Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to win ATP finals

Even when Roger Federer had the lead, Novak Djokovic had the answers.

The top-ranked Serb recovered from early breaks in both sets and beat Federer, 7-6 (6), 7-5, in the championship match of the ATP finals at London.

Federer broke Djokovic’s serve to take a 2-0 lead in the first set, and then again to open the second, but both times the world’s No. 1 player rebounded to get back into the match.

“Maybe a bit of regret because I had the lead twice first before him,” Federer said. “At the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. You have to get over the finish line in the set and then obviously at the match. He was better at that today.”

The crowd at the O2 Arena was decidedly in Federer’s favor, but fans cheered loudly throughout the match as both players made spectacular shots.

It was Djokovic’s second victory at the year-end tournament for the top eight players in the world. He also won in 2008, when the tournament was in Shanghai.

Federer, who is now 15-3 in Britain this year after winning his seventh Wimbledon title and the Olympic silver medal, had been looking for his record seventh ATP title.

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Andrew Bynum’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers may not come until 2013.

Bynum, Philadelphia’s 7-foot center, will miss at least five more weeks because of a bone bruise in his right knee and could be held out until early January.

When Bynum was hurt in mid-September, the team initially hoped its newly acquired star would be ready for the season opener Oct. 31. Late last month, though, the 76ers said he was out indefinitely.

Philadelphia said Monday that the new goal was for Bynum to resume “normal basketball activity” around Dec. 10. He would then need one to four weeks of conditioning and practice before he can play in his first game for the 76ers.

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Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to terms on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. Affeldt is expected to undergo a physical on Tuesday in San Francisco, another person with knowledge of the situation said, and that is typically the final step in finalizing a contract.

The 33-year-old Affeldt was 1-2 with a 2.70 earned-run average in 67 appearances covering 631/3 innings this season for the World Series champions.

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Olympic gold medalists Allyson Felix and Ashton Eaton are the 2012 Jesse Owens Award winners.

It’s the record fourth time Felix has been honored as the top track and field athlete in the U.S., and Eaton’s first.

Felix won the 200 meters at the London Games for her first individual Olympic gold, and added victories in the 400 and 1,600 relays.

Eaton broke the decathlon world record at the U.S. Olympic trials, topping 9,000 points, and then won the event in London.

USA Track and Field will present Eaton and Felix their awards Dec. 1 in Daytona Beach, Fla.