Azarenka upsets Williams

Rising from her chair following the final changeover, Serena Williams glanced at her skirt and brushed away some lint, trying to look good in defeat.

It wasn’t easy. A sore leg and erratic strokes were too much to overcome, and the top-ranked Williams was upset, 6-3, 6-1, Saturday by 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Williams, who was bidding for her third title in a row at Key Biscayne, said her left thigh began bothering her in the quarterfinals, and she also was bothered by a sprained ankle.

The result heralded the emergence of Azarenka, a Belarussian who trains in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will crack the top 10 next week for the first time.

Novak Djokovic will bid for his second Key Biscayne men’s title today against Andy Murray, the tournament’s first British finalist.

Azarenka quickly realized Williams wasn’t 100% and took advantage with pinpoint strokes to the corners.

“You could see the leg tape right away,” Azarenka said. “But I wasn’t really paying attention too much, because I had to play my game, and I had to keep her moving as much as I could.”

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BOXING

Bradley defeats Holt in unanimous decision

Timothy Bradley got up from a first-round knockdown to score a unanimous decision over Kendall Holt and unify two titles in the light-welterweight division.

Bradley (24-0) added Holt’s World Boxing Organization title to his own World Boxing Council belt in the unification bout between two Americans.

Holt dropped to 25-3.

The stocky Bradley was the aggressor throughout the 12-round fight.

Holt caught Bradley with a right during a first-round flurry and sent him to the canvas.

But the Palm Springs fighter shook it off and won the next two rounds, attacking the body at every chance. By the seventh, he had taken control.

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PRO FOOTBALL

Bowlen explains team’s position in letter to fans

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said in a letter to season-ticket holders that the organization had no choice but to trade Jay Cutler over his insubordination.

Bowlen, who remained largely silent during the six-week rift that ended with Thursday’s blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears, wrote that anybody who puts himself above the team gets a one-way ticket out of town.

“Understand this: it remains about team,” Bowlen wrote. “Our franchise has gone to the Super Bowl six times, with three different coaches and with many different players. It has never been about one player, and it never will be. Coach [Josh] McDaniels shares this vision, and everyone in the organization -- players, coaches and staff -- must understand and accept this unconditionally. If anyone does not, that person will not be a part of this franchise.”

The St. Louis Rams signed Kyle Boller to be the backup to starting quarterback Marc Bulger. The 27-year-old Boller spent all of last season, his sixth with the Baltimore Ravens, on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury.

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SOCCER

Liverpool keeps pressure on United

Substitute Yossi Benayoun scored during injury time, leading Liverpool to a 1-0 victory at Fulham and tightening the pressure on defending champion Manchester United in the race for the English Premier League title.

Liverpool moved two points ahead, but United has two games in hand and hosts Aston Villa today.

Chelsea is also still in that fight, puling to within a point of United with a 2-0 victory at Newcastle, getting second-half goals from Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda.

Samuel Eto’o scored his league-best 26th goal to give Spanish leader Barcelona a 1-0 victory at Valladolid. Barcelona has 72 points from 29 games, and second-place Real Madrid has 63.

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ETC.

U.S. wins in hockey

Julie Chu and Hilary Knight scored three goals each as defending champion United States routed Japan, 8-0, at the World Hockey Championships in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The Americans outshot Japan, 74-8.

In group B, Canada crushed China 13-1. Rebecca Johnston, Hayley Wickenheiser, Gillian Apps and Sarah Vaillancourt led the scoring with two apiece.

Olympic gold medalist gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson and North Carolina basketball star Tyler Hansbrough are among the finalists for the Sullivan Award. The other finalists for the award honoring the nation’s top amateur athlete are Stanford volleyball player Cynthia Barboza and the men’s Olympic 400-meter freestyle relay team. The winner will be announced April 15 in New York.