Auto Racing
Sprint Cup leader wins the Nationwide Series race
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Matt Kenseth is proving to be unbeatable at Kansas Speedway.
The winner of the last two Sprint Cup races at the track, Kenseth hopped into his Nationwide car and drove it to victory Saturday, taking advantage of a late-race wreck involving Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch to conserve enough fuel for the end.
Kenseth crossed the finish line well ahead of Paul Menard, who got around Regan Smith on the final lap to take second. Busch finished fourth, and Justin Allgaier was fifth.
Kenseth held on despite worn tires to win his second Nationwide win of the season. He’ll try to extend his lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship Sunday.
Dixon wins and drives within 8 points of Castroneves
HOUSTON – Scott Dixon won the first race of the Houston Grand Prix on a bad day for IndyCar championship leader Helio Castroneves.
Castroneves entered Saturday’s race with a 49-point lead over Dixon with three events left on the schedule. But a gearbox issue early in the race led to an 18th-place finish for Castroneves.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver cruised to his series-best fourth win of the season, cutting his deficit to eight points in the standings.
Dixon will race for the sweep Sunday on the course through Reliant Park.
Simona de Silvestro finished a career-best second to earn her first IndyCar podium, and Justin Wilson was third.
Vettel takes pole position for Korea and the F1 title
YEONGAM, South Korea – Sebastian Vettel’s extraordinary dominance of Formula One continued Saturday when he claimed the pole position for the Korean Grand Prix.
The German took the pole for three consecutive races – winning the first two. He’s aiming for a third consecutive win at the Yeongam circuit and, most importantly, a fourth consecutive F1 championship.
Boxing
Klitschko decisions Povetkin to retain heavyweight titles
MOSCOW – Wladimir Klitschko retained his WBA and IBF heavyweight titles Saturday night, unanimously outpointing previously undefeated Alexander Povetkin.
Klitschko knocked down Povetkin three times in the seventh round.
All three judges ruled 119-104 for Klitschko (61-3). Povetkin lost for the first time in 27 fights.
MLB
Rodriguez adds yet another lawsuit to the docket
NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez expanded his assault on the baseball establishment with a lawsuit accusing the Yankees’ team physician and a New York City hospital of mishandling his medical care during the 2012 AL playoffs.
In a suit filed late Friday in New York Supreme Court in the Bronx, lawyers for Rodriguez said he was given magnetic resonance imaging Oct. 11, 2012, that revealed an injury to his left hip joint. The suit said Yankees physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad did not inform him of the tear and cleared him to continue playing and accused them of medical malpractice.
Rodriguez filed the medical lawsuit a day after suing MLB and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Tennis
Nadal yet to face Djokovic, but he’s the new No. 1
BEIJING – Rafael Nadal was assured of taking the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic after advancing to the final of the China Open on Saturday when Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic retired with a back injury.
Djokovic, the defending champion, earned a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the other semifinal.
Even if he loses to Djokovic in the final Sunday, Nadal will sit atop the rankings.
Associated Press
