TENNIS

Defending champ Azarenka ousted after ‘awful match’ in China Open opener

Victoria Azarenka, the defending champion, double-faulted 15 times in losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to Andrea Petkovic Monday in the first round of the China Open at Beijing.

“It was an awful match and a very bad performance from me, so there’s not much to say about it,” Azarenka said. “It happens once, twice a year to every player, and it happened to me today.”

In the men’s draw, Lleyton Hewitt knocked out seventh-seeded Tommy Haas 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the first round.

In doubles, wild-card entries Serena and Venus Williams lost 6-7 (3), 6-4, 11-9 to Liezel Huber and Chan Hao-ching. Serena Williams double-faulted on match point, then slammed her racket against the court three times before tossing it aside.

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JAPAN OPEN: Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needed four match points to beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 7-6 (8) to advance to the second round at Tokyo.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Sacramento signed DeMarcus Cousins to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $62 million, saying the 23-year-old center is the foundation the franchise will build on to lead a struggling team to a new era.

D-LEAGUE: The Maine Red Claws announced that individual game tickets for the upcoming 2013-14 season will go on sale Monday, Oct. 21, at 8:30 a.m..

Tickets can be purchased at the team’s office at 413 Congress St., by phone at 210-6655 or online at www.maineredclaws.com.

Ticket prices range from $6 to $30.

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GOLF

LPGA: Megan McChrystal birdied the final hole to win the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship, and P.K. Kongkraphan won the money title to take one of 10 LPGA Tour cards at Daytona Beach, Fla.

FIGURE SKATING

INJURY: Evan Lysacek, the reigning Olympic figure skating champion and the first U.S. man in 22 years to win the Olympic title, revealed he’s got a torn labrum in his left hip, further delaying his comeback.

Lysacek hasn’t competed since winning gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and said the latest injury will keep him out of next month’s Skate America.

SOCCER

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U.S. NATIONAL TEAM: The U.S. Soccer Federation says midfielder Jermaine Jones, who helped the U.S. qualify for its seventh straight World Cup, will not be having knee surgery this week.

Meanwhile, Schalke of the German Bundesliga said Jones would not be on their roster for Tuesday’s Champions League match at Basel.

OLYMPICS

MEN’S HOCKEY: The U.S. team for the Sochi Winter Games will be announced Jan. 1, after the Winter Classic game, said officials of USA Hockey at the U.S. Olympic media summit in Park City, Utah.

From staff and news services

 


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