U.S. advances to Baseball World Cup

Colby Rasmus homered leading off the bottom of the first inning and the United States beat the Netherlands 5-0 Saturday to advance to the final of the Baseball World Cup in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Americans will play today against Cuba, which defeated Japan 5-3.

Matt Wright (2-0) allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two for the Americans. Neal Musser, Lee Gronkiewicz and Chris Booker followed with an inning each, completing a six-hitter that put the United States in the final for the first time since 2001.

•Kenny Rogers is representing himself as a free agent, the Detroit Tigers confirmed.

The move seems to be a sign that the left-handed pitcher is closer to returning to Detroit and not letting agent Scott Boras shop his services to the highest bidder.

“I still hope to be in a Tiger uniform in 2008,” Rogers wrote in an e-mail to the Associated Press earlier this week before reports surfaced that he fired agent Boras.

The Tigers have been busy since the season ended, exercising the option on Ivan Rodriguez’s contract to keep him behind the plate, trading for shortstop Edgar Renteria and outfielder Jacque Jones and resigning closer Todd Jones.

Soccer

Revolution return

Three times the New England Revolution have played in the MLS Cup.

Three times, they’ve lost.

All three games went to overtime.

One even went to penalty kicks.

Needless to say, they are sick of losing.

“We’ve got to win this thing,” midfielder Steve Ralston said. “It’d be a shame for this group of guys to go to four championships – three in a row – and not win one. There’s a lot of pressure. We feel like we need to win.”

The Revolution get their fourth shot at the MLS title today in Washington, facing a group of Houston Dynamo players that knows better than any how to win it all. The Dynamo have captured the trophy three times since 2001, counting the two titles won as the San Jose Earthquakes before the franchise relocated to Texas last year.

It’s the team that always wins the big game vs. the one that never does.

•The United States hopes the 2010 World Cup ends this way.

Steve Cherundolo scored in the 27th minute, and the U.S. beat World Cup host South Africa 1-0 in Johannesburg, South Africa, in an exhibition game that closed the Americans’ first year under coach Bob Bradley.

“We had a fantastic experience and are looking forward to coming back,” Cherundolo said.

At 28, the oldest player on the U.S. roster, Cherundolo scored his second goal in 43 international appearances. The defender ran onto a pass from Maurice Edu along the right flank and put the ball over goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez on an angled shot from about 7 yards.

Tennis

Federer dominates

It was one of those stretches that most players can only dream about. For Roger Federer, it was another day at the office – thanks to a lot of hard work off the court.

Against Rafael Nadal, the top-ranked Federer won 15 straight points in 11 minutes. The Spaniard, who had been matching him stroke for stroke for eight games, was left to wonder what hit him.

Suddenly the rivalry was a rout, and Federer was in the Masters Cup final with a 6-4, 6-1 victory in Shanghai, China. Seeking his second consecutive title and fourth overall at the season-ending event for the world’s top eight players, the Swiss star will play today against sixth-ranked David Ferrer, who beat No. 5 Andy Roddick 6-1, 6-3.

Miscellany

Kramer sets record

Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer shattered the world record in the 5,000 meters, knocking over 4 seconds off the mark in a World Cup event in Calgary, Alberta.

Kramer finished in 6 minutes, 3.32 seconds at the Olympic Oval to erase the previous record of 6:07.40 set by Italy’s Enrico Fabris on Nov. 10 in the season-opening World Cup event in Salt Lake City.

•The Netherlands’ Marleen Veldhuis and Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand broke world records at swimming’s short course Arena World Cup in Berlin.

Veldhuis clocked 23.58 seconds to lower the women’s 50-meter freestyle record by 0.01.

The 40-year-old Torres finished in 23.82 to better the U.S. record for the second time within hours.

•Mao Asada fell on the opening jump of her free skate, but came back strongly to beat former world champion Kimmie Meissner and win the Trophee Bompard in Paris in a rout. Asada, the reigning world silver medalist, finished with 179.80 points, more than 20 points ahead of Meissner (158.74). Another American, Ashley Wagner, was third.

•Former Australian finance minister John Fahey was elected to succeed Dick Pound as head of the World Anti-Doping Agency in Madrid, Spain, despite a European attempt to postpone the vote for six months to find another candidate.

•At Atlantic City, N.J., WBO junior-welterweight champion Joan Guzman remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over Humberto Soto.