Monday's Sports in Brief

By The Associated Press

Here's a look at Monday's sports in brief around the world.

TENNIS

NEW YORK (AP) — Olympic champions Rafael Nadal and Elena Dementieva showed their mettle at the U.S. Open, overcoming early challenges to win in the start of what’s expected to be a wide-open tournament.

Former champs Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova also opened with straight-sets victories.

Playing for the first time as the world No. 1, Nadal got past No. 136 Bjorn Phau 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4). No. 9 seed James Blake had to play past midnight to survive a five-set match against 19-year-old fellow American Donald Young, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Fourth-seeded David Ferrer, No. 6 Andy Murray, No. 7 David Nalbandian, No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka, No. 16 Gilles Simon and No. 17 Juan Martin del Potro also advanced. No. 27 Feliciano Lopez lost to Jurgen Melzer in five sets, and No. 29-seeded Juan Monaco was beaten in four sets by Kei Nishikori.

The fifth-seeded Dementieva looked like gold while taking the final four games to defeat Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4, 7-5, and No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over CoCo Vandeweghe.

No. 8 Vera Zvonareva, No. 12 Marion Bartoli, No. 14 Victoria Azarenka, and No. 15 Patty Schnyder also advanced. Tenth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze was the top player to lose, beaten by Ekateria Makarova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Also, Li Na got past No. 24 Shahar Peer and Tamira Paszek edged No. 22 Maria Kirilenko.

PRO FOOTBALL

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants are interested in luring Michael Strahan out of retirement after losing Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury Saturday night.

The Super Bowl champions contacted the representative for the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end on Monday to gauge Strahan’s interest in returning for a 16th season. Strahan is on vacation in Greece. His agent Tony Agnone said he has not talked to him about the Giants’ inquiry.

With Strahan’s status uncertain, the Giants shuffled their defense and moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to end from his strongside linebacker spot. A 2006 first-round draft choice, Kiwanuka was switched to linebacker 17 months ago so the Giants could get their best 11 defenders on the field.

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — It’s official. Chad Pennington is the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano announced Pennington will start the Sept. 7 season opener in Miami against his former team, the New York Jets.

Pennington was the face of the Jets the past eight seasons and arrived in camp this year competing with Kellen Clemens for the starting job. The Jets cut Pennington more than two weeks ago to clear salary cap space once they got Brett Favre from Green Bay.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Apparently unsatisfied with both candidates in a summer-long kicking competition, the Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent Jay Feely to a one-year contract.

Feely will join Connor Barth and Nick Novak on Tuesday in what coach Herm Edwards called a “kick-off,” and one of the three will be released before Thursday night’s preseason finale against St. Louis.

AUTO RACING

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Joe Gibbs is convinced the rail thin, 18-year-old Joey Logano can effectively replace Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing next season.

With Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup points champion, set to leave JGR after 10 years to become driver-owner of what is now called Haas-CNC racing, Logano next season will inherit Stewart’s sponsor, Home Depot, and his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli.

BASEBALL

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds asked a federal judge to toss out most of the government’s case against him that charges the slugger lied to a federal grand jury about his alleged steroids use.

In a filing made in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, lawyers for baseball’s home run king argue that many of the charges stem from ambiguous answers to ambiguous questions posed by prosecutors.

Bonds is charged with 14 counts of making false declarations to a grand jury in December 2003 and one count of obstruction of justice. His lawyers on Monday asked a judge to toss out 10 charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is scheduled for trial on March 2.

DETROIT (AP) — Grady Sizemore hit his 30th home run, becoming the 14th American League player — second with Cleveland — to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season.

Joe Carter also accomplished the feat with the Indians in 1987, when he had 32 homers and 31 steals. Sizemore is the first American League player to join the 30-30 club since Alfonso Soriano did it for Texas in 2005.

SEATTLE (AP) — Everyday Eddie is back with Minnesota, adding experience to a squad in the thick of a pennant race.

Eddie Guardado was acquired by the Twins in a trade with the Texas Rangers for a minor league pitcher. Guardad’s career appeared to be over when he had ligament replacement surgery on his elbow 23 months ago, but he’s healthy again and took over the closer role for the Rangers earlier this month when C.J. Wilson got hurt.

PRO BASKETBALL

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns traded guard D.J. Strawberry to the Houston Rockets for rookie guard Sean Singletary.

Singletary was the 42nd overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Sacramento Kings, who quickly sent him along with Patrick Ewing Jr. and Ron Artest to Houston in exchange for Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks re-signed forward Devean George, nearly six months after the veteran player blocked a trade to the New Jersey Nets.

George played his first seven seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the Mavericks in 2006. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

George earned NBA championship rings in each of his first three seasons with the Lakers and blocked a deal earlier this year to be traded to the Nets in exchange for point guard Jason Kidd and other players. Dallas reworked the deal and ended up acquiring Kidd anyway.