Hockey
LABOR TALKS RESUME: Talks between the NHL and the players' union resume today, the first meeting between the sides since July 21.
The collective bargaining agreement, twice extended in the last 10 years, expires Sept. 15 — the day after the World Cup championship game in Toronto. The meeting is at the offices of the NHL Players Association in Toronto. Before the session two weeks ago in New York, the sides hadn't bargained since May 25.
STARS SIGN BARNES: Veteran forward Stu Barnes signed a two-year contract extension through the 2006-07 season with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Barnes, 33, appeared in 77 games with the Stars last season, registering 11 goals and 18 assists. He is a 13-year NHL veteran.
ISLANDERS RE-SIGN HUNTER: Calder Cup finalist Trent Hunter signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Hunter, 24, tied Mariusz Czerkawski for the Islanders' lead with 25 goals and tied Oleg Kvasha for the team lead in points with 51. One of three finalists for NHL Rookie of the Year, he was the only first-year player to lead his team in those statistical categories.
Auto racing
IRL ADDS ROAD COURSES: The Indy Racing League will break from its all-oval roots next year with its first road-course events since the open-wheel series started in 1996.
On Tuesday, the IRL released a 16-race schedule for 2005. Added were races on the road courses in Sonoma, Calif., on Aug. 28, and Watkins Glen, N.Y., on Sept. 25.
Sonoma's most recent big-time open-wheel race was a USAC event in 1970. CART ended its trips to Watkins Glen after 1981.
The addition of the road courses to the IRL schedule follows the move of several teams — including Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Green Racing — in recent years from road-course dominant CART, now known as the Champ Car World Series.
"The addition of road courses will bring even more variety and challenges to IndyCar series drivers and teams," said Brian Barnhart, the IRL's senior vice president. "We are working closely with the teams and manufacturers to bring the same excitement of our oval events to road racing."
Next year's IRL season will begin March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 29, and the series' sole race outside the country will continue to be in Suzuka, Japan.
JOHNSON FINED $10,000: Jimmie Johnson was fined $10,000 on Tuesday for using a sign to hide the name of a sports drink made by a NASCAR sponsor because he has his own deal with a rival company.
When Johnson climbed from his car after winning Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway, he placed a sign in front of the PowerAde bottle that NASCAR officials put atop his car.
PowerAde, an official sponsor of NASCAR, is made by Coca-Cola. Johnson has a sponsorship deal with Pepsi.
Olympics
PARAMEDICS STRIKE: Ambulance drivers and paramedics in Athens began a series of strikes Tuesday to demand an Olympic bonus similar to the one police and other security personnel were promised.
The paramedics union rejected the government's offer of a $48 monthly raise instead of the bonus. The police and other security forces were promised bonuses of up to $3,000.
Tennis
FEDERER RUN ENDS: Roger Federer's former doubles partner ended his 23-match winning streak Tuesday in the first round of the Tennis Masters Cincinnati.
Federer was stunned by Dominik Hrbaty 1-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, the two-time Wimbledon champion's first opening-round loss since the 2003 French Open.
Also Tuesday, fifth-seeded Tim Henman beat Younes El Aynaoui 6-1, 6-0, No. 7 Juan Carlos Ferrero defeated Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4, and Vince Spadea quit during his match with Hicham Arazi because of heat exhaustion.
ROGERS CUP: Fifth-seeded Jennifer Capriati outlasted Alina Jidkova of Russia 7-6 (3), 7-5 Tuesday to set up a third-round match against Mary Pierce in the Rogers Cup in Montreal. She next plays the unseeded Pierce, who beat Nicole Pratt of Australia 6-1, 6-1. No. 15 Chanda Rubin downed German qualifier Antonia Matic 6-4, 6-3 and will play another American, qualifier Mashona Washington, who beat Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (3), 6-4.