Sharp Sharapova wins Pacific Life
Maria Sharapova was rock solid in the wind against Elena Dementieva in the Pacific Life Open title match in Indian Wells, Calif.
The 18-year-old Sharapova, her blonde pony tail whipping in the gusts, defeated Dementieva 6-1, 6-2 Saturday in an all-Russian final.
In the men’s semifinals, No. 12 James Blake beat No. 2 Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3 to move into the championship match against two-time defending champion Roger Federer. No. 1 Federer cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Paradorn Srichaphan.
There was little wind during the men’s matches, which were sandwiched around the women’s midafternoon final.
Blake’s victory over the 19-year-old Spaniard means the tournament won’t have a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match for the title, but Blake will go into today’s match playing the best tennis of any American.
Winter Sports
Larsson posts a 1st
Markus Larsson posted his first World Cup win in Are, Sweden, in the final slalom of the season, and the United States finished with three men in the top 10 of the overall standings for the first time.
Larsson’s win came as discipline champion Giorgio Rocca failed to finish his fourth straight race in the event.
Bode Miller was third in the overall standings with 928 points and Daron Rahlves was fourth with 903, while Olympic combined gold medalist Ted Ligety was ninth.
•Janica Kostelic won the women’s World Cup giant slalom finale in Are, Sweden, and broke the record of Pernilla Wiberg for the number of points in a single season.
Kostelic, who clinched the World Cup overall title on Thursday, ended the season with 1,970 points after the last of 36 races.
Sweden’s Wiberg had 1,960 points in the 1996-97 season.
•Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Heil of Canada won her third straight overall World Cup moguls title after finishing second to Nikola Sudova of the Czech Republic in Penticton, British Columbia. Dale Begg-Smith, a Canadian who competes for Australia, won the men’s event and the overall title.
• Olympic champion Cindy Klassen broke her world record in the 3,000 meters at the ISU world allround speedskating championships in Calgary, Alberta.
The Canadian, who won five medals at the Turin Olympics, finished in 3 minutes, 53.34 seconds.
She trimmed more than 2 seconds off her mark of 3:55.75 from November, also set on the fast ice at the Calgary Olympic Oval.
Horse Racing
Like Now wins in N.Y.
Like Now cruised into the Kentucky Derby picture with a huge upset at the Gotham Stakes in New York.
Achilles of Troy, the 3-2 favorite, broke slowly from the gate, was never in contention and finished fifth.
In other Derby preps:
•Trainer John Sherriffs, who won the Derby last year with Giacomo, is in the chase again after A.P. Warrior won the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.
•Deputy Glitters upset Pletcher’s 2-5 favorite Bluegrass Cat in the Tampa Bay Derby.
•Lawyer Ron won his fifth straight by taking the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Swimming
Auburn takes title
Auburn coach David Marsh will always appreciate the American and NCAA records that Arizona set in the 400-yard freestyle relay at Athens, Ga. When Jenna Gresdal surged past Georgia’s Tricia Harm in the second leg of the meet’s final event at raucous Gabrielsen Natatorium, Arizona had enough energy to finish the relay in 3 minutes, 12.77 seconds. The Wildcats’ victory kept Georgia, which ended the season 11-1, from narrowly beating Auburn in the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships.