GOLF

Poulter roars past Garcia to reach Match Play final

Ian Poulter reached the final of the Match Play Championship on Saturday with an easy victory over Sergio Garcia at Marana, Ariz.

Poulter built an early lead in the wind, rain and cold, and went on to a 7-and-6 victory.

In the other semifinal match, Camilo Villegas of Colombia had a 1-up lead over Paul Casey with six holes remaining. Casey was a finalist a year ago.

Casey advanced to the semis by beating Stewart Cink in 14 holes at chilly, windy Dove Mountain, where light rain turned heavy late Saturday morning.

Cink’s loss left no Americans in the afternoon semifinals for the first time in the tournament’s 12-year history.

It was Casey’s fourth 5-and-4 win in four rounds. Casey, who attended Arizona State University and lives in Scottsdale, has yet to play the final four holes in the event.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Tommy Armour III and Tim Simpson were tied for the lead at 13 under after the second round of the Allianz Championship at Boca Raton, Fla.

The Champions Tour newcomer of the year, Armour put together a stretch of five straight birdies on the back side to finish with an 8-under 64.

Simpson joined Armour after he eagled the par-5 18th.

BOXING

GOLDEN GLOVES: Portland Boxing Club featherweight Liz Leddy won a unanimous decision over Meline Costa of Fall River, Mass., to win her fourth New England championship and advance to the women’s National Golden Gloves Championship in Hollywood, Fla., in July.

Light welterweight Casey Kramlich lost by unanimous decision to Gabriel DeLuc of Dorchester, Mass., but advanced to the men’s nationals in Little Rock, Ark., in May, because DeLuc is ineligible.

TENNIS

COPA COLSANITAS: Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber knocked out top-seeded Gisela Dulko at Bogota, Columbia, to reach her first WTA Tour final.

Kerber will face Mariana Duque Marino, who upset eighth-seeded Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-4, 7-5.

DUBAI CHAMPIONSHIPS: Venus Williams repeated as tournament champion, beating Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 7-5 in the final at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

COPA TELMEX CLAY-COURT TOURAMENT: Top-seeded David Ferrer reached the semifinals at Buenos Aires, beating sixth-seeded Igor Andreev, 7-5, 6-2.

Also advancing was fourth-seeded Juan Monaco, who defeated Horacio Zeballos, 7-5, 6-1.

REGIONS MORGAN KEEGAN CHAMPIONSHIP: Sixth-seeded John Isner reached the final with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Philipp Petzschner at Memphis, Tenn.

Eighth-seeded Sam Querrey beat Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 6-4 and will face Isner in the final.

OPEN 13: Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost to Julien Benneteau 7-6 (11), 5-7, 7-6 (3) in the semifinals at Marseille, France.

Benneteau will play 2009 finalist Michael Llodra, who beat Mischa Zverev, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Didier Drogba scored both goals in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Wolves at London, opening a four-point lead in the league standings after Manchester United lost 3-1 at Everton.

Arsenal moved closer to Manchester United with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland but remained six points behind Chelsea.

YACHTING

AMERICA’S CUP: America’s Cup champion Larry Ellison said San Francisco is his first choice as the site to defend the title.

Ellison said he hopes to defend the trophy in the next three to four years. A decision on a site is expected in the next few months.

TRACK AND FIELD

AVIVA GRAND PRIX: Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba was beaten out of the blocks by Dutchman Gregory Sedoc but recovered to win the 60-meter hurdles in 7.44 seconds at Birmingham, England. Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic was runner-up in 7.57 seconds.

 

 

 

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