BRIEFLY HUGHES DROPS OUT OF TOUR OF TOP SKATERS.

Byline: - Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Olympic champion Sarah Hughes dropped off the Champions on Ice skating tour that begins Friday in Baltimore.

Hughes, who finished sixth at last week's World Figure Skating Championships, indicated she was uncertain whether she wanted to continue skating. A high school senior, she also is considering several college options, including Harvard, to which she received an early acceptance.

``I tried to do too much,'' Hughes said after worlds. ``I took a full load in high school, even though I'm only there half a day. I've tried to train. I did a TV special where I was the only person skating and I had to do five new numbers for that. I have two major endorsement deals that I have a lot of obligations to, and I've just been running everywhere.''

Even without Hughes, the lineup for the tour is a strong one, featuring nearly all of the medalists at the world championships. Michelle Kwan, who won her fifth world title, and Evgeni Plushenko, who took his second crown, will headline the 27-city tour.

BOXING: Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley have signed to meet in a rematch Sept. 13, either at Staples Center of in Las Vegas, assuming De La Hoya defeats Yory Campas on May 3 and Mosley wins an interim fight that has yet to be scheduled.

--Joe Frazier's lawyer said he will appeal a federal judge's ruling in Syracuse, N.Y., that the former heavyweight champion cannot sue the Oneida Indian Nation over the unauthorized use of his photograph in a fight promotion.

SWIMMING: Michael Phelps defeated an Olympic medalist for the second night in a row and still was looking to improve.

Phelps, the 17-year-old standout from Baltimore, won the 200-meter freestyle in the U.S. National Spring Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.

Phelps finished in 1 minute, 47.37 seconds, beating Klete Keller. Keller, the bronze medalist in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympics, was second in 1:47.74.

In Wednesday's 200-meter backstroke, Phelps defeated Lenny Krayzelburg of Studio City, who won three gold medals at the Sydney Olympics.

SOCCER: Five-time Major League Soccer All-Star and former U.S. National Team defender Marcelo Balboa announced his retirement from professional soccer.

``This is something that you never expect to end. I am emotional right now, but I am OK with it,'' the Cerritos native said. ``For the last 15 years I was able to live a dream and was able to avoid wearing a coat and tie.''

--Major League Soccer games will be broadcast on high-definition television for the first time under a three-year contract announced with HDNet.

--Asian soccer authorities scrapped two Olympic qualifiers and were considering postponing others because of the SARS flu outbreak.

The Asian Football Confederation postponed home-and-away qualifiers for the 2004 Athens Olympics between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, and Taiwan against Singapore, citing concern over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak.

HORSE RACING: Islander defeated Reel 'Em In by a neck in the $60,078 feature race at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Islander covered 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside grass course in 1:12.36. He paid $9.60, $4.60 and $3.40.

Reel 'Em In returned $6.60 and $4.60. Bourbon County paid $4.60 to show.

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SARAH HUGHES

Olympic gold medalist said she is unsure whether she wants to continue figure skating.