Sports Briefs

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Top-seeded Maria Sharapova narrowly avoided a stunning third-set collapse, overcoming the soaring heat and her own mistakes to beat Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.

The heat -- it was 97 degrees and muggy at midday -- forced tournament officials to suspend play on the outside courts.

Sharapova, her screeching intensifying as the temperature and the pressure increased, won five straight games to open the third set before Pin rallied with five in a row -- fending off match points in the eighth game -- to tie it at 5.

Sharapova, after wasting another match point in the 12th game, was broken again and allowed Pin to serve for the match.

The 19-year-old Russian got back on serve when Pin double-faulted on breakpoint to make it 7-7, then won the next eight points to advance to end the match.

Phelps goes 1-for-3

in swimming triple

LONG BEACH -- Michael Phelps went 1-for-3 in his coach's grand experiment of taking on world record holders in the 100-yard butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke Monday night in the Southern California Grand Prix of Swimming.

Phelps topped backstroke king Aaron Peirsol, winning in 45.90 seconds. Peter Marshall was second and Peirsol, who has dominated the stroke since after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished third.

Phelps proved no match for Brendan Hansen in the breaststroke. Hansen won in 52.81, with Phelps second in 54.67 -- nearly 1 1/2 seconds under his best time.

In the butterfly, Ian Crocker beat Phelps, winning in 45.23. Phelps finished in 46.05.

He dived in at 5:45 p.m. for the butterfly, returned to the starting block at 6:06 for the backstroke and returned again at 6:26 for the breaststroke, wearing the same suit throughout.

Webber says he will

sign with hometown Pistons

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Former Sacramento King Chris Webber will sign with the Detroit Pistons, returning to the area where he starred in college and was tarnished in a booster scandal.

The five-time All-Star was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers last week. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers Tuesday, freeing him to sign a new deal.

"Joining the Pistons will allow me the opportunity to play the game I love in my hometown of Detroit surrounded by my family," Webber said in a statement Monday.

Webber watched the Pistons play the Minnesota Timberwolves with his father, Mayce, in front-row seats at The Palace and was greeted by a standing ovation late in the first quarter.

The 76ers cut ties Thursday with Webber by buying out the final 1 1/2 years of his contract, which called for him to make nearly $21 million this season and $22 million next year.