In a strong statement leading to the Australian Open, Andy Murray has beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on consecutive days.
The Scotsman defeated the top-ranked Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on Saturday to capture the Capitala World Tennis Championship exhibition and $250,000 winner-take-all prize in the United Arab Emirates. A day earlier in the semifinals, he topped the No. 2-ranked Federer 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6).
The tournament, not part of the ATP Tour, included six of the world’s top 10 players.
Murray, who put on more muscle during the offseason, is ranked No. 4 and has yet to win a Grand Slam. He has a chance to change that at the Australian Open, which starts starts Jan. 19.
HOPMAN CUP — Alize Cornet overcame fatigue and French teammate Gilles Simon overcame some rustiness to beat Taiwan in Perth, Australia.
Cornet beat Hsieh Su-wei 6-4, 6-4 and Simon, who moved up in the rankings from No. 29 to No. 7 last year, defeated Lu Yen-hsun 6-3, 7-6 (8). The two then combined to beat Hsieh and Lu 6-4, 7-6 (9) in mixed doubles to complete France’s 3-0 win, saving five set points in the tiebreaker. The duo will play Italy on Tuesday.
The defending champion United States, represented by Meghann Shaughnessy and James Blake, takes on Slovakia on Monday.
Prep wrestling
SPRINGSTEAD DUALS — Manatee High was 2-3 in five dual matches in Spring Hill.
The Hurricanes opened with wins over Durant (48-25) and Tampa Chamberlain (84-0), then lost to Miami Columbus (39-36), Lakeland Lake Gibson (36-28) and Spring Hill Springstead (50-22).
Four Manatee wrestlers were 4-1 on the day — Steven Cotton (135 pounds), Daniel Dykes (145), Isaac Riley (160) and Samuel Gregory (189).
The Hurricanes are back in action Wednesday at Venice.
Skiing
CROSS COUNTRY — Frigid temperatures forced organizers of the sprint championships to cancel the event in Anchorage, Alaska.
Race organizers hoped to hold the sprint races today, if the cold snap that has gripped much of the state for the past week loosens its grip a bit.
Forecasters, however, said the bitterly cold weather was expected to continue.
WORLD CUP — Germany won the four-man team competition of the Nordic combined event in Schonach, Germany.
Georg Hettich, Eric Frenzel, Bjoern Kircheisen and Tino Edelmann finished 16.9 seconds ahead of Norway in the 20-kilometer relay. Austria was third.
The U.S. team of Todd Lodwick, Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane and Brett Camerota finished sixth overall, moving up in the relay after finishing eighth in the jumping.
Motorsports
OBITUARY — Former NASCAR Rookie of the Year Sam McQuagg died, his son said. He was 73.
McQuagg died around 7:30a.m. at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Ga.
Preliminary medical reports show McQuagg died from cancer, his son said. McQuagg began racing in the 1950s and entered his first NASCAR race in 1962. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1965.
Hockey
WORLD JUNIORS — Mikael Backlund helped Sweden advance to the championship final, scoring two goals in a 5-3 comeback victory over Slovakia in Ottawa.
Sweden will face the Canada-Russia semifinal winner Monday night.
— Herald wire services
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