It’s Not Too Hard as Clavet Defeats Norman in Final

Francisco Clavet claimed one final conquest.

The Spaniard defeated a weary Magnus Norman, 6-4, 6-2, to win the Franklin Templeton Classic final Sunday at Scottsdale, Ariz., for his first hardcourt title in 13 years of professional tennis.

“This is the happiest day in my tennis life,” Clavet said. “I will keep these people and this tournament in my heart all my life.”

Playing steadily and waiting for his opponents to make mistakes, Clavet began the week with an upset of Andre Agassi, then beat defending champion Lleyton Hewitt to advance to the final.

“It’s been amazing,” said Clavet, 32, who has seven clay-court titles. “To beat three players in the top 10 is like a dream to me.”

Norman, 24, had only 2 1/2 hours to rest for the final after defeating Harel Levy of Israel, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8), in a rain-delayed semifinal morning match originally scheduled for Saturday night.

“It’s difficult. I haven’t played two singles matches in a day since I probably was 14 years old,” Norman said.

Clavet’s style is to play the baseline and wear down an opponent. The style was effective against an opponent who already had played a tough match a few hours earlier.

“I think I’m more mentally tired than physically,” Norman said. “He drives you crazy. You have to hit two or three winners to make a point.”

Clavet was more dominating as the Swede wilted in the second set. Clavet slammed a passing shot for the game-winner to break serve and go up 4-2, held his serve to make it 5-2, then won on his fourth match point.

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Jan-Michael Gambill had 11 aces and never lost his serve on his way to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over unseeded Belgian Xavier Malisse to win the Citrix Championships at Delray Beach, Fla., for his second career title.

Pro Football

Trent Green will take a physical today with the Kansas City Chiefs as they continue their search for a quarterback to replace Elvis Grbac, who recently signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

Green had been expected to be the St. Louis Rams’ starter after signing with them as a free agent in 1999, but an injury in the preseason resulted in reconstructive surgery that sidelined him for the year on a team coached by Dick Vermeil, now the Chiefs’ coach.

The Chiefs also are hoping to bring in Troy Aikman, released last week by the Dallas Cowboys.

However, Vermeil said he doesn’t want to be hasty.

“I’m behind where I should have been,” Vermeil said.

“I made a mistake. I just assumed we’d get a deal done with Elvis. I never considered it less than 60-40 that we’d get a contract done with Elvis. I was still covering my bases, but not as intensely as I am now.”

The New York Giants have agreed on a $20-million contract with free-agent defensive end Kenny Holmes, a source close to the team said. The five-year contract includes a $5-million signing bonus.

Quarterback Doug Pederson, who left the Green Bay Packers after the 1998 season, could be headed back to Green Bay as Brett Favre’s backup. Pederson’s agent, Benjamin Geller, told the Green Bay Press Gazette that Pederson, who played last season for Cleveland, turned down a more lucrative offer from another NFL team because he wanted to return to the Packers. He will get the NFL veteran minimum of $477,000 plus incentives.

Track and Field

The U.S. won the most gold medals, seven in 28 events, and the most medals, 17, but won only one event on the final day of the three-day World Indoor Championships at Lisbon.

Tim Harden led a one-two U.S. finish in the 60, defeating Tim Montgomery by .02 seconds with his season-best of 6.44 seconds.

Cuba’s Ivan Pedroso’s winning long jump of 27 feet, 8 inches highlighted a day that included victories by two of the world’s premier middle-distance runners--Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in the 3,000 meters (7:37.74) and Maria Mutola of Mozambique, who won the women’s 800--.04 seconds ahead Stephanie Graf of Austria at 1:59.74.

Other men’s winners were Daniel Caines of Britain in the 400 at 46.40; Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia in the 800 at 1:44.49 Stefan Holm of Sweden in the high jump at 7-7 1/4 and the Czech Republic’s Roman Sebrle in the heptathlon with a European-record 6,420 points.

Other women’s winners included Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas in the 60 at 7.05. Sandie Richards of Jamaica in the 400 at 51.04. Hasna Benhassi of Morocco in the 1,500 at 4:10.83. Bulgarian Olympic gold medalist Tereza Marinova in the triple jump at 48-11 and Russia in the 1,600 relay at 3:30.

Russia finished second with four golds and 15 medals.

Angel Perkins, a junior at Cerritos Gahr, set two national high school records on the final day of the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York City.

Perkins first set the mark in the 400 meters at 53.25 to break the record of 53.38. Then she won the 200 in 23.59 to break the old mark of 23.64. Long Beach Wilson won the 800-meter relay in 1:39.23 and the 1,600 relay in 3:43.70.

Winter Sports

Despite finishing next to last in a giant slalom at Are, Sweden, won by Sonja Nef of Switzerland, Jana Kostelic, 19, of Croatia became the youngest women’s World Cup overall champion since 1971, when 17-year-old Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria won the title.

Benjamin Raich of Austria won the men’s slalom and the season title in the event.

Toby Dawson and Hannah Hardaway of the U.S. won the men’s and women’s moguls at the World Cup freestyle finals at Himos, Finland.

Mikko Ronkainen of Finland, the runner-up in the race, won the men’s overall title.

Kari Traa of Norway was the overall women’s winner.

Utah residents will get a chance to buy lower-priced tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games.

The Salt Lake Organizing Committee plans to release 2,600 tickets for each event--all with worse views than the top-notch $885 seats--in late spring or early summer.

At around the same time the sale is launched, SLOC plans to begin two Internet-based promotions: an online offering of all leftover tickets, and an auction of the high-profile front-row seats at popular events, not unlike the courtside seats preferred by celebrities at basketball games.