Sharapova chases No. 1 in getting past Clijsters

Maria Sharapova beat two-time champion Kim Clijsters, 6-4, 6-4, at the WTA Championships on Wednesday in Madrid, moving a step closer to a spot in the semifinals.

Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, 7-5, 6-3, and two-time winner Martina Hingis pulled out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Nadia Petrova.

Hingis’ victory means top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo will not finish the year as the No. 1 player. That distinction will go to Sharapova or Justine Henin-Hardenne, depending on how they fare in this tournament.

Sharapova is 2-0 in the round-robin portion, Kuznetsova is 1-0 and Clijsters is 0-1. Dementieva is 0-2.

Kuznetsova can guarantee herself and Sharapova a place in the Red Group semifinals by beating Clijsters today.

In the Yellow Group, Hingis and Petrova are 1-1. Henin-Hardenne is 1-0, and Mauresmo is 0-1.

BASEBALL

Saito begins talks to stay with Dodgers

With his family on board for a second season in the United States, Dodgers closer Takashi Saito is negotiating a new contract with the team.

Saito, 36, played 14 seasons in Japan before joining the Dodgers last season. He set a Dodgers rookie record with 24 saves. In September, he said he had realized his dream of playing one season in the major leagues and would not play another unless his wife and children approved.

The Dodgers paid him $500,000 last season. Although major league teams can dictate the salaries of second-year players, Saito indicated in October he expected any new contract to include veteran wages.

Steve Hilliard, Saito’s agent, said he and the Dodgers have had limited discussions about a one-year contract. Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti said negotiations have extended into a second week, but neither he nor Hilliard would discuss salary proposals.

-- Bill Shaikin

Josh Barfield, who as a rookie second baseman helped the San Diego Padres win the NL West, was acquired by the Cleveland Indians for infielder Kevin Kouzmanoff and right-hander Andrew Brown. Barfield batted .280 with 13 home runs and 58 RBIs last season.

Jose Reyes hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the MLB All-Stars a 5-3 victory over the Japan stars in Fukuoka to complete the major leaguers’ first sweep in Japan in 72 years at 5-0.

Former pitching standout Dwight Gooden, 41, is set to be released from prison today in Gainesville, Fla., after serving about seven months of a one-year sentence for violating his probation by using cocaine.

BOXING

De La Hoya’s offer includes a deadline

Oscar De La Hoya has given Floyd Mayweather an offer and a deadline, according to sources close to the negotiations on both sides.

De La Hoya, who plans on returning to the ring next May, would like to fight Mayweather, who won the World Boxing Council welterweight title last weekend.

Mayweather figures he should get a purse equal to that of De La Hoya. But De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions would stage the fight, has made an offer that is considerably less, and has set a Monday deadline for Mayweather to accept.

De La Hoya’s last fight, against Ricardo Mayorga in May, had 950,000 pay-per-view buys. Mayweather’s match Saturday is expected to come in at around 325,000-350,000 buys.

That drawing power should determine the split of the purse money, according to De La Hoya.

-- Steve Springer

Roy Jones Jr.’s light heavyweight fight with Manny Siaca on Dec. 9 in Philadelphia was called off because of unresolved contract issues.... World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Scott Harrison, jailed Oct. 6 in Spain on an assault charge, will be unable to defend his title Dec. 9 against Nicky Cook.

MISCELLANY

Basso signs with Armstrong’s old team

Two weeks after being cleared of doping accusations, Giro d’Italia champion Ivan Basso signed a two-year contract reportedly worth $6 million to ride for Lance Armstrong’s old Discovery Channel cycling team.

Basso finished third in the 2004 Tour de France and was second in 2005 behind Armstrong. Basso left his Danish team, CSC, three weeks ago.

Basso was barred from this year’s Tour de France after being implicated in a Spanish doping investigation.

The U.S. lost to Olympic champion China, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17, in four sets in the second round of the women’s world volleyball championships in Osaka, Japan.

Krissy Wendell scored her 99th and 100th goals for the U.S. women’s hockey team to lead a 5-2 victory over Finland at the Four Nations Cup in Kitchener, Canada.

Wendell is the third U.S. player to reach the milestone, joining Cammi Granato and Katie King.

Mammoth Mountain is scheduled to open today, but with Broadway being the only run with snow, and with conditions less than ideal.

Resort spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen acknowledged that the opening would be largely ceremonial.

In the Lake Tahoe area, which was getting rain Wednesday, Heavenly, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley are scheduled to open Nov. 17.

-- Pete Thomas

Barney Rice, a 35-year-old Montana triathlete, died Tuesday night, three days after he was rescued from the Gulf of Mexico during the swimming stage of the Ford Ironman Florida in Panana City Beach, Fla. The cause of death was not clear.

A crowd of 1,000, including USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and former Trojans running back Anthony Davis, attended the funeral services for Marlin McKeever, a former USC, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins linebacker, at St. Matthews Catholic Church in Long Beach. McKeever died Oct. 27 at 66.