Singh takes a three-shot lead

Vijay Singh looks as if he’s tired of finishing second at Kapalua, Hawaii.

Having finished a combined four shots behind Stuart Appleby the last three years, Singh took control of the Mercedes-Benz Championship on Saturday, shooting a three-under-par 70 to take a three-shot lead over Adam Scott and Trevor Immelman.

Singh, who has not finished out of the top 10 since this winners-only tournament moved to the Plantation Course in 1999, is at 11-under 208.

Scott made birdie on five of his last seven holes for a 69 and joined Immelman, who shot 72, at 211.

TENNIS

Nadal loses semifinal match at Chennai Open

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal lost to third-seeded Xavier Malisse, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the semifinals of the Chennai Open in India. Nadal, ranked No. 2, has failed to advance to a final since Wimbledon in July.

Malisse will play Stefan Koubek, who beat fifth-seeded Carlos Moya, 6-3, 6-1. The 79th-ranked Koubek ended Moya’s chance of making a fourth straight Chennai Open final.

Second-seeded Ivan Ljubicic defeated fourth-seeded Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-4, to win the Qatar Open at Doha.... Kim Clijsters defeated Maria Sharapova, 6-3, 7-6 (8), in the finals of the Champions Challenge, an exhibition tournament at Hong Kong.

WINTER SPORTS

Raich wins giant slalom; Miller fails to finish

Olympic champion Benjamin Raich won a World Cup giant slalom for the first time this season. For Bode Miller, it was more of the same -- he failed to finish.

Miller appeared to misjudge the slope at Adelboden, Switzerland. He dropped onto his side and veered off course. Ted Ligety was the top American, finishing 17th.

Raich had a combined time of 2 minutes 25.29 seconds on his two runs for his 25th World Cup victory. Massimiliano Blardone finished second in 2:26.14. Aksel Lund Svindal was third in 2:26.29, padding his lead atop the World Cup overall standings.

Nicole Hosp won a women’s World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. She kept her lead from the first run to finish with a combined time of 2:09.85.

Nicole Gius, who started in 26th position, came in second, 0.43 of a second behind, and Tanja Poutiainen, the 2005 slalom and giant slalom champion, was another 0.14 back.

Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway announced his retirement, ending a career in which he won the most Olympic and world championship medals in skiing history.

PRO FOOTBALL

Saints’ Payton named NFL coach of the year

Sean Payton, who led the New Orleans Saints to a 10-6 record and the NFC South championship, was named Associated Press NFL coach of the year.

Payton, in his first year as a head coach, received 44 votes. Eric Mangini of the New York Jets, another first-year head coach, got three votes, and San Diego’s Marty Schottenheimer received two. Jeff Fisher of Tennessee got one.

Fisher had to cancel his scheduled guest appearance on NBC’s studio show Saturday because of the resignation of general manager Floyd Reese on Friday. Jim Mora Jr., fired as coach of the Atlanta Falcons last week, took Fisher’s spot.

-- Larry Stewart

With an overflow crowd packing Great Commission Baptist Church in Fort Worth, the Denver Broncos filed past the open casket of Darrent Williams, the 24-year-old cornerback who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on New Year’s Day.

MISCELLANY

Sousa wins first stage of Dakar Rally

Carlos Sousa won the first stage of the Dakar Rally, a grueling off-road event of nearly 5,000 miles through Europe and Africa. He was timed in 1 hour 20 minutes 38 seconds, leading a first through fifth finish for Volkswagen drivers. Robby Gordon finished 13th.

Chris Galippo, a linebacker from Anaheim, became the first defensive player to earn MVP honors in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl high school football game, making seven tackles in the West’s 24-7 win over the East at San Antonio. David Green of Mission Viejo kicked field goals of 22, 28 and 37 yards.

PASSINGS

Tom Wilson, former Rams halfback, 74

Tom Wilson, who as rookie with the Los Angeles Rams in 1956 set what was then an NFL single-game rushing record of 223 yards against the Green Bay Packers, has died. He was 74.

Story in Section B.

Yvon Durelle, whose 1958 light-heavyweight title fight against champion Archie Moore made him a star in Canada, died Saturday. He was 77.

Family members said Durelle, who suffered a stroke on Christmas Day and also had Parkinson’s disease, died in a Moncton, New Brunswick, hospital.