Agassi wins 50th career title in Arizona
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — No. 1 seed Andre Agassi captured career title No. 50 Sunday by defeating Juan Balcells 6-2, 7-6 at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Agassi became the eighth player since 1968 to collect 50 or more titles. Pete Sampras leads active players with 63 career titles.
The victory also marked Agassi’s fourth Scottsdale title. Agassi won the finals in 1993, 1994 and 1998. Aggasi’s father flew in from Las Vegas for the match, and Agassi presented his trophy to his father after the match.
Agassi defeated No.7 Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal round on Saturday in order to advance to Sunday’s final. Balcells downed Rainer Schuetter 6-3, 6-1 to earn the other finals spot.
Agassi lost in the final match of the Seibel Open last week in San Jose, Calif. He has shown that his right wrist, which caused him to withdraw from the Australian Open, does not cause him any noticeable problems.
Els captures Dubai Desert Classic title
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Ernie Els won his third PGA title of the year Sunday at the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates.
Els finished the final day at 69, 16-under par, bringing his four-day total at 272. He finished four strokes ahead of Niclas Fasth to win the first prize, $250,000. Fasth finished four stokes behind Els at 276.
Carl Pettersson finished third with 227 overall, 11 strokes off of Els.
Els also won last week in the Genuity Class in Miami at the Doral Blue Monster course.
Els captured his first victory this year at the Heineken Classic, held in Melbourne, Australia.
With the victory at Dubai, Els became the first PGA player to win the tournament twice. He won the first time back in 1994.
Red Sox hire Little as new manager
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Cleveland Indians bench coach Grady Little was hired Monday by the Boston Red Sox as their new manager.
Little replaced Mike Cubbage, who was serving as an interim manager after Joe Kerrigan was fired March 5.
Little managed in the minor leagues for 16 years for Baltimore, Toronto and Atlanta. He was selected manager of the year four times.
He served as a bench coach for the San Diego Padres in 1996. He coached the Red Sox from 1997-99 with former manager Jimmy Williams. Little then moved to Cleveland, where he was in his third year.
Team President Larry Lucchino, former president of the San Diego Padres, confirmed the hiring about an hour after the team was greeted in a team meeting by their new manager.
Little signed a two-year contract with options and became the 43rd manager in Red Sox history. His hiring gives the Red Sox a full coaching staff.
Atlanta rookie out with shoulder injury
DULUTH, Ga. – Forward Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers dislocated his collarbone and will not return this season, according to the Thrashers.
Kovalchuk, 18, leads the NHL rookies and his team in goals scored with 29. He was also the top pick in last year’s draft, the first Russian to have the distinction.
He fell into the boards in a 6-1 loss to the New York Islanders Sunday, banging his right shoulder. Islander forward Shawn Bates hit Kovalchuk in the second period, causing the collision with the boards.
Kovalchuk played in the Salt Lake City Olympics for Russia, helping his team to a bronze medal finish.
The Thrashers have 16 games left in the regular season. The team has 43 points, placing it last in the league.
Stewart wins first career 500-mile race
HAMPTON, Ga. – Tony Stewart captured his first career 500-mile victory Sunday in the MBNA America 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
With 24 laps left to go, Stewart’s Pontiac passed Ward Burton to take the lead for good to take his 13th career victory. The lead change was the 34th of the day but also the final.
Stewart also held off Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished second. Earnhardt passed Burton with 22 laps to go.
Stewart crossed the finish line about five car lengths ahead of Earnhardt, a much different victory than the previous two years.
Last year, Kevin Harvick edged Jeff Gordon by .006 seconds, and the year before, Bobby Labonte beat Dale Earnhardt, Sr., by .01 seconds.
Rookie Jimmie Johnson finished third, Matt Kenseth placed fourth and Ricky Craven finished fifth.
Kenseth was forced to start the race in the back because he changed engines after qualifying.
March 14, 2002