■ Soccer
Dracena to Fenerbahce
Cruzeiro defender Edu Dracena reached a four-year agreement on Saturday to play for Turkey's Fenerbahce. The 16-time Turkish league champ paid 5.7 million euros (US$7.2 million) for the 25-year-old Brazilian, whose full name is Eduardo Luis Abonisio de Souza, Cruzeiro said on its Web site. The deal was completed on Saturday afternoon in Cruzeiro's hometown of Belo Horizonte after a meeting between representatives from both clubs. Dracena played 161 matches for Cruzeiro since being acquired in 2003, scoring 13 times. He helped the club win the Brazilian Cup and the Brazilian league in 2003. Dracena, a member of Brazil's national squad in the 2003 Confederations Cup, previously played for Brazilian club Guarani and Greece's Olympiakos.
■ Soccer
Official's daughter released
Kidnappers released the 14-year-old daughter of a top official of the Honduran soccer federation, which had postponed five top-division soccer matches this weekend to express solidarity with the family, authorities said on Saturday. Veronica Isabel Sabillon, daughter of Argelio Sabillon, the head of the federation's disciplinary and referees commission, was released unharmed late on Friday in a village about 200km northwest of the capital of Tegucigalpa, the elder Sabillon said.
■ Golf
Kelly, Ramsay in final
Scotland's Richie Ramsay withstood his second penalty in two days to hold off Webb Simpson on Saturday in the semi-finals of the US Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Ramsay was to play University of Missouri senior John Kelly yesterday with the chance to become the first player from Scotland to win the US Amateur since Findlay Douglas in 1898. By advancing to yesterday's finals, Kelly and Ramsay earned an invitation to the US Open and the Masters. "That will be awesome," Kelly said.
■ Horse racing
Bernardini takes Travers
Bernardini dominated Bluegrass Cat in the stretch and easily won the US$1 million Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, by seven-and-a-half lengths on Saturday, added to series of impressive perforances. Following wins in the Jim Dandy by nine lengths and the Preakness by five-and-a-half lengths, Bernardini seized the lead just after the start and controlled all the way around the track under cloudy skies at a packed Saratoga Race Course. When Haskell winner Bluegrass Cat moved within a half-length of Bernardini around the turn, the three-year-old colt responded to jockey Javier Castellano by pulling away.
■ Golf
Davies leads at SAS Masters
Laura Davies shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the lead after the second round of the SAS Masters. The four-time major winner was 7-under 137 after 36 holes. Sarah Kemp (67) was two strokes behind in second place, followed by Sherry Byrnes (72) and overnight leader Virginie Lagoutte (74) at 3 under. The 54-hole tournament is played at Bogstad, a parklands course that is Norway's oldest.
■ Soccer
Ferdinand doubt for England
England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a toe injury that could keep him out of England's upcoming European Championship qualifying games. Ferdinand sustained the injury on Saturday in Man United's 2-1 victory at Watford in the Premier League. "We think Rio might have a broken toe, so I don't think he will be joining up with England," United manager Alex Ferguson said.
■ Soccer
AC Milan move for Oliveira
Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira passed a medical exam with AC Milan on Saturday and is close to signing with the team. Milan moved to sign Oliveira from Real Betis after talks to acquire Ronaldo from Real Madrid failed. Milan is seeking a striker to replace Andriy Shevchenko, who left for Chelsea. The 26-year-old Oliveira joined Betis from Valencia in 2004 and was the team's leading scorer in his first season with 22 goals. He moved to Sao Paulo on loan in April to aid his recovery from a serious knee ligament injury and recently returned to Spain.
■ Athletics
US triumphs in DecaNation
The US won the DecaNation on Saturday, an athletics meet that pits teams against each other in the decathlon's 10 events. The US won six events and finished with 104.5 points, while Germany -- which won three events -- was second with 100. Poland took third place with 90.5 points, finishing ahead of France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. France also won six events. Defending long jump world champion Tianna Madison recorded her best performance of the year, leaping 6.60m, while team captain Reese Hoffa won a shot put with a throw of 21.29m. Other US winners included Ryan Wilson in the men's 100 hurdles (13.40 seconds), Jesse Williams in the men's high jump (2.25m), Brianna Glenn in the women's 100 (11.27 seconds) and Dee Trotter in the women's 400m (50.85 seconds).
■ Cricket
Windies eye series in India
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is finalizing plans for a four-match limited-overs series against India in late January, an official said on Saturday. The board was negotiating with the Board for Cricket Control of India for the series to be played in India, said Zorol Barthley, the WICB's cricket operations manager. The series was originally planned as a triangular with Sri Lanka. However, Indian authorities have decided to play four matches against both teams. "We are still finalizing discussions, but it is looking like four one-dayers against India in India. If we had played the tri-series we would have had four matches play a final, so you could say we are one match short," Barthley said. The Indian board decided to split the series so they could get eight matches in preparation for next year's World Cup -- which will be held in the Caribbean for the first time. "It will be good preparation for us as well. Once all is put in place we will be quite happy with the arrangements," Barthley said.
Shaquille O’Neal is staying with TNT Sports on a new contract worth more than US$15 million per year, Front Office Sports reported on Friday. The news means the cast of Inside the NBA is staying together even as TNT is set to license out the show to ESPN starting next season. TNT was the odd network out in the NBA’s recent TV rights negotiations, as NBC and Amazon joined previous rightsholder ESPN in inking deals for basketball games. That left TNT without a need for pregame and postgame NBA shows. In a trade with ESPN, TNT is licensing Inside the NBA to the
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
Eugenie Bouchard already has her own signature pickleball paddle. She is No. 17 in the pickleball rankings and constantly appears on the main court at events because she is always a big draw. However, just to be absolutely clear, she is not retired from tennis. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist still practices on the tennis court, still competes at tennis events and still has a Women’s Tennis Association ranking (No. 1,288). The Canadian standout just has a new sport that has caught her attention. Bouchard is one of several familiar tennis names — like Jack Sock and Donald Young — crossing over to
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