Vonn wins Zauchensee downhill
ZAUCHENSEE – American speed queen Lindsey Vonn equalled the number of women's World Cup downhill victories with an impressive win over two testing legs at Zauchensee on Saturday. It was her 72nd win on the World Cup circuit and a record-equalling 36th in the downhill, matching the onlooking Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell, who previously held the record of overall wins (62). "Another race, another record! Couldn't be happier! I'm honored that the legendary A.M. Proell was there today!" Vonn tweeted. Vonn produced a near-faultless first run, timing 1min 4.94sec to finish 0.91sec ahead of Canadian Larisa Yurkiw. Vonn, Olympic downhill gold medallist in 2010 and world champion in 2009, backed that up with the fastest time down the second run (1:04.94) for a combined winning time of 2:11.17.–AFP
Radwanska scores easy Shenzhen triumph
SHENZHEN – Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska celebrated her rise to the top four of the world rankings with a 6-3, 6-2 thumping of Alison Riske in the Shenzhen Open final on Saturday, her 18th WTA career title. Radwanska had ensured she will replace Maria Sharapova in Monday's rankings by reaching the final of the tournament in China and backed that up with a routine victory over her American opponent. "I think Alison was really playing solid tennis today," Radwanska said. "She has a very powerful game from the baseline -- I was really struggling from the baseline. I was really in a lot of trouble there. But my serve really helped me today. Also, in the deciding points, I was a little bit better and I think that's why the score was the way it was -- it made it look easier than the actual match was."–Reuters
Spirited Stephens bags Auckland title
AUCKLAND – Sloane Stephens ground down unseeded German Julia Goerges 7-5 6-2 to win the Auckland Classic on Saturday, the American ending a busy day at the office with a confidence-boosting triumph ahead of the Australian Open. The world number 30 secured her second WTA title, having made her long-awaited breakthrough at Washington in August. Stephens made to work hard to win the title, needing to first wrap up her rain-interrupted semi-final with former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 7-6(3) earlier on Saturday. Their semi-final was suspended the previous evening with fifth seed Stephens leading 5-2 in the first set. Stephens quickly sealed the opener upon resumption before prevailing in a second-set dog fight on a windswept centre court to set the platform for her triumph later in the day.–AFP
Kyrgios helps Oz Green win Hopman Cup
PERTH – Nick Kyrgios continued his impressive run of form ahead of this month's Australian Open by powering the host nation to the mixed-team Hopman Cup title against Ukraine in Perth on Saturday. Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova, playing for Australia Green, one of two teams representing the host nation, won their singles matches in straight sets against Alexandr Dolgopolov and Elina Svitolina respectively. Kyrgios brushed aside the challenge from Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-4 after Gavrilova had opened with a 6-4, 7-6(6) win over Svitolina. Australia's only previous Hopman Cup title came in 1999 while the last time they reached the final was 13 years ago. Kyrgios dedicated the win to Australian coach Darren Tandy, who died last month of colon cancer. "It means a lot. It's my first real title that I've won," he said.–AFP
Pakistan Polo Cup final today
LAHORE – Master Paints/Newage and Polo ‘d’ Sufi Diamond will vie for top honours in the Diamond Paints Pakistan Polo Cup 2016 main final to be played today (Sunday) here at the Lahore Polo Club (LPC) ground. Master Paints/Newage team comprises Alman Jalil Azam, Adnan Jalil Azam, Sufi M Amir and Hissam Ali Hyder while Polo ‘d’ Sufi consists Sufi M Farooq, Bilal Haye, Hamza Mawaz Khan and Ahmed Ali Tiwana. In the subsidiary final, Army Remounts will lock horns against ZTBL. Army Remounts team includes Major General Isfandiyar Pataudi, Brig Zulfiqar Baig, Major Haseeb Minhas and Major Omer Minhas while ZTBL team has the services of Saqib Khan Khakwani, Raja Taimur Nadeem, Omer Asjad Malhi and Emran Akhtar. Both the finalists are eager to lift the national polo title.–Staff Reporter