Once a fourth-round draft choice out of Division II Bloomsburg, Jahri Evans is now the highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL.

The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and Evans, who was both an All-Pro and Pro Bowler last season, agreed yesterday on a seven-year contract worth nearly $57 million.

A person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press the deal was for $56.7 million, with $19 million guaranteed. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the financial terms were not disclosed by the club.

Evans' Philadelphia-based agent, Jerrold Colton, confirmed the deal was the richest contract ever given to an NFL guard.

Evans was a restricted free agent, meaning the Saints owned his rights after a deadline passed for him to sign offer sheets from other teams.

TENNIS

SISTERS ADVANCE

Top-ranked Serena Williams and older sister Venus each advanced to the quarterfinals at the Italian Open yesterday in Rome.

Serena Williams, in her first tournament in three months, defeated Andrea Petkovic of Germany, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0. Venus ousted Shahar Peer of Israel, 6-3, 6-4.

Both sisters are back from knee injuries and could meet in the semifinals.

Second-ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark lost her third-round match to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain, 6-4, 6-2.

CLAY WIN FOR FEDERER

Roger Federer captured his first singles win on clay this season, beating Bjorn Phau of Germany, 6-3, 6-4, yesterday at the Estoril Open in Oeiras, Portugal.

The world No. 1 conceded just 17 points on his service game as he rebounded from a first-round loss in Rome last week.

"It was a very important match for me today," Federer said.

Federer, who had a bye into the second round at Estoril, will meet Arnaud Clement of France in the quarterfinals. Federer won the Estoril crown in 2008 but skipped last year's event.

ELSEWHERE

NCAA basketball rules: The NCAA is recommending tougher penalties for players who throw elbows, and women's teams could be experimenting with a longer 3-point line next season.

The decisions were announced yesterday, one day after the men's and women's Basketball Rules committees completed their spring meetings. All the proposals must still be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel next month.

Soccer: Ugo Ihemelu scored in the 79th minute and visiting FC Dallas, playing the final 18 minutes a man down, held on for its first victory of the season, 1-0 over the Houston Dynamo last night.

Dynamo and U.S. National team forward Brian Ching, a Kamehameha Schools alum from Hale'iwa who is hoping to recover from a hamstring injury in time to make the U.S. World Cup squad, did not dress.

High school baseball: A California legislative committee advanced a bill yesterday that would place a two-year moratorium on the use of metal bats in high school baseball to allow for a safety review.

The legislation, introduced by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, passed the Senate Education Committee on a 5-1 vote and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.