LONDON - Elena Baltacha, a former top-50 professional tennis player who had been fighting liver cancer since retiring from the game, died Sunday. She was 30. The former British No. 1 died peacefully surrounded by family and friends, the Womens Tennis Association said on its website. The Kyiv-born Baltacha, who represented Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, was diagnosed with the illness in January, two months after retiring from tennis and only weeks after she married her long-time coach Nino Severino. "We are heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally," Severino said in a statement. "She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness." Baltacha was born into a sporting family. Father Sergei played football for Dynamo Kyiv and English club Ipswich, and won a bronze medal for the Soviet Union at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Mother Olga represented the Soviet Union in the pentathlon. After being diagnosed with a chronic liver condition aged 19, Baltacha dealt with illness throughout her career, receiving medication and regular blood tests. "Elenas journey was never an easy one and yet she consistently showed her strength, good humour and indomitable spirit," WTA chairman Stacey Allaster said. Her best ranking was 49th in 2010, and she reached the third round at Grand Slam tournaments three times — at Wimbledon in 2002, and at the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010. Ankle problems eventually forced her to retire in November, and she had hoped to use her experience to develop the next generation of British players. "We have lost a shining light from the heart of British tennis - a true role model, a great competitor and a wonderful friend," former Fed Cup coach Iain Bates said. "We have so many special memories to cherish, but this leaves a gaping hole for everybody in both British and womens tennis, and words simply cannot express how saddened we are by this news." Baltacha had already planned a tennis charity event in June, "Rally for Bally," to raise money for a cancer hospital and her tennis academy. It will go ahead in her memory, with competitors including childhood friend Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman. "Bally was such a caring human being, always putting others before herself, and a warm, fun person," the WTAs Allaster said. "A shining example of her commitment to looking out for the welfare of others is the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which she established so that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could learn to play the game she loved so dearly." Jose Martinez Jersey . -- Fresh off their surprising run in the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers have signed head coach Terry Stotts to a multi-year contract extension. 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The Twins announced Thursday the 28-year-old Albers cleared waivers. He will join the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. Red Schoendienst Jersey . -- Justin Verlander took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and won his fourth straight decision, leading Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Sunday and extending the Tigers winning streak to a season-high five games.SAN DIEGO -- Arms waving and legs churning, Arizona is racing back into the Sweet 16. The rest of the bracket should take notice of this one. If they play like this, the Wildcats are going to be awfully tough to beat. Overwhelming Gonzaga with its contest-everything defence, Arizona looked very much like the top seed in the West, blowing out the Bulldogs 84-61 on Sunday to reach the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years. "That Arizona team we saw tonight was as good a team as we have faced, that I can remember," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "It was just too much for us tonight." Coming off a shaky NCAA tournament opener, Arizona (32-4) ended a wild first weekend of upsets and buzzer beaters with a display of domination. This was not the epic double-overtime game these teams played in the 2003 NCAA tournament. This was an eye-popping display of what one of the nations best teams can do when it gets rolling. The Wildcats overran Gonzaga (29-7) with their size, athleticism and quick hands to blow the eighth-seeded Bulldogs out of the bracket. Turning one of college basketballs most efficient teams on its head, Arizona scored 31 points of Gonzagas 21 turnovers -- 15 on steals -- and never gave the Zags a chance after racing out to a 21-point lead in the first half. Aaron Gordon had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for Arizona. Fellow freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also had 18 points and Nick Johnson finished with 17. Next up for Arizona is fourth-seeded San Diego State -- a team it beat in this same arena early in the season -- in the Sweet 16 just up the coast in Anaheim. "Tonight was one of our seasons best performances," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "Obviously, you want to play well in the NCAA tournament and thats exactly what our team did tonight." Gonzaga has relied on its ability to control the game and take care of the ball during a run of 16 straight NCAA tournament appearances. Arizonas pressure ran the Zags ragged, leaving them trailing the Wildcats as they raced off to one layup after another. Przemek Karnowski scored 14 points and Kevin Pangos of Holland Landing, Ont., added 12 for Gonzaga, which hasnt reached the Sweet 16 since 2009. "We didnt do ourselves any favours," said Pangoos, who kept playing after turning his ankle early in the game.dddddddddddd "We let them feel pretty good about themselves. But they are a good team and they did speed it up a little bit." Arizona was jittery in its opener against Weber State, starting slow and allowing the Wildcats from Utah to claw their way back from a 21-point deficit in the second half to make it close. The first-game anxiety out of their system, the Wildcats played with confidence and plenty of energy against Gonzaga, sprinting up the floor after steals and defensive rebounds to set up easy shots in transition. Arizona made it look easy at times, dropping off passes for layups, flying in for alley-oops and spotting up for 3-pointers on the break. It was so good even Gordon, whose outside shot has been questioned, dropped in a 3-pointer. For good measure, he went in for what seems to become his signature move on the break, soaring up for a reverse dunk on an alley-oop from Johnson to put Arizona up 38-20. Gonzaga shot well against one of the nations best defences -- when it could get shots off. The Bulldogs struggled with Arizonas theyre-everywhere defence, playing catch-up on the break as the Wildcats snared passes and stripped dribblers for eight steals in the first half. Gonzaga had 11 turnovers that Arizona turned into 19 points for a 47-34 halftime lead that would have been more if the Bulldogs didnt make a late run. Arizona had one turnover and 13 assists on its 17 field goals -- 34 attempts -- with Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson combining to hit 8 of 9 shots while scoring 12 points each. "What we did today was push the tempo," Gordon said. "We noticed they werent getting back as well as they should and we just kept that going throughout the game." The second half started like this: two possessions by Gonzaga, two turnovers. Arizona kept the show going from there. Johnson had the defensive highlight of the half, tracking down David Stockton to block what appeared to be a breakaway layup and the ball went off a Gonzaga player, to boot. The offensive reel was highlighted by Gordon, who soared in for a rebound slam over two Gonzaga players. No chance for the Bulldogs and, if Arizona keeps playing like this, not much of one for anyone else. ' ' '