Australia Nears Davis Cup After Doubles Rally

Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge staged a comeback to beat Fabrice Santoro and Olivier Delaitre Saturday at Nice, France, moving Australia to within one victory of a Davis Cup championship.

The 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory silenced French fans and gave Australia a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five final.

Australia, playing its 44th final, goes for its 27th Cup championship today when Mark Philippoussis plays Cedric Pioline and Lleyton Hewitt faces Sebastien Grosjean.

Woodforde and Woodbridge, now unbeaten in 11 Davis Cup matches spanning five years, got back into the match after the French pair came within one point of taking a two-set lead.

Golf

Se Ri Pak and Paul Azinger combined for a nine-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the third round of the JCPenney Classic at Palm Harbor, Fla.

Scott Gump and Maria Hojorth are second after a 65.

Ernie Els matched the course record with an eight-under 64, extending his lead to six strokes entering the final round of the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.

Colin Montgomerie had a 68 and is second at 203. Also equaling the course record set by Nick Faldo in 1994 was Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, who is third at 205.

Boxing

A Miami judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Cuban boxing legend Teofilo Stevenson after he failed to show up for a hearing on charges relating to a scuffle at Miami International Airport, the Miami Herald reported.

Stevenson had posted a $12,500 bond and returned to Cuba after the incident in October.

“I was more likely to see Jimmy Hoffa in my court than him,” the Herald quoted Circuit Judge Alex Ferrer as saying in reference to the U.S. labor leader who disappeared in 1975 and is presumed to be dead.

The warrant issued for Stevenson, 48, means he could be arrested if he sets foot in the United States again.

The case stems from an incident that occurred when Stevenson was returning to Cuba through Miami after attending a children’s charity event in New York. He allegedly head-butted a United Airlines ticket agent and was charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest.

Stevenson said the agent had insulted Cuban President Fidel Castro. He said they banged heads when he bent down to pick up a dropped ticket.

Ukrainian Vladimir Klitscho stopped Lajos Eros in two rounds at Hanover, Germany to retain his European heavyweight championship.

Baseball

Amid growing reports that the Angels quietly are shopping first baseman Mo Vaughn, the agent for Chuck Finley began a tour of the left-hander’s most likely destinations.

Tim Shannon had scheduled face-to-face meetings with general managers Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, Steve Phillips of the New York Mets and Dan Duquette of the Boston Red Sox, according to baseball officials in those cities. Shannon might also call on Cleveland’s John Hart by Tuesday.

Mike Budnick, who pitched for the New York Giants in 1946 and 1947, died of cancer at Swedish Medical Center-Ballard in Seattle. He was 80.

Winter Sports

Hannes Trinkl won his first downhill in five years, leading Austria to a sweep of the top five spots in a World Cup event at Lake Louise, Canada. . . . Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria posted her first victory in a giant slalom and teammate Anita Wachter was second in a World Cup event at Serre Chevalier, France.

Andreas Widhoelzl of Austria set a new hill record while winning a World Cup ski jumping event at Predazzo, Italy. . . . Finland’s Janne Lahtela won his first World Cup dual moguls title at Whistler, Canada. Norway’s Kari Traa won her third consecutive women’s moguls event, defeating American Ann Battelle. . . . Steffen Skel and Steffen Woeller won the men’s doubles as Germans dominated the Luge World Cup races on their home course at Koenigssee.

Evgeni Plushenko landed a sequence of jumps combining a quadruple, a triple and a double to win his second consecutive singles title at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition at Nagoya, Japan. American Timothy Goebel, who landed three quads in one program five weeks ago, jumped two quads and fell on a third to place second, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final in France in January.

Miscellany

Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes tore a bulkhead and had to pull out of its America’s Cup challenger series clash today against Italy’s Prada. America One and America True continued their rivalry, with America True winning their heat by 20 seconds off Auckland, New Zealand.

Layne Beachley of Australia won the Assn. of Surfing Professionals world championship when she took first place in the Quiksilver Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, the final event of the women’s Triple Crown of Surfing. . . . Sylvester Clarke, a noted cricket player for the West Indies, collapsed and died at his home in Bridgetown, Barbados, his wife said.