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Italy tops Belgium for Fed Cup title

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 18, 2006

CHARLEROI, Belgium - Italy won its first Fed Cup title Sunday, beating Belgium 3-2 after Justine Henin-Hardenne was forced to stop because of searing knee pain during the deciding doubles match.

The French Open champion won both her singles matches this weekend despite assorted health issues. She abandoned the final during the third set of doubles.

The Italian duo of Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci beat Henin-Hardenne and Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-2, 2-0.

"I could not stay on court for another point," Henin-Hardenne said. "It was like a ball blasted me at the back of the knee."

A weakened Henin-Hardenne had given Belgium a 2-1 lead with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Schiavone in the first reverse singles. But Mara Santangelo thrived in her Fed Cup singles debut, beating Flipkens 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-0 to tie it 2-2 for Italy.

WISMILAK INTERNATIONAL: Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame a slow start to beat Marion Bartoli 7-5, 6-2 for her third Wismilak title in Bali, Indonesia. Kuznetsova and the sixth-seeded Bartoli played a close first set, but the Russian pulled away midway through the second to win her seventh career singles title. It was her second championship of the season.

CHINA OPEN: Marcos Baghdatis won his first career ATP title, defeating Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-0 in Beijing. Baghdatis won the last eight games to finish off Ancic in 72 minutes. The women's China Open begins today, and Amelie Mauresmo is the top seed.

BCR OPEN: Jurgen Melzer won his first ATP title by beating Filippo Volandri 6-1, 7-5 in Bucharest, Romania. Melzer served well and came to the net often. "Sorry I beat you in the final," Melzer told Volandri after receiving the trophy. "I needed a title, and you already had one."

BASKETBALL

U.S. women cruise again

Diana Taurasi scored 15 and Tina Thompson had 12 to help the undefeated United States overpower France 76-41 in the second round of the women's World Championship in Barueri, Brazil.

The United States is 5-0 overall but credited with a 4-0 mark in Group F because only first-round games against advancing teams count in the second-round standings.

The Americans finish second-round play today against the Czech Republic, second in Group F at 3-1.

CYCLING

Vinokourov rides to win

Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won the Spanish Vuelta, with Tour de France winner Floyd Landis attending the final stage in Madrid to support his former teammates.

Vinokourov was 1 minute, 12 seconds ahead of runnerup Alejandro Valverde of Spain and 3:12 in front of Andrey Kashechkin of Kazakhstan. His overall time was 81 hours, 23 minutes, 7 seconds.

Erik Zabel of Germany won the 21st stage.

Landis tested positive for elevated testosterone after winning the Tour de France in the summer and was fired by his team, Phonak. The tour no longer considers him the champion.

Besides seeing ex-teammates, Landis conferred with his lawyers in Madrid. His attorney sent a letter to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last week asking that doping charges be dismissed, saying the positive finding on the backup sample came from a sample number not assigned to Landis.

ET CETERA

TRACK: Former Olympic champion Allen Johnson beat 110-meter hurdles world-record holder Liu Xiang of China at the World Cup in Athens, Greece. Europe defeated the United States 140-136 for the men's team title, and Russia defended its women's crown 137-128 over Europe. The U.S. women came in fourth.

SOCCER: Andy Herron scored his seventh goal of the season in the 62nd minute to give the host Chicago Fire a 1-0 MLS victory over East-leading D.C. United. Brian Plotkin sent the ball up field to Herron, who fired a shot past United goalkeeper Troy Perkins. ... Alejandro Moreno's apparent goal on a header in the final seconds of stoppage time for the host Houston Dynamo was wiped out by an offside call, leaving Dynamo and Chivas USA in a scoreless tie.

HORSES: Retribution opened a huge early lead and coasted to an upset victory in the Ashley T. Cole Handicap for New York-breds at Belmont Park in New York. Retribution was the long shot in the race at 25-1.

[Last modified September 18, 2006, 02:28:55]