BASEBALL

BOSTON’S LESTER TO RETURN AFTER FIGHTING CANCER

Jon Lester is slated to return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox today, nearly a year after his rookie season was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Lester was scheduled to replace Julian Tavarez for today’s game at Cleveland, the 23-year-old left-hander’s first major league appearance since he beat the Los Angeles Angels on August 23 last year. The Red Sox said nine days later that he had a treatable form of lymphoma.

“I don’t think it really has sunken in yet, and I don’t think it will sink in until tomorrow when I get on the mound,” Lester said Sunday.

Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 81.1 innings last year after being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League in June.

SOCCER

ARGENTINA WINS UNDER-20 WORLD CUP

Argentina won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup for the sixth time, rallying to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 yesterday on Mauro Zarate’s goal in the 86th minute.

Martin Fenin put the Czechs ahead in the 60th minute but Sergio Aguero tied the score in the 62nd. Zarate’s low shot through from the edge of the penalty area handcuffed goalkeeper Radek Petr.

“This is for Argentina, this is for my country,” Argentina coach Hugo Tocalli said after the match through an interpreter. “It was a hard game. We worked very hard. But we were confidenti. I knew although we were 1-0 down, we would pull back.”

Aguero won the Golden Boot Award as tournament top scorer with six goals and also was voted the Golden Ball as top player, finishing ahead of Argentina’s Maximiliano Moralez and Mexico’s Giovani Dos Santos.

TENNIS

STEPANEK UPSETS BLAKE IN LOS ANGELES FINAL

Radek Stepanek upset second-seeded James Blake 7–6 (7), 5–7, 6–2 to win the ATP Countrywide Classic on Sunday.

It was the second career title for Stepanek, who entered the match with a 13-15 record this season. He advanced to the final when wild card Nicolas Kiefer of Germany withdrew due to a sore knee.

Stepanek, a native of the Czech Republic, saved three set points in the first set against Blake.

“He moves in to the net very well and volleys very well,” Blake said. “My game plan a lot of times was to try take the net away and make him come up with passing shots.”

GOLF

OGILVIE WINS U.S. BANK FOR FIRST CAREER TITLE

Joe Ogilvie won his first PGA Tour event yesterday in 230 starts by shooting a 67 to finish at 14 under in the U.S. Bank Championship. Ogilvie, who has three second-place finishes and four Nationwide Tour victories, eagled the par-4 16th hole to break a tie with Tim Clark (71), who finished second along with third-round leader Tim Herron (72) and Charlie Wi (68) at 10 under. Steve Flesch (68), Bob Heintz (68), Jeff Maggert (69) and Kenny Perry (71) were six strokes back.

“If you hit enough good shots, and you kind of stay patient and you get a little luck, let’s be honest, the shot on 16 to go in was a little bit lucky, things work out,” Ogilvie said.