Fri, Oct 17, 2008 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■GOLF

  Furyk wins PGA Grand Slam

  Jim Furyk won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf by birdieing the final hole to force a playoff with Padraig Harrington and winning with an 8-foot eagle putt on the first extra hole on Wednesday. Furyk shot his second straight 2-under 68 to match Harrington at 4-under 136 on the Mid Ocean Club course in Tucker’s Town, Bermuda. Harrington, the British Open and US PGA champion, also shot consecutive 68s. “Obviously, I had a chance to win,” Harrington said. “I think Jim played well, solid golf through the two days, and you know, is a deserved winner, but I had opportunities ... That’s the way it goes sometimes.” Retief Goosen shot a 71 to finish at 1 over, and Masters champion Trevor Immelman had a 69 to end up last at 5 over.

  ■TENNIS

  Venus triumphs in Zurich

  Venus Williams began her bid to recapture the Zurich Open title she last won in 1999 by defeating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. The second round match did not go entirely smoothly for the American, although she was never placed under any real pressure. Although Williams hit four aces she also produced four double-faults, and her several advances to the net were not always successful. After failing to convert three break points at 2-1, and needing to save a break point at 3-3 before holding on her sixth game point, Williams finally broke to lead 5-3 with a fine forehand winner. The second set was decided when Bondarenko double-faulted to drop her serve at 1-1, and although Williams failed to take two match points on her opponent’s serve at 5-3 she closed out the match in the next game. In other matches, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta took just 54 minutes to overwhelm Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-1 and Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson rallied to defeat Austria’s Sybille Bammer 0-6, 7-5, 6-4.

  ■TENNIS

  Federer advances in Madrid

  Roger Federer beat Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to advance into the third round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday. The Swiss second seed returned successfully to the ATP after a three-week pause as he determines his remaining schedule through next month’s Masters Cup in Shanghai. In other matches Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back from 3-5 down in the final set to beat Spaniard Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) while Novak Djokovic escaped against Romanian Victor Hanescu, who retired with a groin injury to hand a 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (10/8), 3-1 victory to the Serb. Ninth seed Juan del Potro also advanced without completing his match as Finn Jarkko Nieminen quit while trailing 6-2, 4-2 with a thigh injury. David Nalbandian began his title defense by overcoming Czech Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1. Ivo Karlovic fired 24 aces as he beat Swede Robin Soderling 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (10/8). Robby Ginepri shocked fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

  ■GOLF

  Ballesteros stable after op

  Seve Ballesteros was in stable condition on Wednesday after undergoing surgery on a brain tumor a day earlier. La Paz hospital said were no complications from the surgery. Spanish state news agency Efe reported the operation lasted 12 hours. The hospital said a sizable part of the 51-year-old Spaniard’s tumor was removed. It was not immediately known if it was malignant. “At the moment he is conscious and stable, although he will not be able to receive any visitors in the coming days until he has recovered from the surgical process,’’ the hospital said in a statement.
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