ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks, short-handed at center following injuries to Al Horford and Jason Collins, signed 15-year veteran center Erick Dampier to a 10-day contract on Thursday.

Dampier, 36, bolsters the team's roster for a tough stretch that begins with a game against Dwight Howard and the Magic on Friday night. The challenges continue with a game against the Miami Heat on Sunday and a visit to the Lakers on Tuesday.

The game against the Lakers is the first of a five-game road trip that also includes games at Phoenix, Portland, Chicago and New York....

Hawks sign veteran Erick Dampier. Read more.

Unified junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson and former titleholder Amir Khan will meet in a rematch at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on May 19, a little more than five months to the day after their all-action first fight went down as one of the most controversial bouts of 2011.

"Everyone is very pleased that this is Lamont's next fight," attorney Jeff Fried, who represents Peterson and Barry Hunter, Peterson's trainer/manager and father figure, told ESPN.com on Thursday after the deal had been signed. "It was challenging for a variety of reasons, including some of the post-fight antics undertaken by Khan. But at the end of the day, Lamont and Barry had a singular focus on what is in the best interest in Lamont Peterson and his family, and that is what drove this deal getting done."

England's Khan (26-2, 18 KOs) came to Peterson's native Washington, D.C., to defend his belts Dec. 10 and lost a split decision in a fight filled with great action but marred by questionable officiating, issues over the scorecards and an unauthorized figure at ringside....

Lamont Peterson, Amir Khan set fight. Read more.

Gonzalez To Retire Following Miami. Read more.

PARIS -- Marion Bartoli of France defeated Petra Martic of Croatia 7-5, 6-1 Thursday to reach the Open GDF Suez quarterfinals while Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Christina McHale failed to make it out of the second round.

Roberta Vinci of Italy and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium also moved into the quarters along with Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic and Germans Mona Barthel and Angelique Kerber.

Bartoli, seeded second, won seven consecutive games to lead 4-0 in the second set despite seven double-faults....

Bethanie Mattek-Sands of U.S. loses. Read more.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Rafael Cabrera-Bello made nine birdies in his first 11 holes to finish at 9-under 63 Thursday for a two-shot lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Marcel Siem and Scott Jamieson each shot 65.

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy was three shots back, making seven birdies on the last 10 holes. He's tied for fourth with six other players, including 2010 PGA Champion Martin Kaymer....

Rafael Cabrera-Bello leads at Dubai. Read more.

Phl-PacOceania DC tie on. Read more.

Donaire secures doctor’s clearance to fight anew. Read more.

FILIPINA keglers secured another silver medal for the Philippines in the Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship being held at the International Bowling Center in Nasr City in Cairo, Egypt.

Alexis Sy, Patricia Tajo, Janina Kuwahara and Krizziah Tabora combined for 4,904 pins to earn the second spot in the team event of the tournament sanctioned by the Asian Bowling Federation.

In the second block, Sy scored 622 (174, 235 and 213) while Tajo added 562 (183, 182 and 197), Kuwahara chipped in 620 (195, 224 and 201) and Tabora rolled 617 (204, 211 and 202)....

Filipino keglers bag another silver medal. Read more.

MANILA, Philippines - Chihiro Ikeda launched her pro career in grand fashion, firing a solid four-under 68 to force a four-way tie for the lead at the start of the Thailand Open at the Lakewood Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand late Wednesday.

Ikeda, 20, birdied three of the last five holes at the front, including back-to-back from No. 7, to complete a 34-34 card and catch local ace Suwannapura Thidapa and Koreans Lee Eun Kyoung and Bae In Ji at the helm in the 54-hole tournament serving as the third leg of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

“It’s beginner’s luck,” said Ikeda as she tried to downplay her remarkable debut in the pro ranks. “I hope to do the same or even shoot better tomorrow (today) and put myself in contention in the final round.”...

Ikeda fires 68, shares lead in pro debut. Read more.

MANILA, Philippines - ALA Promotions president and CEO Michael Aldeguer yesterday said they are weighing their options carefully concerning their next career move for AJ “Bazooka” Banal after they received an offer from the International Boxing Federation for Banal to fight South African Vusi Malinga for the IBF bantamweight belt.

The IBF title is currently vacant after Mexican champion Abner Mares surprisingly abdicated his throne instead of defending it to Malinga, the mandatory challenger.

