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Hingis captures first win in return

By TIMES WIRES
Published May 22, 2006

ROME - Martina Hingis beat 16th-seeded Dinara Safina 6-2, 7-5 Sunday for her first title since coming out of retirement.

Hingis spent nearly three years out of the game with foot and ankle injuries but returned in January. This was the 41st title of her career but first since winning in Tokyo more than four years ago.

After winning the first set in 27 minutes and taking a 4-1 lead in the second, Hingis appeared nervous while trying to close out the match. When Safina's backhand return of serve sailed long on Hingis' fourth match point, the Swiss player placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath of relief.

"I almost feel like I won my first title," Hingis said. "This is what you play for, what I came back for."

HAMBURG MASTERS: Tommy Robredo beat Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in the final in Germany for his first Masters Series title. The eighth-seeded Spaniard won his third career title.

GRAND PRIX SAR: American Meghann Shaughnessy won her fourth career title, beating eighth-seeded Martina Sucha 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on clay in Rabat, Morocco.

TRACK & FIELD

Americans upset in 400

Gary Kiyaka streaked past favored Derrick Brew and Leonard Byrd to win the 400 meters at the Brazilian Athletics Grand Prix.

Kiyaka was the only runner to break the 45 second mark, finishing in 44.85. Drew was second at 45.31 seconds, and Byrd, who set the meet record of 44.45 in 2002, was third at 45.42.

Triple jumper Gregorio Jardel also came away with gold, to the delight of the 33,000 fans who crowded Mangueirao stadium in Belem. He won with a jump of 57 feet, 3 inches. Jefferson Sabino took silver.

ADIDAS CLASSIC: Wallace Spearmon defeated Jeremy Wariner in the 200 meters and Veronica Campbell won the women's 100, both with the fastest times in the world this year, in Carson, Calif.

ET CETERA

SAILING: America's Cup champion Alinghi won a fleet race to claim Act 11 of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger trials. Emirates Team New Zealand was second in the race, with BMW Oracle Racing in third. Alinghi finished the act with 53 points, eight more than Luna Rossa Challenge , tied with Emirates Team New Zealand . The Acts are 14 regattas that started in 2004 as a prelude to the 2007 America's Cup, which will be held in Valencia. ... Nigel Hook and Rick Turmel won overall Superboat Vee-class honors at the Marathon Offshore Grand Prix in the Florida Keys. Piloting Lucas Oil , Hook of San Diego and Turmel of West Palm Beach had placed third during Saturday's first of two races.

BOXING: WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera defeated Rocky Juarez by a split decision late Saturday. Judges had originally called the fight a draw, but it was found that one judge's score had been added incorrectly.

CYCLING: Luis Felipe Laverde beat Francisco Perez in a two-way sprint to win the 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia. Overall leader Ivan Basso retained the pink jersey after finishing in the main group along with his main rivals, nearly eight minutes behind the winner.

SUPERBIKE: Ben Spies tied an AMA record with his sixth straight victory, winning the second leg of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Miguel Duhamel won six in a row in 1995.

[Last modified May 22, 2006, 01:05:14]