TENNIS

AGASSI WILL RETURN TO DAVIS CUP

Andre Agassi will return to the U.S. Davis Cup team after a five-year absence, the Associated Press learned yesterday.

According sources, Agassi will rejoin the squad for its first round match against Croatia on March 4-6 at Carson, Calif.

The eight-time Grand Slam tournament champion, who turns 35 in April, stopped playing Davis Cup after 2000 as part of a scaled-back schedule geared to peaking for the majors. He was a member of three Davis Cup championship teams, going 30-5 in singles. The United States has won the competition a record 31 times, but not since 1995 – the team’s longest drought since the gap between titles in 1926 and 1937.

FOOTBALL

CRENNEL ACCEPTS OFFER TO COACH BROWNS

Shortly after helping New England win its third NFL title in four years, Patriots’ defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel accepted an offer to coach the Cleveland Browns.

Crennel’s agent said Browns president John Collins called him “about two minutes” after the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory to offer the 57-year-old Crennel, a five-time Super Bowl winner, his first head coaching job.

This will be Crennel’s second stint with the Browns. He served as the club’s defensive coordinator in 2000.

SOCCER

FRIEDEL RETIRES FROM U.S. TEAM

Goalkeeper Brad Friedel is retiring from the U.S. national soccer team, leaving Kasey Keller as the favorite to be in goal through the 2006 World Cup. The 33-year-old Friedel, the starter for Blackburn in England, beat out Keller for the starting job at the 2002 World Cup, where the United States advanced to the quarterfinals, its best showing since 1930.

Friedel, who made his national team debut in 1992, played in the last three World Cups and finishes with 24 shutouts in 82 international appearances.

GOLF

WIE TO COMPETE IN WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN

Michelle Wie will play in this year’s Women’s British Open, the Ladies Golf Union said yesterday. The 15-year-old Wie accepted a special exception from the LGU to play at the July 28-31 event at Royal Birkdale.

– Associated Press