By wire sources
Hsieh wins Malaysian Open
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei became the first Asian winner of the Malaysian Open on Sunday when her opponent Petra Martic retired with exhaustion after playing both her semifinal and final matches on the same day.
The unseeded Hsieh beat the fifth-seeded Martic 2-6, 7-5, 4-1.
Earlier Sunday, Martic beat second-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a semifinal lasting more than three hours. Rain triggered a suspension of play Saturday at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.
The Croatian had only a few hours to rest before facing Hsieh. Both were playing a WTA final for the first time.
The 21-year-old Martic won the first set and led the second by 4-2 before she began to significantly tire. She lost the set after appearing to have leg cramps.
Hsieh, 26, led 4-1 in the third set before Martic retired after an hour and 45 minutes.
The tournament has been plagued by rain delays and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday because of an elbow injury.
Anderson beats Matosevic to win Delray Beach title
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Kevin Anderson beat Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Sunday to win the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships for his second career ATP title.
The seventh-seeded Anderson, the first South African to win this 20-year-old tournament, is now 2-1 in career finals, having won his first title at the now defunct 2011 Johannesburg tournament.
The 36th-ranked Anderson — he’ll move up to around No. 30 in the next rankings — gained a lot of attention here this week as he beat the two American favorites — Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals and John Isner in the semis.
The 173rd-ranked Matosevic had the best week of his career.
The 26-year-old, who came in with a 3-15 record on the ATP Tour, had never before won consecutive matches.
The final loss ended Matosevic’s overall winning streak of 12 matches. He won all five matches while winning the Caloundra Challenger in Australia, then won three qualifying and four main draw matches at Delray Beach.
Notre Dame star runner John Panelli dead at 85
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Ex-Notre Dame star running back and NFL player John Panelli has died. He was 85.
AJ Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors said the Beverly Hills, Mich., resident died Friday in Royal Oak after a sudden illness.
Panelli was born in Morristown, N.J., and played fullback and linebacker for Notre Dame’s 1946 and 1947 national championship teams, averaging 7.5 yards a carry his senior year.
He was a 1949 first-round draft pick for Detroit, playing two seasons with the Lions and three with the Chicago Cardinals.
Leaving pro football, Panelli started J.R. Panelli Equipment Co., in Southfield.
Survivors include wife Margaret; sisters Angelina Lombardo and Anna Brockman; children John, Andrew, Peter and Velma; and four grandchildren.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Beverly Hills.
No. 1 Kentucky stays perfect in SEC
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Top-ranked Kentucky is perfect again in the Southeastern Conference.
Freshman Anthony Davis had 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, Terrence Jones added 19 points and the Wildcats capped a perfect season in league play with a 74-59 victory over No. 16 Florida on Sunday.
Kentucky (30-1, 16-0) extended its winning streak to 22 games and secured its hold on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats become just the third team since Alabama in 1956 to go unbeaten in SEC play. The other two? Kentucky. The powerhouse program accomplished the feat in 1996 and 2003.
The Wildcats used an 8-0 run in the second half to make it a double-digit lead, and then added a 7-0 run later to put the game out of reach.
Patric Young led Florida (22-9, 10-6) with 21 points.
Mr Gruff takes Hernandez Handicap
ARCADIA, Calif. — Odds-on favorite Mr Gruff led from the gate and won the $70,000 Joe Hernandez Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday for his sixth victory in eight starts on Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.
Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Ron Ellis, Mr Gruff easily overcame a tough inside draw in the field of eight to take the lead and never gave it up, holding off a charge from long shot Ain’t No Other to win by a half-length in 1:12.06.
All but one of the 8-year-old gelding’s seven lifetime wins came on the unique downhill layout at Santa Anita.
“This horse just loves running down the hill,” Ellis said.
Mr Gruff paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.60. Ain’t No Other paid $6.80 and $3.80. Australian import Pressday was third and returned $3.40 to show.
A son of Mr. Greeley and Ruff owned by Gary Broad, Mr Gruff earned $44,400 for a career total of $351,510. His lifetime record is 7-2-2 in 13 races.
Ellis said his next start would be Santa Anita’s April 21 San Simeon Handicap, a race Mr Gruff won in 2009 and 2010.
Wake Forest’s Holmes throws no-hitter vs. Marshall
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest’s Brian Holmes threw the Demon Deacons’ first no-hitter since 2000, striking out a career-high 10 in a 5-1 victory over Marshall on Sunday.
Holmes, a junior left-hander from Lawrenceville, Ga., walked one and threw 83 of his 125 pitches for strikes in his first career complete game. It was the school’s first no-hitter since Ben Clayton tossed one against UNC Greensboro on March 27, 2000.
Marshall scored its lone run in the sixth after Holmes (3-0) hit two batters and walked another to load the bases, and Nathan Gomez followed with a sacrifice fly.
By wire sources