In brief: Djokovic vs Federer for ATP Finals title
TENNIS: Roger Federer saved four match points to reach a ninth final at the ATP Finals in a thrilling 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) win over fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in London on Saturday.
Wawrinka had Federer under constant pressure from the baseline, and kept his composure until he served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set. He dropped his serve following three clumsy approaches to the net on match points.
Federer saved the fourth one with a service winner in the tiebreak then converted his first chance to seal the semifinal.
Federer will face Novak Djokovic in today’s final.
• Djokovic dispatches Nishikori: Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame a lapse of concentration to beat Kei Nishikori 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 and advance to a third straight final at the ATP Finals.
The Serb, who sealed the year-end No. 1 spot after finishing unbeaten in the round robin phase, dropped his first set since the start of the tournament after losing his focus early in the second set.
Cavs hit first 11 3- pointers, beat Hawks
NBA: LeBron James scored 32 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers made their first 11 3-point attempts, including nine in the first quarter, to rout the Atlanta Hawks 127-94 in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to go 9 for 9 or better from behind the arc in a quarter, according to information provided to the team by the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Cavaliers set a team record by going 19 for 31 on 3s.
• Thompson leads Warriors to best start in 20 years: Klay Thompson scored 21 points, Stephen Curry added 19 points and nine assists, and Golden State beat Charlotte 112-87 in Oakland, California, extending its best start in 20 years.
Andrew Bogut had 13 points and nine rebounds in the win that kept the Warriors atop the Pacific Division and matched the start of the 1994-95 Golden State team.
• Kings snap losing streak to Spurs: DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 10 rebounds, helping Sacramento beat San Antonio 94-91 in Sacramento, California.
With the win the Kings snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Spurs.
• DeRozan, Raptors roll past Jazz: DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Jonas Valanciunas set season highs with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Toronto beat Utah 111-93 in Toronto, for its sixth win in seven games.
• Paul leads Clippers past Suns: Chris Paul scored 32 points and had nine assists, Blake Griffin added 19 points, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 120-107 in Los Angeles.
All five Clippers starters reached double-digit scoring more than two minutes before the end of the third quarter. DeAndre Jordan added 18 rebounds and 12 points for the Clippers.
Parenteau, Weise lead Canadiens past Flyers
NHL: Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and Dale Weise both scored twice and Sergei Gonchar had two assists to reach 800 career points as Montreal beat Philadelphia 6-3 in Montreal, for its fifth straight victory.
David Desharnais and P.K. Subban also scored for Atlantic Division-leading Montreal.
• Penguins win in shootout: Brandon Sutter scored in the fourth round of the shootout, after the Rangers thought they had won it, and Pittsburgh escaped with a 3-2 victory over New York, in Pittsburgh.
Dan Boyle appeared to win it for the Rangers in the third round, but his goal was then disallowed after a video review showed he hit the puck a second time on a rebound.
• Bruins snap losing streak: Seth Griffith and Patrice Bergeron scored in the first, Tuukka Rask stopped 33 shots and Boston rebounded from a pair of embarrassing losses with a 2-1 win over Carolina, in Boston.
The Bruins had lost their past two games by a combined 11-2 on the road at Toronto and Montreal.
• Blues trade Leopold: The St. Louis Blues have traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
Elliott celebrates Nationwide title
AUTO RACING: Chase Elliott finally got to celebrate his Nationwide Series championship after he finished 17th in the season finale at Homestead (Florida)-Miami Speedway.
Elliott became the youngest champion in NASCAR history last week when he wrapped up the title at Phoenix.
The 18-year-old rookie is the youngest driver to win a title in any of NASCAR’s three national series. He broke the mark set by Brian Vickers, who was 20 when he won the Nationwide title in 2003.
• Schumacher wins Top Fuel world championship: Tony Schumacher won a record eighth Top Fuel world championship at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.
Schumacher secured his first season title since 2009 when closest challenger Spencer Massey failed to improve on his sixth-place qualifying position.
Kim leads Lorena Ochoa Invitational
GOLF : Christina Kim shot a 4-under 68 increasing her lead to five strokes in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico City.
A stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds, Kim had a 14-under 202 total at Club de Golf Mexico. She won the last of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2005.
• Bohn takes lead into final round in Mexico: Jason Bohn had a 4-under 67 on a rainy day to take a one-shot lead over Shawn Stefani in the OHL Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
With two tough pars, Bohn stretched his lead to three shots going into the 18th hole on the El Camaleon course at Mayakoba.
Stefani made a 20-foot birdie putt for a 68. Bohn three-putted across the green for his only bogey on the back nine, a two-shot swing that reduced his lead to one shot.
• Esposito Jr. leads Senior PGA Pro: Frank Esposito Jr. shot a 5-under 67 at PGA Golf Club to take a four-stroke lead in the Senior PGA Professional National Championship in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Jeff Coston, the 2006 winner and three-time champion of Spokane’s Rosauers Open, was second after a 71
Chiefs sign DE Bailey to contract extension
MISCELLANY: The Chiefs and Allen Bailey agreed to a four-year, $25 million contract extension that could keep the defensive end playing in Kansas City through the 2018 season.
The former third-round pick is guaranteed $15 million and will receive a $10 million signing bonus, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Bailey, 25, is on pace for nearly eight sacks this season, which would be the most for a Chiefs defensive lineman since Jared Allen had 15 1/2 sacks during the 2007 season.
• Summitt wins debut as La. Tech coach: Tyler Summitt, son of Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, won his debut as coach of Louisiana Tech when the Lady Techsters rallied to beat Stephen F. Austin 76-69 at Nacogdoches, Texas.
• Women make 4-man bobsled history: Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries of Canada finished sixth and Olympic silver medalist Elana Meyers Taylor of the U.S. was seventh, becoming the first women to drive against men in an international four-man bobsled competition, at Park City, Utah.
Bobsled’s international governing body ruled this year that four-man sliding will be considered gender neutral going forward, meaning women will have a chance to compete in four-man against males.
• Maze wins World Cup women’s slalom: Tina Maze of Slovenia won the women’s World Cup slalom opener in Levi, Finland, with an overall time of 1 minute, 55.15 seconds while defending world champion Mikaela Shiffrin came 11th and said she had “lessons to learn.”
• Brazilian Werdum beats Hunt in UFC 180: Fabricio Werdum won the interim heavyweight title when he stopped Mark Hunt in the second round at UFC 180 in Mexico City.
Werdum (19-5-1) got off to a slow start, but hit Hunt with a right knee to the face to secure the win in the UFC’s debut in Mexico.