In brief

Hingis continues return with upset of Sharapova

By wire services
Published February 5, 2006

TOKYO - Martina Hingis couldn't be happier with the way her comeback is progressing.

She defeated top-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-1 Saturday to advance to the final of the Pan Pacific Open.

Hingis, who entered the tournament as a wild card, relied on solid groundstrokes and a strong serve on her way to a win over the defending champion that took just 1 hour and 6 minutes.

"It took me three years to recharge my brain and my body and hopefully I can keep playing like this," said Hingis, who will face second-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia in today's final.

Dementieva beat compatriot and fourth-seeded Anastasia Myskina 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in Saturday's other semifinal.

ZAGREB INDOORS: Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic defeated teenager Novak Djokovic of 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the final, where he will face Stefan Koubek.

Barry Bonds may well supplement his $20-million salary from the Giants with earnings from appearing on a reality show ESPN expects to begin airing during spring training. For the show, a new set of cameras and microphones would follow Bonds on and off the field through the season as he pursues Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron on the all-time home-run list.

Keyed Entry outran heavily favored First Samurai by 11/4 lengths on a sloppy track to win the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Miami. Ridden by John Velazquez, Keyed Entry finished the 71/2 furlongs in 1:27 in the Grade 2 race.

MANATEE STAKES: Ebony Breeze rallied from mid-pack to capture the title, covering 7 furlongs in 1:25.03. The 6-year-old mare bred and owned by George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Farm was up in the final strides to win by a neck over Toll Taker.

SANTOS REACHES MILESTONE: Jose Santos got his 4,000th career victory at Aqueduct in New York. Santos, 44, reached the milestone in the fifth race aboard Melodeeman. He became the 47th rider to reach that mark in North America.

U.S. skeleton coach Tim Nardiello was fired by the sport's national federation for ignoring orders to stay away from the team.

Nardiello, who was denied a credential to coach at the Turin Games, is in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where the four sliders are training. The letter of dismissal was e-mailed Friday.

SPORTS MAY STILL BE IN: Seven months after they were voted off the Olympic program, baseball and softball could get a second chance from the International Olympic Committee when members consider reinstatement during their annual session next week.

SKIER RETIRES: French skier Nicolas Burtin ended a World Cup career that began in 1993 and was highlighted by a 1998 downhill victory in Norway.

RUNNING: Veronica Campbell rallied to edge Me'Lisa Barber by 0.003 seconds in the 60 meters in the 99th Millrose Games Friday, and Bernard Lagat beat Ethiopian distance star Kenenisa Bekele by more than 41/2 seconds for his fourth Wanamaker Mile win.

SOCCER: Alan Shearer became Newcastle's all-time leading scorer with his 201st goal in a 2-0 win over Portsmouth, and Thierry Henry scored his 200th goal for Arsenal in a 2-0 win at Birmingham. ... Trinidad and Tobago's soccer team is holding a six-day training camp in Fort Lauderdale as part of preparation for its first World Cup.

[Last modified February 5, 2006, 01:22:20]