Henin wins 10th title in record year

Justine Henin finished her record-breaking season undefeated after Wimbledon.

She won the Sony Ericsson Championships on Sunday at Madrid, rallying past Maria Sharapova, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, in the longest three-set final in tournament history.

She won on her fifth match point, breaking Sharapova after the Russian netted a drop shot to end the 3-hour, 24-minute contest. In 2005, Amelie Mauresmo defeated Mary Pierce, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, in 3:06 in the previous longest final.

The top-ranked Belgian won her 10th title in 2007 and earned $1 million at the season-ending event, becoming the first woman to pass $5 million for a year with her $5.4 million this year.

“What a way to finish the season,” said Henin after winning her 39th career title.

After a semifinal loss to Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon, Henin closed the season with 25 consecutive victories, the longest streak since Venus Williams won 35 in a row in 2000. The record is 38 by Steffi Graf. Henin, 25, is the first player since Martina Hingis in 1997 to record double-digit victories in a season.

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Fellow Spaniards Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer took different paths to victory as round-robin play began at the Masters Cup, the season-ending tournament for the top eight men’s singles players and doubles teams in Shanghai.

The second-ranked Nadal looked susceptible to an upset by France’s Richard Gasquet before rallying to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Then, with Nadal watching, the sixth-ranked Ferrer broke No. 3 Novak Djokovic’s powerful serve in the first game and never let up in a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

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Martina Hingis is awaiting help from the WTA Tour in the fight to clear her name after a positive test for cocaine at Wimbledon. WTA Tour President Stacy Allaster said in Madrid that the women’s tour will only get involved after doping authorities hand over their report.

GOLF

Mickelson salvages victory in playoff

After nearly blowing a five-stroke lead through the front nine, Phil Mickelson won the HSBC Champions on the second hole of a playoff with Englishmen Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood at Shanghai. Mickelson made a six-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to earn his fourth victory of the year, three of them coming on the PGA Tour.

On the first playoff hole, Fisher missed an eight-foot birdie attempt on the 18th that would have won it. Westwood and Mickelson missed longer birdie attempts.

“I cannot believe I’m here as the champion right now,” Mickelson said.

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Paula Creamer closed with a four-under 68 for an eight-stroke victory in the Tournament of Champions at Mobile, Ala.

Creamer finished at 20-under 268 -- a stroke off the tournament record set last year by Lorena Ochoa. Birdie Kim (68) was second at 12 under, and Annika Sorenstam (70), Natalie Gulbis (68) and Pat Hurst (72) tied for third at 10 under.

WINTER SPORTS

Gini takes slalom amid poor visibility

Marc Gini of Switzerland won his first World Cup event, capturing the slalom despite poor visibility because of heavy snowfall at Reiteralm, Austria.

Gini finished in a two-run combined time of 1 minute 53.49 seconds, edging Kalle Palander of Finland by 0.28 of a second. Manfred Moelgg was third in 1:53.99. Jimmy Cochran, fifth after the first run, dropped to 14th overall.

Bode Miller, who hit his chin on a gate but was not seriously injured in the first run, came to a near standstill and almost missed a gate in his final run. Miller finished 26th in 1:56.32.

MISCELLANY

Brazil repeats title in Beach World Cup

Brazil won its second consecutive Beach World Cup, beating Mexico, 8-2, at Rio de Janeiro. It was Brazil’s 11th title since the event began in 1995.

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David Beckham assisted on a goal by Edson Buddle in the seventh minute of the Galaxy’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Minnesota Thunder in a soccer exhibition at Minneapolis. Beckham played 73 minutes, leaving to a ovation from an announced crowd of 20,123.

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Hundreds of friends and relatives mourned the death of marathoner Ryan Shay at his services in East Jordan, Mich.

Shay, 28, collapsed and died Nov. 3 during the U.S. Olympic trials in New York. The cause of death remains undetermined.