Froch knocks out Taylor in final round

Super-middleweight champion Carl Froch delivered a stunning knockout of Jermain Taylor in the final round Saturday night in Mashantucket, Conn., stealing a fight he would have lost had it been allowed to go a few seconds longer.

The WBC champion trailed, 106-102, on two of the judges’ scorecards entering the final round, but he knocked Taylor down with less than a minute remaining.

Felix Sturm easily retained his WBA middleweight title, stopping Japanese challenger Koji Sato in the seventh round at Konig Palast in Krefeld, Germany.

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GOLF

Ochoa takes lead with 4-under 69

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot a four-under-par 69 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead over Norway’s Suzann Pettersen into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Corona Championship in Morelia, Mexico.

Jerry Kelly shot a bogey-free three-under 69 to take a three-stroke lead over Steve Marino after the third round of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

Loren Roberts and Mark Wiebe had five birdies and an eagle on the final nine holes for a better-ball 61 and a one-stroke lead over John Cook and Joey Sindelar in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in Savannah, Ga. . . . Robert-Jan Derksen shot a three-over 75 to take a two-stroke lead in the Ballantine’s Championship at Jeju Island, South Korea.

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TENNIS

Glatch puts U.S. in tie with Czechs

Alexa Glatch pulled off a major upset in her Fed Cup debut, dominating Iveta Benesova, 6-1, 6-2, to lift the United States to a 1-1 tie with the Czech Republic in a semifinal in Brno, Czech Republic.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands lost to Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the opening match on the indoor hard court at Rondo Arena.

Rafael Nadal will attempt to win his fifth straight Barcelona Open title when he meets David Ferrer today in a repeat of last year’s final.

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MOTOR RACING

Ragan earns first NASCAR victory

David Ragan earned his first NASCAR victory by passing Ryan Newman right before the finish line in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Graham Rahal earned his second pole in three races at Kansas Speedway.

The NASCAR truck race at Kansas Speedway was suspended because of thunderstorms and will resume on Monday.

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PRO FOOTBALL

Ward agrees to extension

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, nearing the end of his contract, agreed to an extension that will pay him a lower salary than the $5.8 million he was to make this season but will make up the money in a signing bonus.

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ETC.

Gibson rules out return to USC

Forward Taj Gibson has ruled out any chance of returning to USC next season, said Sharon Gibson, his mother. The 6-foot-9 Gibson, who was a junior last season, has not hired an agent but has filed papers for the NBA draft.

He is projected as a second-round pick in many mock drafts.

-- Chris Foster

Duke basketball player Gerald Henderson is making himself available for the NBA draft but has not hired an agent.

Sparks Coach Michael Cooper confirmed that USC has been in contact with his agent about becoming the Trojans’ women’s basketball coach.

A memorial service for former UCLA football coach Bill Barnes will be held May 23 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church in Santa Monica.