JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius murder trial began a new phase Monday when the Olympic athlete arrived at a state psychiatric hospital for a monthlong evaluation whose terms have been described by some as favourable to the double-amputee runner. Pistorius, who killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home last year, sat in the passenger seat of a black sedan and spoke on a cellphone as he arrived behind a police van at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria, the South African capital. The judge who will deliver a verdict in the case asked the hospital to determine if Pistorius had a mental disorder at the time of the shooting, which could affect whether he should be held criminally responsible. Pistorius must arrive by 9 a.m. and can leave by 4 p.m. each weekday, and has weekends off under an order from Judge Thokozile Masipa. Pistorius, who is free on bail, has been staying at the upscale Pretoria home of his uncle. Pistorius outpatient status troubles some experts who say 24-hour observation is common in state psychiatric facilities. In the evenings, nursing staff can get additional insights into a patients mental state that complement formal questioning and other tests during the day, say the experts. "There is a benefit" to the after-hours observation, said Lee-Ann Hartman, a clinical psychologist who has worked in state psychiatric facilities. Masipas instruction came after a psychiatrist testified that Pistorius, who has said he feels particularly vulnerable because of his disability and long-held worry about crime, had an anxiety disorder that could have contributed to his shooting of Steenkamp on Feb. 14, 2013. The judge was responding to a prosecution request for an independent inquiry, based on concern the defence would argue Pistorius was not guilty because of mental illness. Prosecutors allege Pistorius killed Steenkamp intentionally after a late-night fight, but the athlete says he mistook his girlfriend for a dangerous intruder hiding in a toilet cubicle when he shot her multiple times through the door. There is a long waiting list for observation cases at state psychiatric hospitals and Pistorius assessment will be faster because he does not need a hospital bed, said Gerhard Grundling, chair of the Clinical Psychology Forum, a South African group. He said the observation will likely include blood tests and possible brain scans and that more specialists, including a neurologist, can get involved as needed. Additionally, in such observations, social workers gather "collateral information" in interviews with friends, family and others, according to Grundling. Other trials had been delayed for nearly a year because of patient backlogs at state mental health facilities, said Jack Bloom, an opposition member of the provincial legislature. "Everyone should be equal before the law, no matter how famous," Bloom said, urging authorities to explain the runners "preferential treatment" as an outpatient receiving speedy observation. Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. Trial proceedings resume June 30. The high-security Weskoppies hospital was called the Pretoria Lunatic Asylum long ago. Accounts described crowded, unhygienic conditions and staffing shortages there during the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer war, though conditions later improved. In the 1950s, two medical experts at Weskoppies wrote in South Africas medical journal that it was undesirable to house criminal suspects together with mentally ill patients who had not been charged with any crime, but noted the advantage of 24-hour scrutiny. "Under these conditions," they wrote, "any attempt to evade criminal responsibility by simulation of mental disorder is fraught with extreme difficulty." David Bingham USA Jersey .ca! 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Alejandro Bedoya Jersey .com) - Sixth-seeded Feliciano Lopez was a first-round winner on Monday at the Delray Beach Open tennis event. BALTIMORE -- The Boston Red Sox opened the new baseball season the same way they finished the last one -- by combining solid pitching and a relentless offence to win a series. Although taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles wasnt nearly as uplifting as winning the World Series, it still felt pretty darn good. Felix Doubront and four relievers combined kept Baltimores potent lineup in check, and David Ortiz had three of Bostons 12 hits off Wei-Yin Chen in a 4-3 victory Thursday night. Xander Bogaerts also had three hits for the defending champions. The 21-year-old shortstop has reached in eight of 12 plate appearances, collecting five hits and three walks. Boston finished with 14 hits, 12 of them singles. The Red Sox amassed 33 hits in the three games, including five by Ortiz, but even more impressive was that Boston limited the Orioles to seven runs over 27 innings. "Thats why they were the last team standing last year," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "They pitched better than everybody else for the most part, and I dont think Im telling anybody anything they dont know. You pitch real well, youve got a chance to play extra games at the end of the year." Doubront (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, and Bostons bullpen maintained its 0.00 ERA with 3 1-3 innings of three-hit relief. Chris Capuano got three straight outs in the seventh, Junichi Tazawa worked the eighth and Koji Uehara needed only seven pitches to retire the side in the ninth for his first save. Bostons bullpen allowed six hits over 7 1-3 innings in the series. "Thats going to be critical until we get to the point where we can push the starters a little bit more, or until their efficiency continues to climb," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. All told, there wasnt much to complain about. Bostons only loss in the series was in the opener, a 2-1 decision. "If you can start the season winning a series, thats what you want to do," third baseman Will Middlebrooks said. "Especially with a team like Baltimore, as good as they are and the staff they have. Were pretty happy with it." Bogaerts added, "Im really happy the way things are going so far. We lost the first one, but we ccame right back and won the next two.dddddddddddd." Matt Wieters had three hits for the Orioles and Chris Davis had two hits and scored twice, but it wasnt enough to win the deciding game of the series. "They threw well against us in three games, but you know, luckily its a long season," shortstop J.J. Hardy said. "Well see them again." Chen (0-1) gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings. The left-hander yielded 11 singles, one double and did not issue a walk. He left in the sixth after Middlebrooks doubled and scored on a two-out single by Jackie Bradley Jr. to put Boston ahead 4-2. "I allowed a lot of hits. Thats what I have to work on," Chen said through an interpreter. "I didnt allow a big inning. Thats what Im happy about." Baltimore chased Doubront in the bottom of the sixth. Davis singled, took third on a single by Wieters and scored on a wild pitch by Brandon Workman. Chen gave up singles to four of the first six batters he faced but got a pair of double plays to avoid extensive damage. After Boston put runners on the corners and no outs in the second inning, Bogaerts scored on a double-play grounder. The Red Sox made it 2-0 in the third. With two outs, Bradley scored from first base when a bloop single by Ortiz eluded the grasp of a diving Nelson Cruz. Three singles, the last by David Ross, put Boston up 3-0 in the fourth. The Orioles scored two in the bottom half on doubles by Davis and Wieters, along with an RBI single by Delmon Young. NOTES: Ericka Brannock, who lost most of her left leg in last years Boston Marathon bombing, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Brannock is a preschool teacher in Towson, Md. ... The Red Sox will receive their World Series rings in a pregame ceremony Friday before opening the home portion of their schedule against Milwaukee. Boston has won a franchise-record nine straight home openers. ... Baltimore hits the road to face the Detroit Tigers on Friday afternoon. Miguel Gonzalez starts for the Orioles against Anibal Sanchez. ... Baltimores Ryan Flaherty went 0 for 4 and is hitless in 11 at-bats this season. ... After hitting a home run in each of his first two games with Baltimore, Cruz went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. ' ' '