CYCLING

Photo finish decides Tour’s fourth stage; Hushovd retains leader’s yellow jersey

Cadel Evans edged defending champion Alberto Contador in a photo finish Tuesday to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France, and Thor Hushovd retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

Tuesday’s 107-mile route from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne was mostly flat, but ended with a short, sharp climb favoring those that could muster bursts of speed uphill.

The finish was so close that Contador raised his fist to celebrate what he believed was a stage win, but slow-motion video and a photo still showed that Evans, an Australian two-time Tour runner-up, had won.

BASKETBALL

NBA: The Indiana Pacers scheduled a news conference for this morning with Frank Vogel amid speculation that he will be the team’s next head coach.

Vogel took over for Jim O’Brien last season and the team finished the year 20-18. The Pacers made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, losing 4-1 to top-seeded Chicago.

WNBA: Jessica Davenport had 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks to lead the host Indiana Fever (8-3) to a 78-61 win over the Seattle Storm (5-4).

Tamika Catchings added 11 points, six rebounds and four steals for the Fever, who won their fifth straight game. Indiana reserves Shannon Bobbitt and Shavonte Zellous chipped in eight points apiece.

Sue Bird scored 21 points and Swin Cash had 13 for the Storm.

n Sylvia Fowles scored a season-high 34 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to help the Chicago Sky (5-6) snap a three-game losing streak with a 78-65 win over the Washington Mystics (2-7) in Rosemont, Ill.

Fowles scored 20-plus points for the eighth time in 11 games for Chicago.

Marissa Coleman had 14 points, and Matee Ajavon and Jasmine Thomas each added 11 for the Mystics, who have lost two straight and 6 of 7.

COLLEGES

FIELD HOCKEY: The University of New England hired Danielle Ryder as head coach. She replaces Jane Hurt, who resigned in May.

HONORS: Alyssa Dunn of Standish was named the 2011 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Woman of the Year. She was a four-year starter and captain of the softball and field hockey teams at St. Joseph’s College.

MEN’S TENNIS: Bowdoin named Conor Smith head coach. He is a former coach at Bridgewater (Va.) College.

TENNIS

HALL OF FAME CHAMPIONSHIPS: Top-seeded John Isner needed just 63 minutes to beat Karol Beck, 6-3, 6-2, in a first-round match in Newport, R.I.

SWEDISH OPEN: Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the second round of in Bastad, Sweden, by defeating Alize Cornet, 6-4, 6-4.

Second-seeded Flavia Pennetta beat Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 7-5, while sixth-seeded Iveta Benesova crashed out with a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.