Times wires
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tennis
Djokovic tops Nadal for title at Indian Wells
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Novak Djokovic beat top-ranked Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Open title Sunday.
Djokovic improved to 18-0, including victories at the Australian Open and in Dubai last month. He will move into the No. 2 spot when the ATP Tour rankings are released today, having bumped Roger Federer to third after he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals. Nadal will stay No. 1.
"It definitely says good things. I am playing with a lot of confidence. I'm feeling the ball well on the court," Djokovic said. "I'm very dedicated. I have a big will to win each match."
Meanwhile, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki defeated 15th-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to win the title a year after she lost in the final.
Wozniacki won her WTA Tour-leading 19th match of the year and her second title while appearing in her third straight final.
NFL
Ex-Houston WR Hill dies after strokes
Former WR Drew Hill, 54, a two-time Pro Bowl player who was a key part of the Oilers' famed "Run and Shoot" offense of the 1980s, died late Friday at an Atlanta hospital after suffering two massive strokes, agent Jay Mathis said.
Mr. Hill, a Pro Bowl wideout in 1998 and 1990, played for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-84), Oilers (1985-91) and Falcons (1992-93), and the 12th-round pick from Georgia Tech had 634 catches for 9,831 yards and 60 touchdowns.
Colleges
USF baseball tops Bethune-Cookman
Junior LHP Matt Reed went eight shutout innings and USF (9-11) had an unearned run in the fourth inning for a 1-0 win over Bethune-Cookman in Tampa. Sophomore LF Alex Mendez scored on an errant throw by Wildcats starter Scott Garner, who pitched a four-hitter.
More baseball: Florida (18-2, 3-0 SEC), ranked No. 1 by Baseball America, rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 7-3 win at No. 8 LSU (16-4, 0-3) to complete a sweep.
Football: Alabama S Mark Barron, who led the team with 75 tackles in 2010, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of hindering prosecution, the Mobile County Sheriff's Office said.
Hockey: Yale earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and North Dakota, Boston College and Miami of Ohio are the other top seeds.
Softball: Freshman Kourtney Salvarola had a three-run home run as USF (18-15) beat Florida A&M 10-3 in Clearwater.
Et cetera
Fishing: Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., rallied from 20th place to win the Bassmaster Power-Pole Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River in Palatka.
Horses: Jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. won three times to raise his season total to 59 at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar.
Soccer: Midfielder Stuart Holden needed 26 stitches to close a gash near his left knee and was dropped along with defenders Steve Cherundolo (groin) and Zak Whitbread (back) from the U.S. national team's exhibition games against Argentina on Saturday and Paraguay on March 29. Holden was injured when Manchester United's Jonny Evans hit him during Bolton's 1-0 loss Saturday in the English Premier League.
Times wires