Federer takes Japan Open championship
Top-ranked Roger Federer coasted to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Britain’s Tim Henman on Sunday to capture his first Japan Open title in Tokyo.
Federer took control early, taking advantage of a double fault to break the 10th-seeded Henman and go up 4-2 before closing out the first set with an ace.
Henman struggled with his serve and had six double faults.
In the women’s final, top-seeded Marion Bartoli of France rallied to defeat Japan’s Aiko Nakamura 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. After a shaky start, Bartoli quickly recovered and cruised to a win over the Japanese wild card for her first Japan Open title.
•Nadia Petrova won her fifth title of the year at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, beating 18-year-old Tatiana Golovin of France 6-3, 7-6 (4).
•Olympic doubles champion Sun Tiantian of China won her first career WTA singles title in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, beating local wild-card Iroda Tulyaganova 6-2, 6-4 in the final of the Tashkent Open.
•Serbia’s Novak Djokovic beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the Open de Moselle final in Metz, France.
Track and Field
Kiplagat sets a record
Lornah Kiplagat set a world record in the women’s 20-kilometer road race in Debrecen, Hungary, winning in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 21 seconds at the inaugural IAAF World Road Running Championships.
Kiplagat, who moved to the Netherlands from Kenya in 2003, broke the previous record of 1:03.26, set by England’s Paula Radcliffe on Oct. 6, 2001, in Bristol, England.
Kiplagat was second at the 2005 half marathon world championships – now replaced by the 20-kilometer road race – and is the reigning European cross-country champion.
Constantina Tomescu of Romania, who beat Kiplagat at the 2005 world half marathon event, also broke Radcliffe’s mark. Tomescu took silver, finishing 2 seconds behind Kiplagat.
Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea won the men’s 20K race in 56:01, with Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba of Kenya in second and Wilson Kiprotich third.
Horse racing
Asi Siempre wins big
Asi Siempre is headed to the Breeders’ Cup after drawing away to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
After racing exclusively on the turf, Asi Siempre made a smooth transition to Polytrack and moved between horses at the top of the stretch to beat Soul Search.
Ridden by Julien Leparoux, the 4-year-old daughter of El Prado won for the sixth time in 15 starts and will run next in the BC Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, trainer Patrick Biancone said.
Promenade Girl was third. Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:51.97.
Asi Siempre earned $310,000 for owner Martin S. Schwartz and boosted her bankroll to $646,016. Asi Siempre paid $11, $5.80 and $4.60. Soul Search, ridden by Robby Albarado, returned $17.80 and $7.80 and Promenade Girl, with Eddie Castro aboard, paid $6.
Earlier, Sgt. Bert won the $114,600 Woodford Stakes for the second straight year.