TENNIS

Nadal tops Ferrer in their second title match in two weeks to claim Barcelona Open title

Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 in their second all-Spanish final in two weeks to claim his sixth Barcelona Open title on Sunday in Barcelona.

The top-ranked Spaniard chalked up his 29th straight victory at the clay-court event when the fourth-seeded Ferrer hit a backhand wide on match point.

It was Nadal’s 45th career ATP title, and his second consecutive trophy. He beat Ferrer at Monte Carlo in straight sets on April 17.

Nadal triumphed at Barcelona from 2005-09, including finals victories over Ferrer in 2008 and ’09, before sitting out last year’s tournament.

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The 24-year-old Nadal became the first player to win two tournaments six or more times — he has won Monte Carlo seven times — in the tour’s Open era.

PORSCHE GRAND PRIX: Julia Goerges upset top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the final at Stuttgart, Germany.

GRAND PRIX SAR: Alberta Brianti defeated seventh-seeded Simona Halep 6-4, 6-3 in the final at Fez, Morocco, to earn her first WTA title.

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal’s slim hopes of winning the league were virtually extinguished on a last-minute goal by Bolton substitute Tamir Cohen in a 2-1 loss.

The Israel midfielder, who came on in the 85th minute, glanced in a near-post header from a corner kick to leave third-place Arsenal nine points adrift of league leader Manchester United with four matches remaining.

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Netherlands striker Robin van Persie, who scored in a seventh straight away game in the Premier League, had tied the match in the 47th minute after Bolton’s prolific forward, Daniel Sturridge, broke the deadlock from close range seven minutes before halftime.

LA LIGA: Giuseppe Rossi scored his 30th goal of the season in the 73rd minute as Villarreal lost 3-2 at Sevilla.

Villarreal trailed 3-2 before the forward from New Jersey scored 19 minutes after replacing Nimar. He has 17 league goals, fourth behind Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (31), Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (29) and Barcelona’s David Villa (18).

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: Polish driver Robert Kubica left the hospital in Pietra Ligure, Italy, 11 weeks after sustaining severe injuries during a rally crash. A spokesperson for the hospital said “his condition is good and the (driver) will begin a new phase of rehabilitation outside of the hospital.”

After the Feb. 6 accident, Kubica underwent seven hours of surgery to save his right hand before operations on his shoulder, leg and elbow.

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FOOTBALL

NFL: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Alvin Keith McCants is in jail in St. Petersburg, Fla., after being arrested on a cocaine possession charge.

Pinellas County Jail records show the 43-year-old McCants also was booked Saturday afternoon on a charge of resisting an officer. Bond was set at $4,000. He’s also being held on a warrant from Mobile, Ala., for failure to appear on a controlled substance charge.

 

 

 


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