Sharapova outlasts Venus Williams

The match included 25 double faults, one on a second serve that landed wide of the doubles alley. There were 91 unforced errors and 13 service breaks, resulting in 2 1/2 hours of fitful tennis in front of a stadium crowd that groaned at the mis-hits and missed chances.

Maybe one match every 20 months between top-seeded Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams is enough.

The two Grand Slam champions played Sunday for the first time since the 2005 Wimbledon semifinals, and Sharapova was slightly less erratic, winning 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.

“I’m a fighter and a big competitor,” Sharapova said. “That’s why I play the sport. I enjoy the battle of it, and a lot of my matches, it depends on who fights more in the end.”

Appropriately, the final shot -- Williams’ forehand -- sailed 10 feet long.

Sharapova overcame 13 double faults to exact a measure of revenge from the Williams family. She was drubbed by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final in January.

The Russian’s victory prevents a potential fourth-round showdown between the Williams sisters. It would have been their first meeting since the 2005 U.S. Open.

Venus Williams missed more than half her first serves and committed 55 unforced errors. Slowed in recent months by injuries, Williams was unseeded and playing in only her third tournament since July.

“I just struggled with my consistency a little bit,” she said. “The rhythm -- there were a lot of points where I wasn’t quite there.”

Second-seeded Justine Henin rallied three times in the third set to beat Virginie Razzano, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

Henin erased a 5-1 deficit in the final set to reach 5-5. Serving at 5-6, love-30, she rallied for 6-6. Then she fell behind, 2-0, in the tiebreaker before gaining a third-round victory.

Third-seeded Andy Roddick beat No. 32 Gilles Simon, 6-4, 6-4. Roddick’s fourth-round opponent will be No. 13 David Ferrer, who won when they met in the quarterfinals a year ago.

No. 5 Martina Hingis lost to 17-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and settled for a consolation prize: the $20-million milestone. Hingis became the fourth player to reach that mark.

Seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic lost to No. 32 Mara Santangelo, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Sixth-seeded Kim Clijsters, playing at Key Biscayne for the final time before she retires, beat No. 25 Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 6-2, and ninth-seeded Nadia Petrova defeated Ekaterina Bychkova, 6-1, 6-1.

On the men’s side, second-seeded Rafael Nadal advanced when Olivier Rochus pulled out before their match because of a foot injury. Sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo beat Kevin Kim, 6-2, 6-4.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Gonzaga’s Grier hired by San Diego

Gonzaga assistant Bill Grier was hired as coach at San Diego.

Grier, 43, replaces Brad Holland, who was fired on March 8. He had been on Gonzaga’s staff for 16 years.

MISCELLANY

Bangladesh qualifies for cricket’s Super Eight

Bangladesh defeated Bermuda by seven wickets at Port of Spain, Trinidad, to become the final team to reach the Super Eight stage of cricket’s World Cup, eliminating India, which needed a Bermuda victory.

Canada skip Kelly Scott steered her team to the world curling title with an 8-4 victory over Denmark in Aomori, Japan.

Denmark took silver and Scotland, which eliminated the U.S. on Friday, got bronze.

The U.S. Pool Players Assn.’s Pro Tour Championship will be held Tuesday through Sunday at the Normandie Casino in Gardena.

Four-time world champion and former U.S. Open champion Johnny Archer of Atlanta will join former world champions Efren Reyes of the Philippines and Mika Immonen of Finland in the field of 64 players vying for $50,000 in prize money and tour points in the UPA’s last nine-ball event of the season.