■ Soccer
Dracena to Fenerbahce
Cruzeiro defender Edu Dracena reached a four-year agreement on Saturday to play for Turkey's Fenerbahce. The 16-time Turkish league champ paid 5.7 million euros (US$7.2 million) for the 25-year-old Brazilian, whose full name is Eduardo Luis Abonisio de Souza, Cruzeiro said on its Web site. The deal was completed on Saturday afternoon in Cruzeiro's hometown of Belo Horizonte after a meeting between representatives from both clubs. Dracena played 161 matches for Cruzeiro since being acquired in 2003, scoring 13 times. He helped the club win the Brazilian Cup and the Brazilian league in 2003. Dracena, a member of Brazil's national squad in the 2003 Confederations Cup, previously played for Brazilian club Guarani and Greece's Olympiakos.
■ Soccer
Official's daughter released
Kidnappers released the 14-year-old daughter of a top official of the Honduran soccer federation, which had postponed five top-division soccer matches this weekend to express solidarity with the family, authorities said on Saturday. Veronica Isabel Sabillon, daughter of Argelio Sabillon, the head of the federation's disciplinary and referees commission, was released unharmed late on Friday in a village about 200km northwest of the capital of Tegucigalpa, the elder Sabillon said.
■ Golf
Kelly, Ramsay in final
Scotland's Richie Ramsay withstood his second penalty in two days to hold off Webb Simpson on Saturday in the semi-finals of the US Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Ramsay was to play University of Missouri senior John Kelly yesterday with the chance to become the first player from Scotland to win the US Amateur since Findlay Douglas in 1898. By advancing to yesterday's finals, Kelly and Ramsay earned an invitation to the US Open and the Masters. "That will be awesome," Kelly said.
■ Horse racing
Bernardini takes Travers
Bernardini dominated Bluegrass Cat in the stretch and easily won the US$1 million Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, by seven-and-a-half lengths on Saturday, added to series of impressive perforances. Following wins in the Jim Dandy by nine lengths and the Preakness by five-and-a-half lengths, Bernardini seized the lead just after the start and controlled all the way around the track under cloudy skies at a packed Saratoga Race Course. When Haskell winner Bluegrass Cat moved within a half-length of Bernardini around the turn, the three-year-old colt responded to jockey Javier Castellano by pulling away.
■ Golf
Davies leads at SAS Masters
Laura Davies shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the lead after the second round of the SAS Masters. The four-time major winner was 7-under 137 after 36 holes. Sarah Kemp (67) was two strokes behind in second place, followed by Sherry Byrnes (72) and overnight leader Virginie Lagoutte (74) at 3 under. The 54-hole tournament is played at Bogstad, a parklands course that is Norway's oldest.
■ Soccer
Ferdinand doubt for England
England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a toe injury that could keep him out of England's upcoming European Championship qualifying games. Ferdinand sustained the injury on Saturday in Man United's 2-1 victory at Watford in the Premier League. "We think Rio might have a broken toe, so I don't think he will be joining up with England," United manager Alex Ferguson said.
■ Soccer
AC Milan move for Oliveira
Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira passed a medical exam with AC Milan on Saturday and is close to signing with the team. Milan moved to sign Oliveira from Real Betis after talks to acquire Ronaldo from Real Madrid failed. Milan is seeking a striker to replace Andriy Shevchenko, who left for Chelsea. The 26-year-old Oliveira joined Betis from Valencia in 2004 and was the team's leading scorer in his first season with 22 goals. He moved to Sao Paulo on loan in April to aid his recovery from a serious knee ligament injury and recently returned to Spain.
■ Athletics
US triumphs in DecaNation
The US won the DecaNation on Saturday, an athletics meet that pits teams against each other in the decathlon's 10 events. The US won six events and finished with 104.5 points, while Germany -- which won three events -- was second with 100. Poland took third place with 90.5 points, finishing ahead of France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. France also won six events. Defending long jump world champion Tianna Madison recorded her best performance of the year, leaping 6.60m, while team captain Reese Hoffa won a shot put with a throw of 21.29m. Other US winners included Ryan Wilson in the men's 100 hurdles (13.40 seconds), Jesse Williams in the men's high jump (2.25m), Brianna Glenn in the women's 100 (11.27 seconds) and Dee Trotter in the women's 400m (50.85 seconds).
■ Cricket
Windies eye series in India
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is finalizing plans for a four-match limited-overs series against India in late January, an official said on Saturday. The board was negotiating with the Board for Cricket Control of India for the series to be played in India, said Zorol Barthley, the WICB's cricket operations manager. The series was originally planned as a triangular with Sri Lanka. However, Indian authorities have decided to play four matches against both teams. "We are still finalizing discussions, but it is looking like four one-dayers against India in India. If we had played the tri-series we would have had four matches play a final, so you could say we are one match short," Barthley said. The Indian board decided to split the series so they could get eight matches in preparation for next year's World Cup -- which will be held in the Caribbean for the first time. "It will be good preparation for us as well. Once all is put in place we will be quite happy with the arrangements," Barthley said.
Jemimah Rodrigues on Thursday hit an unbeaten 127 as India pulled off a record chase of 339 against Australia to set up a Women’s World Cup final against South Africa. Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit 89, put on 167 runs for the third wicket as India won with nine balls and five wickets to spare at DY Patil Stadium, on the outskirts of Mumbai. The hosts finished on a total of 341-5 in reply to Australia’s impressive 338 and ensured there would be a new name on the 50-over trophy tomorrow. Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary to trigger wild celebrations
ANFIELD BLUES: Kylian Mbappe arrived at Anfield on a run of 21 goals in 17 games, but he managed just three attempts in the match, none of them hitting the target Kylian Mbappe has been nearly unstoppable this season, but he hit a roadblock in their UEFA Champions League match at Anfield on Tuesday. For the second year running, the Real Madrid forward had a night to forget at Merseyside as Liverpool won 1-0. Mbappe looked a shadow of the player who has been tearing defenses apart all season. “We were lacking that threat in the final third,” said Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, without naming Mbappe individually. The FIFA World Cup winner for France rarely looked capable of finding a breakthrough against a Liverpool team who have been so defensively fragile for much of the
Jannik Sinner on Thursday eased past Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 at the Paris Masters to set up a quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton, while reigning champion Alexander Zverev earned a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round. A maiden crown in the French capital would return Sinner to No. 1 in the world rankings after current incumbent Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock early exit at the hands of Britain’s Cameron Norrie. The Italian four-time Grand Slam champion is yet to drop a set in the tournament as he hones in on what would be a fifth title of the
LOCAL SUCCESS: In the doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in straight sets Elena Rybakina on Monday punched her ticket to the WTA Finals last four with an impressive 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over second seed Iga Swiatek in round-robin play in Riyadh. After cruising past Amanda Anisimova in her opener on Saturday, Rybakina claimed her second win of the week to guarantee herself top spot in the Serena Williams Group. Anisimova on Monday rallied back from a set and a break down to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her all-American battle with seventh seed Madison Keys, who has been eliminated from the competition. “Madi was playing so well, it was quite a battle out there,”
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