BASEBALL

Flaherty selected to play in minor league all-star game

Portland’s Ryan Flaherty has been named to the North Division roster for the 2011 Southern League All-Star Game on June 21 at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn., the league announced on Tuesday.

Flaherty is batting .307 with 52 RBI in 53 games for the Tennessee Smokies this season.

TENNIS

SERENA RETURNS: Serena Williams is returning to the tour after nearly a year off because of various health issues.

Williams will play at a grass-court tournament in England, then defend her title at Wimbledon.

Williams has not played an official match since winning her 13th Grand Slam title at the All England Club last July.

A few days after that victory, Williams cut her foot on glass at a restaurant. She wound up having two operations because of that and later was treated for a blood clot in her lung.

SONY ERICSSON OPEN: Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki eased into the second round in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Irina Falconi.

QUEEN’S CLUB: Andy Roddick began his bid for a record fifth title by defeating 2010 semifinalist Feliciano Lopez, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 6-4.

Roddick overcame a barrage of 35 aces and claimed victory on his third match point after playing for 2 hours, 13 minutes.

SOCCER

U.S. MEN: Jozy Altidore scored in the first half and set up Clint Dempsey’s goal in the second, and the United States opened its Gold Cup schedule with a 2-0 win over Canada in Detroit.

The 21-year-old Altidore was playing his first game in a Gold Cup, which is the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

His goal in the 15th minute put the U.S. ahead, and Dempsey added one in the 62nd off a nice cross from Altidore.

COLLEGES

FOOTBALL: The attorney for Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor said the quarterback won’t return for his senior season with the Buckeyes.

Columbus, Ohio, lawyer Larry James said his client would most likely make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft.

Pryor had already been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for accepting improper benefits from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner.

SOFTBALL: Katelyn Boyd and Alix Johnson each drove in three runs, Annie Lockwood homered and Arizona State (60-6) earned a 7-2 win over Florida (56-13) in Oklahoma City to win its second NCAA title in four years.

AD RESIGNS: Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said he is resigning in an effort to help the Volunteers move on from a “period of turmoil that needs to end.”

Hamilton faced criticism for the coaches he hired and later fired during the past three seasons and for NCAA violations committed by those coaches that have resulted in a major ongoing investigation.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Ray Allen exercised his option to remain with the Boston Celtics next season. The decision means the Big Three of Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will be together for one more season. Garnett has one year left on his contract and Pierce has three years remaining.

WNBA: Rebekkah Brunson had her third straight double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 75-65 win over the Tulsa Shock in Minneapolis.

Lindsay Whalen added 16 points – including making all 10 of her free throw attempts – and Monica Wright had 10 for the Lynx.

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The NFL and its players have again held secret talks at an undisclosed location, seeking a resolution to the labor impasse.

A person familiar with the meetings told The Associated Press that the two groups did meet Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings are supposed to be secret.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has no comment.

The NFL Network first reported the meeting.

BOXING

MAYWEATHER JR. RETURNS: Undefeated six-time world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. said on his Twitter feed he will end a 16-month hiatus when he faces WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on September 17.

Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010, and has repeatedly declined to accept a bout against WBO welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao, a dream matchup many boxing fans are eager to witness.

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