■TENNIS
Serbia win World Cup
Newcomers Serbia clinched the World Team Cup in Duesseldorf with a 2-1 victory over hosts Germany in the final on Saturday. Janko Tipsarevic gave Serbia their second, winning point when he beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4 for an unassailable 2-0 lead with the doubles rubber remaining. The Serbs, who also won all three group matches, grabbed the lead when Viktor Troicki edged past Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-6. Serbia became the first country since Yugoslavia in 1990 to win the cup on their debut appearance, organizers said. Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev took a point for Germany in the dead doubles rubber, beating Troicki and doubles world No. 1 Nenad Zimonjic 7-5, 4-6, 10-7.
■TENNIS
Lopez takes first ATP title
Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez won his first career ATP title as he took the Kitzbuhel claycourt tournament with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory over Frenchman Julien Benneteau in Kitzbuhel, Austria, on Saturday. After a titanic struggle that lasted 3 hours and 10 minutes the 25-year-old Garcia-Lopez, ranked 74 in the world, tasted his first tournament triumph over the right-handed Benneteau. Benneteau finished on the losing side of the net in his third appearance in a final, as the Spaniard overcame the setback of losing the first set 6-3 when there were five breaks of serve. Garcia-Lopez sharpened his game in the second set and Benneteau was forced to save two set points at 5-6, before falling apart in the tie-break which the Spaniard won comfortably 7-1.
■TENNIS
Rezai wins in Strasbourg
Aravane Rezai of France beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (2), 6-1 on Saturday to win her first WTA Tour title at the Strasbourg International. The No. 79 Rezai saved eight break points in the first set, rallying from 5-3 down as Hradecka wasted a chance to serve out the opener. Rezai won six consecutive games in the second set and closed it out on her fifth match point. Rezai is the first Frenchwoman to win at Strasbourg, where past winners included Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. It was Rezai’s third final.
■BOXING
Rigondeaux TKOs Noriega
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux won his professional debut with a third-round technical knockout over Juan Noriega on Friday. Rigondeaux, who defected from Cuba in February, was not as busy with his punches, but still wore down the American in their junior featherweight bout at the Fontainebleau Hotel and Resort in Miami. Referee Sam Burgos stopped the fight at 1:09 of the third round after Rigondeaux landed a right to the head without any follow-up shots. Noriega didn’t dispute Burgos’ call.
■CYCLING
Valverde maintains lead
Alejandro Valverde of Spain maintained his 15-second overall lead in the Volta of Catalunya after Saturday’s next-to-last stage. Thor Hushovd of Norway, riding for the Cervelo team, won the sixth stage by edging Fabio Sabatini of Italy and Greg Henderson of New Zealand in the final sprint of the 150.5km leg between Torredembarra and Barcelona. Hushovd, a sprint expert who finished second in Friday’s fifth stage and won last Monday’s prologue, timed 3 hours, 26 minutes and 43 seconds. With one stage remaining, Valverde is ahead of Daniel Martin of Ireland. Haimar Zubeldia of Spain is 22 seconds back in third.
■SOCCER
Trofense, Belenenses go out
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