HOUSTON - Andre Agassi righted himself quickly enough to beat Juan Carlos Ferrero and give Andy Roddick the year-end No. 1 ranking.
After a miserable 11/2 sets, Agassi found his strokes and came back to beat Ferrero 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday at the Tennis Masters Cup.
Ferrero fell to 0-2 in the round-robin portion of the tournament and can't qualify for the semifinals. So he won't earn enough points in the last event of 2003 to pass Roddick, who faces Rainer Schuettler today.
Agassi (1-1), who made 24 unforced errors during the first 15 games, can reach the semifinals by beating David Nalbandian next.
Roddick (1-0) will be the third-youngest player to close a season there, older than Jimmy Connors in 1974 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.
In Wednesday's other match, Roger Federer beat Nalbandian for the first time in six pro meetings, 6-3, 6-0. Agassi's victory allowed Federer (2-0) to clinch a semifinal berth.
TRACK AND FIELD: Four test positive
Four unidentified Americans have tested positive for the steroid THG after "B" backup samples confirmed "A" positive tests. The samples were taken in June at the U.S. national championships at Stanford, Calif. The four are entitled to a hearing before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and face a possible two-year ban.
Istvan Gyulai, general secretary of the IAAF, pressed American officials to name the four athletes, saying the United States is the only nation that doesn't publicize those who test positive.
HOCKEY: Woman leaves Finland
Canadian Olympic star Hayley Wickenheiser quit Finland's all-male league, saying she wasn't given a chance to show her skills. Wickenheiser said she also missed her family and has not determined her future. Last month, Wickenheiser made her debut in the country's second-highest league. Last season, the center became the first woman to score a goal in a men's pro game.
HIGH SCHOOLS: Record pass erased
At his request, a quarterback's record-setting pass was erased from the books. Springfield (Ill.) Southeast quarterback Nate Haasis had asked the Central State Eight Conference to nullify a 37-yard pass in his final game because his coach made a deal with the opposing team to let him complete it. The throw had put Haasis over 5,000 yards.
RULING INCURS ANGER: A judge in Honesdale, Pa., decided if three boys accused of sexually assaulting three younger teammates at a football camp would be tried as adults or juveniles but ordered the decision sealed. The outraged reaction outside the courthouse from relatives of the alleged victims suggested the judge decided against trying the students from Mepham High in Bellmore, N.Y., as adults.
SOCCER: North Korea walks off
North Korea walked off the field of its Asian Cup qualifier against Iran in Tehran after a firecracker was thrown from the stands, injuring a North Korean player. Iran took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 56th minute. About 40,000 fans celebrated, and the firecracker was thrown about four minutes later. The Asian Football Confederation must rule on the game's outcome.
POLAND STUNS ITALY: Poland upset Italy 3-1 in an exhibition in Warsaw. Jacek Bak gave Poland the lead in the fifth minute, and his free kick in the 17th minute led to Tomasz Klos' goal. Italy already has qualified for next year's European Championship while Poland failed to make the 16-nation field.
