Agassi Wins, Chang Beaten at New Haven

Third-seeded Michael Chang lost Wednesday at the Volvo International tennis tournament in New Haven, Conn., but top-seeded Andre Agassi advanced.

After Denmark’s Kenneth Carlsen defeated Chang, 7-5, 6-4, Agassi got past left-handed Brazilian Fernando Meligeni, 6-4, 7-5.

Fifth-seeded Michael Stich withdrew after he pulled a stomach muscle while serving against Albert Chang of Canada.

Stich said the injury was not serious and he would be ready for the U.S. Open.

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Defending champion Wayne Ferreira lost in the second round of the RCA Championships at Indianapolis, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), to unseeded Richey Reneberg.

Goran Ivanisevic cruised, 6-4, 6-2, over Marcos Ondruska, and Thomas Enqvist defeated Jeff Tarango, 7-5, 6-1.

Gymnastics

Shannon Miller, a two-time champion trying to regain her title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, took a slim lead over 13-year-old Dominique Moceanu after the compulsories at New Orleans.

Miller, who opened on one of her favorite events, the uneven bars, scored a 9.8 to tie Moceanu for second. She moved into the lead after a 9.825 in the floor exercise and stayed there with another 9.825 on the vault to finish with 39.275.

John Roethlisberger, a three-time U.S. national all-around champion, was in first place among the senior men after the compulsories.

Pro Basketball

The Houston Rockets and former guard Vernon Maxwell have dropped grievances against one another after the team bought out the veteran’s contract, according to a published report.

Maxwell received a $500,000 settlement to walk away from the team without further legal action or protests, sources said in today’s Houston Chronicle.

He walked out on the team during the NBA playoffs, citing a hamstring injury, but later admitted he was upset that newly acquired guard Clyde Drexler was taking away his playing time.

The NBA might challenge Dominique Wilkins’ planned move to the Greek team Panathinaikos this fall, even though the Boston Celtics may be happy to see him go. The Boston Globe reported that the league is concerned about letting a player under contract leave for an overseas team without the league’s being properly notified.

Jurisprudence

Two Armenian wrestlers charged with shoplifting from a Georgia department store were freed from jail at the request of an Atlanta Olympics official and then left the country, a judge said.

The chief of Olympic security denied that the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games had intervened in the case.

Araik Bagdadian and Armeh Zimonian were arrested at Rich’s store at posh Lenox Square mall on Saturday and charged with shoplifting, said Sgt. Melvin Denson of Atlanta police. They were taken to jail and were about to be fingerprinted and photographed when W.J. Taylor, ACOG’s deputy security chief, called Municipal Court Judge Andrew Mickle at home and persuaded him to allow jailers to release the athletes on their own recognizance.

In another case, an Iranian wrestler, Yari Kalyan Behrouz, was arrested Monday at the downtown Macy’s store after allegedly putting 20 items in a shopping bag, a police report said. The athlete was released after four hours in jail and the case was dropped.

Hockey

The Kings signed goalie Byron Dafoe and defenseman Chris Snell to one-year contracts.

The club also announced that forwards Pat Conacher, Gary Shuchuk and Kevin Todd, and defenseman Arto Blomsten, each of whom was offered a termination contract, will return for 1995-96.

Miscellany

The California Interscholastic Federation is negotiating a three-year agreement under whichARCO will become the title sponsor for all CIF sectional, regional and state championship events.

Tomas Brolin scored on a penalty kick with five minutes left to give Sweden a 1-0 victory over the United States in a soccer exhibition at Norrkoping, Sweden.

Nebraska receiver Riley Washington, jailed Aug. 3 on a charge of attempted second-degree murder, was released after someone posted $10,000 bail in cash. Jail officials declined to disclose who posted the money, which was 10% of the $100,000 bond. Washington has denied shooting Jermaine Cole outside a Lincoln, Neb., convenience store on Aug. 1.

Pete Rose will throw out the first pitch at the Richmond (Ind.) Roosters’ final game of the season. Rose, banned from baseball in 1989 for gambling, will also sign autographs at Richmond’s Aug. 26 game against Zanesville in the Class A independent Frontier League.

Brazil defeated the United States in five sets, and top-ranked Italy defeated Japan in three sets in the second round of the USA Volleyball Centennial Cup at Atlanta.