Cal edges USC to win men’s water-polo championship
The Cal men's water polo team defeated USC 13-12 in a thrilling final to win its 15th national championship and first since 2016.
The match, at Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, featured 10 total ties, and the Bears' Nikos Delagrammatikas broke the final tie and scored the winning goal with 28 seconds left. His teammate, Max Casabella, finished with four goals and two assists, and Roberto Valera added a hat trick.
For USC, Hannes Daube and Ashworth Molthen each scored three times, with Daube chipping in three assists. But the Trojans, who led 2-0 early and 9-7 in the third quarter, could not close the deal.
The fourth quarter was scintillating, with the teams starting it tied 9-9 and combining for seven goals in the period. USC would score, then Cal would answer to even things again.
After that pattern happened three times, the Bears broke the final tie with Delagrammatikas' game-winner in the final minute.
Medvedev, Russia capture Davis Cup
Russia's 15-year wait for a Davis Cup title ended in Madrid after another clutch performance by Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev capped his amazing year with a 7-6 (7), 6-2 win over Marin Cilic in the second singles match to give Russia an insurmountable 2-0 lead over
Croatia and its first Davis Cup title since 2006.
It was the fifth consecutive straight-set victory in the Davis Cup for Medvedev, who three months ago beat Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open for his first Grand Slam title.
“It was a pretty amazing two weeks,” Medvedev said. “Because it's never easy to come here at the end of the season. It feels (like) the best weeks of my career.”
Andrey Rublev earlier had beaten Borna Gojo in straight sets to put the Russians ahead at the Madrid Arena.
⏩ There will be more host cities and fewer nations playing in the Davis Cup Finals next season in an attempt to increase fan engagement and keep the revamped team event sustainable, organizers said.
The International Tennis Federation and the Kosmos Tennis group that is behind the competition said four cities will host the group stages beginning in 2022, with another venue — likely Abu Dhabi — hosting the knockout rounds.
The event was not played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
MLS: Talles Magno scored in the 88th minute to send New York City FC into the MLS Cup final with a 2-1 win over the COVID-19-restriction-ravaged Philadelphia Union in Chester, Pa.
New York won its first Eastern Conference championship and will play at the Portland Timbers on Saturday for the MLS Cup.
Gudi Thorarinsson stripped the ball from Union defender
Olivier Mbaizo and fed it to Magno for the decisive goal.
The Union were rocked days before the biggest game in their 11-year history when 11 players were ruled out of the game because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Philadelphia also was seeking its first MLS Cup final.
Motor sports: Lewis Hamilton passed Max Verstappen with six laps remaining to win the chaotic inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah and pull even on points with his rival as Formula One's thrilling championship race heads into the title-deciding finale.
Winter sports: Kaillie Humphries is 2-for-2 as an American. She completed a perfect weekend, teaming with Kaysha Love to win a World Cup women's bobsled race in Altenberg, Germany. It was the 28th World Cup win of Humphries' career, coming three days after she was sworn in as a U.S. citizen and one day after she won a monobob race on the same track.
Strong winds led to the cancellation of a men's World Cup downhill race at Beaver Creek, Colo.