NBA

Fisher says Tuesday might be

'a very huge day' in talks

After a lockout that has lasted more than three months, whether the league season starts on time could come down to one "very huge day" in labor talks.

Owners and players plan to be back Tuesday for a full bargaining session in New York, knowing if they fail to produce results, there might not be enough time left to avoid canceling regular-season games.

"A lot of signs point to tomorrow being a very huge day," players' association president Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers said Monday. "There will be a lot of pressure on all of us in the room, and we'll accept that responsibility and go in and see what we can get worked out."

The sides met in small groups for about five hours, a session deputy commissioner Adam Silver said was mainly about "setting the table" for Tuesday.

While careful not to put too much pressure on Tuesday's talks, Silver and commissioner David Stern made clear there had to be signs of compromise.

ESPN.com reported six powerful agents sent a letter to their clients warning them of financial damage the current proposals would cause and urging them to demand a full vote on any proposed deal.

Fisher later sent a letter to players, obtained by The Associated Press, in which he said the agents' letter "includes misinformation and unsupported theories."

"One issue I need to again be very clear on ... nothing can be accepted without a vote by the players," Fisher wrote.

The season is scheduled to open Nov. 1. Players would have reported to training camps Monday, but those were postponed and 43 exhibition games scheduled for Oct. 9 to Oct. 15 were canceled last month.

The league locked out players June 30.

Italian team pursues Bryant

Kobe Bryant's representatives and Virtus Bologna issued a statement saying they are "working very intensely" to bring the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar to Italy during the NBA lockout.

Bryant, 33, would play 10 games in Italy for a reported $3.2 million.

NHL

Ovechkin heads to Russia

after death of a relative

Forward Alex Ovechkin, a two-time league most valuable player, is leaving the Washington Capitals for a few days after a death in his family.

Capitals officials said Monday that Ovechkin would be traveling to his home in Moscow. They said they are hopeful he will be back in time for Saturday's regular-season opener against Carolina.

Crosby to start season on IR

Pittsburgh Penguins standout Sidney Crosby was placed on the injured list, meaning the first game he could play is Oct. 13 against Washington. Crosby is continuing to recover from concussion-like symptoms.

Tennis

Roddick makes early exit

Andy Roddick lost to South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the China Open in Beijing, a defeat the sixth-seeded American called "unacceptable." Roddick, 29, walked out of his news conference when asked about any retirement plans.

"If I break twice and don't win a set, that says my serve isn't on," Roddick said. "It's unacceptable."

Roddick, ranked 15th in the world, was asked after the match how close he might be to retiring, and he rolled his eyes before replying: "I think you should retire."

He got up and left the news conference to a round of applause. Roddick took to Twitter later to dispute he left early.

"About this whole 'walked out of a press conference' thing. Moderator announced that it was last question before my retirement response," Roddick posted.

Olympics

Coe runs on London track

Sebastian Coe, 55, rolled back the years and was on the track again, making a first test of the surface world-record holding sprinter Usain Bolt of Jamaica will be running on at next year's London Olympics.

"For me, it feels fast," said the 1,500-meter Olympic champion of 1980 and 1984. "I'm guessing sprinters will like that, but as a middle-distance runner it also felt accommodating and firm enough for me."

With the Games 10 months away, the head of London's organizing committee ran 100 meters with youngsters before completing a lap with Britain's Hannah England, the world silver medalist in the 1,500.

Elsewhere

• Dick Pound, a longtime International Olympic Committee member, said governing body FIFA is not being transparent about corruption within the organization and lacks the will to clean up soccer.

The Montreal lawyer's criticism of FIFA came in a speech to a conference in Germany, two weeks before FIFA president Sepp Blatter plans to present anti-corruption reforms demanded after a year of bribery scandals within his executive committee.

• U.S. soccer player Landon Donovan will miss matches against Honduras (Saturday) and Ecuador (next Tuesday) because of a strained right quadriceps. Edson Buddle will replace him on the roster.

Seattle Times news services