Teltscher's victory ends Connors jinx

The last of the so-called "drawing card" players was eliminatedfrom Volvo Tennis/Chicago yesterday when Eliot Teltscher whippedJimmy Connors in the quarterfinals at the Pavilion.

Connors, the $315,000 tourney's No. 2 seed, went down 6-3, 6-1in 66 minutes as Teltscher ended an 0-15 slump against Connors inGrand Prix tournaments dating to 1979.

"I've always felt my game was similar to his, but he played alittle better," said Teltscher, a top 10 player before arm surgery."Some players match up better against others, and I just matched upbadly with him."

Teltscher owns major tournament wins over John McEnroe and IvanLendl, but his lone success against …

Iraq Pulling US Security Firm's License

BAGHDAD - The Interior Ministry said Monday that it was pulling the license of an American security firm allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a U.S. State Department motorcade in Baghdad.

The ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday incident.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight people were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad.

"We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We …

Cypriot ambulance driver infected with swine flu

A Cyprus health ministry official says an ambulance driver who took a British swine flu patient to a hospital has been confirmed as the island's sixth case.

Chrystalla Hadjianastasiou said Wednesday the 37-year-old Cypriot man had recently driven one of four infected British tourists to a special unit at Limassol General Hospital …

Deal a Plus for City's Business

The H2O Plus cosmetics company is moving its operations - and upto 200 jobs - from Des Plaines to 845 W. Madison in Chicago. To H2Owe say: Welcome to the neighborhood. To other companies consideringexpansion or relocation in the city we say: Come on down!

With each addition, the city …

Tweeters see bright side of debt-struck Ireland

DUBLIN (AP) — Seeking to cheer up a nation depressed by a debt crisis, The Irish Times asked Twitter users to describe what's great about Ireland. Highlights from Wednesday's published list:

Peat smoke in your nose in the twilight

Waving hello to complete strangers on country roads

You can still watch a Western during primetime Friday night telly

People going to amazing lengths to help each other

Wakes and funerals turning into a party

Irish goodbyes: sneaking out of the pub before anyone coerces you into drinking another pint

The postman dropping a package for you in your aunt's work, cos he knows you and your aunt and where ye both …

Reds hit 4 homers in inning off Lieber and crush Cubs 9-0

Jon Lieber became only the second pitcher in Chicago Cubs history to give up four homers in an inning, and Joey Votto connected three times in all as the Cincinnati Reds powered their way to a 9-0 victory on Wednesday.

Votto started a four-homer second inning off Lieber (2-2), who was making his first start of the season. Adam Dunn and Paul Bako also had solo shots, and Jerry Hairston Jr.'s two-run homer completed the history-matching rally.

Votto and the Reds weren't even close to finished for the afternoon.

Brandon Phillips and Votto had back-to-back solo homers off Sean Marshall in the fifth. An inning later, Votto completed the biggest game of …

OUT & ABOUT

The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago will bring an evening of dance tothe Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University onSaturday. The performance marks the company's first appearance at thecenter since April 2000. The scheduled program includes RobertJoffrey's "Pas des Deesses, …