Oh Brother! Ralf Schumacher Wins First Title

Ralf Schumacher added to the rich family collection of Formula One trophies, getting his first career victory in Sunday’s San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy.

The 25-year-old brother of Michael Schumacher drove his Williams-BMW car to an almost unchallenged triumph, earning the British team its first Formula One victory since September 1997 and ending a 22-race winning streak by either Ferrari or McLaren-Mercedes drivers.

It also was the first time that two brothers have won a Formula One Grand Prix. Michael won the championship last season.

Schumacher earned the victory in his 70th career start, leading every lap of the 62-lap race.

He beat David Coulthard by 4.3 seconds and third-place Rubens Barrichello by 34.7 seconds in the fourth championship race at the Ferrari home circuit.

Schumacher, starting from the second row behind the McLaren-Mercedes front row of Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen, got off to a wild start, almost going into the grass with the left wheels of his car to pass Coulthard.

He led Coulthard, the pole-sitter, by one second after the first lap and steadily stretched his advantage, holding first place after two pit stops. Michael Schumacher withdrew during his 24th lap with apparent suspension and brake problems to the disappointment of thousands of Ferrari fans who had been hoping for his third win this season.

Ralf smiled broadly as someone suggested that he had learned a lot from watching Michael put together 46 victories and three world titles in 148 races.

“I had a great start, I pushed hard throughout the initial laps,” Ralf Schumacher said. “Then it was a pretty long race. It was a lucky day. We had some bad luck in the previous races.”

“Michael came up after the race to say I did a good job . . . I think we will have a big party tonight.”

Tennis

Amelie Mauresmo of France won her third consecutive tournament by defeating South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer, 6-4, 7-5, in the final of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla.

The sixth-seeded Mauresmo took nearly two months off after back-to-back victories in Paris and Nice so she could prepare for the clay-court season, which began this week.

“Even before Paris and Nice, I wasn’t expecting to win three in a row,” Mauresmo said. “I knew I could have very good results. But this consistency? I wasn’t sure I’d have it this year.”

Mauresmo moved from 15th to seventh in the world rankings. She also positioned herself as a serious threat for the French Open in May, which was the point of skipping two important hard-court tournaments in Miami and California.

Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova’s run in doubles ended with a defeat in the final as she and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario lost to Conchita Martinez and Patricia Tarabini, 6-4, 6-2, before a capacity crowd.

In a battle of two Spaniards, top-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero downed Felix Mantilla, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3, to win the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal.

In the women’s final, Spain’s Angeles Montolio rallied to beat Russia’s Elena Bovina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and win her first title since turning pro in 1990.

Qualifier Guillermo Canas of Argentina won his first title by defeating Spanish teenager Tommy Robredo, 7-5, 6-2, in the singles final of the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament at Casablanca, Morocco.

Miscellany

A minor league hockey player from a Canadian team was charged with disorderly conduct after he threw his stick and it hit a 12-year-old boy in the stands.

Brampton Battalion right wing Lukas Havel, 19, was charged Saturday after a 5-4 playoff loss to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League at Erie, Pa. Erie police Lt. D.J. Fuhrmann said Havel threw his stick in frustration, and it bounced into the stands at Tullio Arena. The boy was hit in the stomach but was not seriously hurt.

In the second period, Havel was ejected for throwing punches from the bench.

Ismail Naseem’s goal in the 67th minute helped the Maldives gain a 1-1 soccer tie with Cambodia at Phnom Phen in a World Cup qualifier to move into first place in Asia’s Group Nine. Maldives (1-1-1) leads the group with four points, one ahead of Indonesia (1-0-0).

David Gilliland won the Food 4 Less Super Late Model main event Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway.

Robert Rice won the 25-lap Grand American Modified race, Ed Reed won the 31-lap Modified Stock Racing Assn. event, and Jim Smith won the 35-lap King Taco Legends event.

Passings

Former USC halfback George Callanan, 76, died Saturday of natural causes. See story, B4.