Qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova upset top-seeded Vera Zvonareva, 6-0, 6-2, yesterday in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, sending Jelena Jankovic to the season-ending WTA Championships.

Jankovic, who is five points ahead of Zvonareva, will fill the final spot at the tournament in Doha, Qatar. Jankovic, the defending champion at the Kremlin Cup, defeated Lucie Safarova, 7-6 (5), 6-3, later yesterday to reach the quarterfinals.

"I was really happy when I heard that I'd made it to Doha," Jankovic said. "It was very important for me."

Serena and Venus Williams, Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka have already qualified for the championships and skipped the event in Moscow. Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwanska will travel to Doha as alternates.

GOLF

O'HERN IN FRYS.COM LEAD

Brandishing a hot putter on a warm afternoon, Australian Nick O'Hern cruised to a 7-under 63 and the first-round lead in the www.Frys.com Open yesterday at Scottsdale, Ariz.

O'Hern putted only nine times while posting a 28 on the par-35 back nine at Grayhawk Golf Club. Eight of O'Hern's nine birdies came in that stretch.

Bob Heintz and Heath Slocum were one stroke back at 64, and D.A. Points, Rory Sabbatini, Greg Owen and Rickie Fowler shot 65s.

Hawaii's Dean Wilson (Castle High alum) and Parker McLachlin (Punahou alum) opened with 70s.

SIM'S 63 TOPS NATIONWIDE

Australian Michael Sim made eight straight birdies and finished with a course-record 8-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, Charleston, S.C.

Sim has won three times this year and tops the money list with a record $536,142. Andrew Buckle and Justin Bolli opened with 67s, and D.J. Brigman and Adam Bland had 68s.

GARCIA TOUGH IN DEFENSE

Defending champion Sergio Garcia shot an 8-under 63 on his home course to take the lead during the suspended first round of the Castello Masters at Castellon, Spain.

Gusts up to 40 mph forced the players off the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo course — where Garcia's father, Victor, is the club pro — for 3 hours at lunchtime.

Garcia, winless this year, had a one-stroke lead over Australia's Robert Allenby and Sweden's Michael Jonzon. Allenby has seven holes left in the round.

Masters champion Angel Cabrera was disqualified for missing his tee time. After finishing second Wednesday in the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda, Cabrera was unable to make it the course on time.

ELSEWHERE

Nets to play in Newark: The NBA doesn't seem likely to stand in the way if the New Jersey Nets decide to move their home games to Newark. The Star-Ledger reported yesterday that the Nets were considering playing regular-season games at the Prudential Center while an arena is being built in Brooklyn, as long as they don't have to pay an $8 million penalty to get out of their lease at the Meadowlands.

Going to World Cup in jeopardy: American defender Oguchi Onyewu will be sidelined for six months following surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, a layoff that could jeopardize his appearance in next year's World Cup. Onyewu was injured in last week's qualifier against Costa Rica.

How Swede it is: Robin Soderling defeated Andreas Seppi, 6-1, 6-3, yesterday to reach the quarterfinals at the Stockholm Open. The top-seeded Swede, playing in front of another sellout crowd at the Royal Tennis Hall, has not lost a set in his two first matches. Soderling is the only seeded player left in the tournament.