Since the No. 2 spot in the IBF rankings is vacant, Banal, being the No.3 contender, automatically earns the right to face Malinga for the crown. The IBF has given both parties 30 days to make negotiations.  – Emmanuel Villaruel/ The Freeman News Service...

Banal offered to fight South African for vacant IBF title. Read more.

Hingis snubbed me for Olympic doubles - Federer. Read more.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- LeBron James will not be apologizing to Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins for tweeting about Blake Griffin's dunk over Perkins last week. And while he's at it, he's tired of getting blamed for things that he doesn't feel are his fault.

"I would never apologize about anything like that when I'm connecting to my fans," James said of Perkins telling Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday that he was upset with the Heat forward's public reaction to Griffin's dunk.

Earlier Wednesday, Perkins said he was upset that James had sent out a tweet to his 3.5 million followers about Griffin's play....

LeBron James won't apologize for tweet. Read more.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- American Stacy Lewis and Australia's Sarah Kemp shared the Women's Australian Open lead at 4-under 69 on Thursday, leaving top-ranked Yani Tseng a stroke back in her bid to win the event for the third straight year.

Lewis, the Kraft Nabisco winner last year, had six birdies and two bogeys in the LPGA Tour opener at historic Royal Melbourne, the 2011 Presidents Cup venue that is hosting a women's professional event for the first time.

"I fell in love with this place the first time I played it," Lewis said. "You have to be so creative and hit so many different shots. I love that....

Stacy Lewis shares 1st-round lead. Read more.

Roger Federer traces the trail of his tennis tears to a watershed moment on his home court. A then 19-year-old Federer, sporting a pony tail and a few years removed from his days as a Basel ball boy, returned to his home town and won three matches to lift Switzerland to a 3-2 win over a United States squad in a stirring 2001 Davis Cup performance so physically and emotionally draining, Federer was moved to tears at its conclusion.

"I think it was my first emotional outburst on a tennis court because I was so exhausted on Sunday after winning singles, doubles and singles," Federer recalled. "It was a start of great things for me and I'm happy playing America again."

This weekend, American fans may get a little weepy as the 16-time Grand Slam champion makes his first Davis Cup first-round appearance since 2004, when he joins forces with Olympic gold medal-winning doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka in leading Switzerland against the United States on the red clay of Fribourg....

Can the U.S. stop the Federer express?. Read more.

PATTAYA, Thailand -- Eighth-seeded Vania King advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pattaya Open by beating Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 6-1, 6-3 Thursday.

The American played well from the baseline to beat her friend and reach the quarterfinals for the first time since last September in Seoul.

King will next play defending champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who beat Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-3, 6-2 in a match that was briefly suspended by light rain before the end of the first set....

Vania King reaches Pattaya quarters. Read more.

MANDALUYONG—Chinese Taipei’s Lu Tze-shyan played true to form that rendered the usually demanding East course of the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club into a relatively easy layout en route to a three-under-par 69 to share the opening round lead with five others in the ICTSI-Philippine Open.

Japan’s Azuma Yano, Singapore’s Mardan Mamat, and Americans Matthew Rosenfeld, Anthony Kang and Ben Fox join Lu atop the leader board. They enjoy a one-shot advantage over three Filipinos, headed by veteran Frankie Miñoza.

Miñoza relieved his glory days at the back side where he shot a splendid four birdies in the last seven holes. Those beauties negated the bogeys on the seventh, eighth and 10th in a bid for a third crown in the 96th edition of Asia’s oldest national championship which stakes a total prize money of $300,000....

Taiwan's Lu, 5 others share first round lead in $300K PHL Open. Read more.

Hamilton to be managed by Coton. Read more.

MANILA, Philippines – HBO boxing commentator Harold Lederman said undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. deserves credit for agreeing to fight Miguel Cotto at the junior middleweight division (154-pounds), instead of welterweight (147-pounds).

Mayweather will make his ring return against Cotto on May 5, in a bout that will be for Cotto’s WBA junior middleweight title.

"I give Floyd all the credit in the world. He's saying 'We're going to fight for Miguel Cotto's 154-pound title,'" Lederman said in an Examiner interview....

Floyd deserves credit for fighting Cotto at 154: Lederman. Read more.

Chase Budinger scores 22 as subs lead Rockets past Trail Blazers. Read more.