Konta upsets Wozniacki in Miami final
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Johanna Konta won the biggest title of her career when she beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday in the final of the Miami Open.
The No. 10-seeded Konta, the first British woman to reach a Key Biscayne final, was the more aggressive player from the start and finished with 33 winners, compared with eight for the 12th-seeded Wozniacki.
Konta showed her versatility on the final point, drawing Wozniacki to the net with a drop shot and then floating a lob off the back of the baseline for the clinching winner.
She improved to 19-3 this year. Her other titles came at Sydney this year and Stanford in 2016.
Konta, 25, earned $1.18 million for the victory and will climb to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings this week.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer renew their rivalry where it began in the men’s final Sunday.
HORSE RACING Pletcher, Sharp get big victories
The field for next month’s Kentucky Derby came into better focus when the Todd Pletchertrained Always Dreaming posted an impressive win at the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and the Joe Sharptrained Girvin prevailed in the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
Girvin, the favorite, beat Patch, another Pletcher entry, by 1¼ lengths and was three lengths ahead of Local Hero.
Always Dreaming got the lead at the top of the stretch and held off State of Honor and a hardcharging Gunnevera for the win.
Pletcher could have as many as five starters when the Triple Crown season starts May 6. Pletcher has sent 45 horses to the Kentucky Derby in his career — three shy of the record owned by his mentor D. Wayne Lukas.
FIGURE SKATING Hanyu rallies to win at worlds
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the world figure skating title at Helsinki — a boost to his bid to retain his Olympic title next year.
Hanyu was fifth after the short program but produced a world-record free skate score of 223.30 points, landing four quadruple jumps, for a winning total of 321.59.
Short program leader Javier Fernandez of Spain, skating last, dropped to fourth with a fall and other errors, giving Hanyu his second career world title after victory in 2014.
The silver went to countryman Shoma Uno with a 319.31-point total. China’s Jin Boyang was the bronze medalist, scoring 303.58.
Three-time world champion Patrick Chan was fifth behind Fernandez; U.S. champion Nathan Chen finished sixth after attempting a record six quad jumps in his free skate, with mixed results.
HOCKEY U.S. women roll over Russians
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Brianna Decker and Kendall Coyne each scored twice to lead the United States to a 7-0 victory over Russia at the world championships at Plymouth, Mich.
Amanda Kessel also scored and Madeline Rooney stopped all 14 shots she faced to give the Americans their second shutout in two games.
GOLF Thompson takes lead in LPGA
Lexi Thompson excelled on an extra-long day at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, Calif., taking the tournament lead while completing her wind-delayed second round before moving two shots ahead of Norway’s Suzann Pettersen with a third-round 67.
After playing 28 holes Saturday, Thompson is at 13-under 203 heading into Sunday’s final round.
Ten players are within five shots of the lead at the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year, including Inbee Park, Michelle Wie and Ariya Jutanugarn. In other news: • Gene Sauers shot a 9-under 63 to take a oneshot lead after the second round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. Sauers, 54, started the day three shots behind leader Joe Durant at Fallen Oak in Biloxi but moved up the leader board with five birdies and an eagle on the front nine. He made bogey on No. 10 but recovered with three birdies over the final eight holes. He is at 12 under for the tournament. Defending tournament champion Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 66 and is alone in second place, one shot behind Sauers.
MOTOR SPORTS Elliott prevails in truck race
Chase Elliott grabbed the lead when Christopher Bell wiggled with 17 laps to go and held off teammate Johnny Sauter to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Elliott, who lost out to Sauter on the 0.526-mile oval last October, held off one challenge from the defending series champion and pulled away for his second victory in 12 career starts in the series.
Sauter finished second, followed by Bell, rookie Noah Gragson and Ty Dillon. From wire reports