SKIING

Shiffrin takes big lead over Maze in World Cup slalom

American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin easily won the World Cup slalom opener, beating reigning Olympic champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch by more than a second Saturday at Levi, Finland.

Shiffrin, the slalom world champion, led by half a second after the first run and raced seamlessly at the top of the hill in the second to extend her advantage. She overcame a mistake near the end to finish in a combined time of 1 minute, 55.07 seconds.

Hoefl-Riesch finished runner-up, 1.06 seconds behind. Tina Maze of Slovenia, last year’s overall World Cup champion, was third, 1.61 back.

LUGE

WORLD CUP: Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger wound up winning the women’s season opener at Lillehammer, Norway, finishing two runs in 1 minute, 35.847 seconds for her country’s 122nd gold medal in the last 126 races on the circuit. Russia’s Tatyana Ivanova was second in 1:36.031.

Julia Clukey of Augusta, Maine, finished 19th.

TENNIS

DAVIS CUP: The Czech Republic swept past Serbia in the doubles for a 2-1 lead at Belgrade, Serbia.

Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4), leaving them one win from retaining the cup.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: Henrik Stenson closed in on the tour money title with a 5-under 67 and a one-shot lead after three rounds of the season-ending World Tour Championship at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

AUSTRALIAN MASTERS: Defending champion Adam Scott opened a four-stroke lead at Melbourne, Australia.

The Masters champion and winner of last week’s Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199.

Jarrod Lyle, continuing his comeback from a 20-month layoff due to leukemia, shot 70 and was at even par.

LPGA: Lexi Thompson took the third-round lead in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at Guadalajara, Mexico. Thompson, 18, has a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s I.K. Kim.

PGA: Harris English and Robert Karlsson shared the lead in the rain-delayed OHL Classic when third-round play was suspended because of darkness at Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

SOCCER

WORLD CUP: Nigeria became the first African team to qualify for next year’s showcase, beating Ethiopia 2-0 at Calabar, Nigeria.

Ivory Coast will be going to its third straight World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Senegal at Casablanca, Morocco.

FIGURE SKATING

TROPHEE BOMBARD: Canadian Patrick Chan knows the pressure on him will be intense at the Sochi Olympics after breaking three of his own world records.

The three-time world champion cruised at Paris, winning by more than 30 points.

Also, American skater Ashley Wagner successfully defended her title despite finishing second in the free skate.

PREP SCHOOLS

BOYS’ SOCCER: Ibra Moustapher scored the lone goal for Hebron Academy (9-4-3) in a 2-1 loss against the Millbrook School in the New England Class C semifinal at Worcester, Mass.

Myles Horn finished with seven saves for the Lumberjacks.

— From staff and news services