*TENNIS: Top seed Rafael Nadal won his first-round match at the Australian Open, overwhelming Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena. … On the women’s side, No. 6 seed Venus Williams defeated Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3. Fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic beat Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-2 in a second-round match.
*NFL: Steelers receiver Hines Ward needs extensive work to rehabilitate his sprained right knee for the Super Bowl, but coach Mike Tomlin still expects Ward to play. Ward sprained a medial collateral ligament while making a catch in Sunday’s AFC championship game. … Dolphins rookie tackle Jake Long, the first overall pick in last April’s draft, was selected to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for the Bills’ Jason Peters, who had a late-season knee injury. … New York real estate billionaire Stephen Ross officially became majority owner of the Dolphins, with Wayne Huizenga retaining a 5 percent interest. … Ron Meeks resigned after seven seasons as the Colts’ defensive coordinator. … The Chargers hired former Bears assistants Don Johnson (defensive line coach) and Steve Wilks (defensive backs coach). … Ex-Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski interviewed for the 49ers’ offensive coordinator job.
*NBA: The Grizzlies signed forward Darius Miles to a second 10-day contract. … Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones suffered a separated right shoulder in pregame warm-ups and missed Tuesday’s game against the Kings.
*NHL: Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro is out for the season after playing only five games because of persistent problems with his surgically repaired left knee. … Blue Jackets goaltender Pascal Leclaire will undergo ankle surgery Friday that will likely sideline him through the regular season.
*COLLEGE: Illinois football coach Ron Zook has hired Cincinnati assistant Keith Gilmore as the new defensive line coach. Gilmore, 50, was Cincinnati’s assistant head coach and defensive line coach the last two seasons. … Michigan has hired former Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson as defensive coordinator. … Stanford’s athletic department is projecting a $5 million loss in revenue over the next three years and is considering cutting staff and eliminating some teams. … Iowa men’s basketball forward Cyrus Tate likely will miss the next two games because of a sprained ankle. … The Big East will not take action following Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma’s postgame exchange with Syracuse forward Nicole Michael last week.
*ALSO: Anthony Kim withdrew from the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic because of a sore left shoulder. … In his return to cycling, Lance Armstrong finished 120th out off 133 riders in the first stage of the Tour Down Under. … Organizers trying to land the 2016 Olympics in Madrid say all 26 international sports federations have praised the proposed venues. Madrid already has 77 percent of its facilities ready.
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EDITED BY MIKE PANKOW FROM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICES
