 in the world.
Levi Leipheimer successfully defended his Tour of Utah title last year.
TENNIS
ISNER MOVING UP IN RANKINGS: HOUSTON (AP) — John Isner is starting to live up to expectations.
Isner has soared to the No. 10 world ranking this year with victories over three of the top players in the world. He arrived at River Oaks Country Club on Tuesday to begin preparations for the U.S. men's clay court championship.
"I'd like to think I'm a nightmare to play," Isner said. "I kind of take away their rhythm. I'm going to hit a lot of winners and I'm also going to make mistakes. I'm trying to not let those bother me. Over the course of a match, I'd like to think my style is going to win out."
Isner beat No. 3 Roger Federer in the first round of Davis Cup play. He upset No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the Indian Wells Masters, and upended then-No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.
OUAHAB TOPS NO. 6 HAASE IN HASSAN II 1ST ROUND: CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Algerian qualifier Lamine Ouahab upset sixth-seeded Robin Haase 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at the Grand Prix Hassan II on Tuesday.
Ouahab is ranked 752nd, and had not won a tour-level match in four years. He broke the Dutchman's serve twice in each set, winning in one hour to set up a second-round match against Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol of Spain.
Gutierrez-Ferrol broke five times as he downed Rui Machado of Portugal 6-2, 6-1.
Earlier, Albert Ramos beat Pere Riba 6-2, 6-3 in an all-Spanish match.
DJOKOVIC, NADAL TO PLAY EXHIBITION FOR 80,000 FANS: MADRID (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will play an exhibition match at Real Madrid's football stadium, hoping for a crowd of 80,000 to watch tennis' top two players.
Madrid says on its website that the top-ranked Djokovic and local favorite Nadal will meet on July 14 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with proceeds going to the club's and Nadal's charity foundations.
Tuesday's statement did not say what surface the match will be played on.
