Kournikova Denied by Dokic

Jelena Dokic of Australia upset top-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia, 7-6 (3), 6-3, Saturday in the final of the Watson’s Water Challenge exhibition tournament at Hong Kong to win her first professional title.

It was another disappointment for the eighth-ranked Kournikova, who has yet to win a title on the women’s tennis tour.

The unseeded Dokic, 17, broke Kournikova in the ninth game of the second set to clinch the match.

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Eighth-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium needed only 85 minutes to sweep past unseeded Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in the final of the Australian women’s hardcourt championship at Gold Coast. . . . Marcelo Rios of Chile advanced to the Qatar Open final at Doha, defeating Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus, 6-1, 6-3. His opponent today will be Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic, who eliminated Nicolas Escude of France, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7). . . . Unseeded Nicolas Massu of Chile upset second-seeded Tim Henman of Britain, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, and fifth-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany defeated Jason Stoltenberg of Australia, 7-6 (3), 6-4, in the semifinals of the AAPT Australian men’s hardcourt championships at Adelaide.

Miscellany

Michael Bennett, the nation’s third-leading rusher last season, will skip his senior year at Wisconsin to make himself available for the NFL draft, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. . . . Ronney Daniels, who led Auburn in receiving the last two seasons, said he is giving up his last two years of eligibility to turn pro, as is Missouri defensive end Justin Smith, who set a school record with 22 1/2 sacks in three seasons.

Joel Casamayor defended his World Boxing Assn. super-featherweight title for the fourth time, stopping Robert Garcia in the ninth round at Las Vegas to remain undefeated.

Costa Rica defeated Guatemala, 5-2, at Miami, to reach the second round of World Cup soccer qualifying against Honduras on Feb. 27 or 28. Costa Rica joins the United States, Honduras, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica as the six teams to play for three spots in the 2002 World Cup. . . . Joe-Max Moore, a starting forward on the U.S. Hossam Hassan of Egypt played in his 150th game for his country, matching the international record of retired German star Lothar Matthaus. Hassan, 34, equaled the mark during a 2-1 victory over United Arab Emirates. Hassan is expected to set the record when Egypt faces Zambia on Tuesday in another tuneup for World Cup qualifying play.

A day before the Dakar Rally was to enter Western Sahara, a rebel group urged competitors in the motor racing event to stay out of the disputed territory or face the possibility of violence.

Winter Sports

E.J. Bradley scored a shootout goal to lead the Phoenix Mustangs to a 4-3 victory over the Long Beach Ice Dogs before 2,465 in a West Coast Hockey League game at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland mastered a tricky, waterlogged course at Les Arcs, France, to win his third giant slalom of the World Cup skiing season. . . . Sonja Nef of Switzerland, making a strong return to the elite of World Cup skiing, won her third consecutive giant slalom, her victory at Maribor, Slovenia, giving her four victories this season. . . . Evelyne Leu of Switzerland surprised favored Jacqui Cooper of Australia to win the women’s World Cup aerials at Park City, Utah.

Casey FitzRandolph of Verona, Wis., won the 500 meters in 36.11 seconds and the 1,000 in 1:11.54 on the first day of the U.S. Sprint Speedskating Championships at West Allis, Wis. . . . Marie-Eve Drolet of Canada won the 500-meter race in 45.305 seconds for her second gold medal in the world junior short-track speedskating championships at Warsaw.

Three-time Olympian Nina Kemppel of Anchorage set a record with her 15th U.S. cross-country title, winning the 15-kilometer at McCall, Idaho, to sweep the national competition. . . . Adam Malysz became the first Polish ski jumper to win the Four Hill tour, winning by the biggest margin in 49 years of the competition after the final event at Bischofshofen, Austria.