Milan coach still hopeful on Beckham
AC Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti remains hopeful of signing David Beckham to a permanent contract, despite the Galaxy’s having ruled out further talks about a deal.
“We’ve still got 20 days to close the deal. Galaxy has forced the situation, but there’s time before March 9,” Ancelotti told the ANSA news agency Saturday. “My wish is that he can play in other derbies.”
On Friday, the Galaxy said Milan had failed to meet the MLS deadline to make an improved second bid for Beckham, who has said he wanted to remain in Italy when his three-month loan period ended on March 9.
Samuel Eto’o scored two goals as leader Barcelona rallied for a 2-2 tie at Real Betis and stretched its unbeaten run to 22 Spanish league games.
TENNIS
No. 1 Roddick loses in San Jose
Radek Stepanek ousted Andy Roddick from the SAP Open at San Jose, beating the top-seeded player and defending champion, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in the semifinals.
Stepanek will play Mardy Fish in today’s final. Fish cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory against injured doubles partner James Blake in the first semifinal.
Amelie Mauresmo defeated Jelena Jankovic, 6-2, 0-6, 6-1, in the Open GDF Suez semifinals at Paris to set up a meeting with Elena Dementieva, who advanced after top-ranked Serena Williams withdrew because of a knee injury. . . . Rafael Nadal beat Gael Monfils, 6-4, 6-4, setting up a final against Andy Murray in the ABN Amro at Rotterdam, Netherlands. Murray defeated Mario Ancic, 6-1, 6-1. . . . Top-seeded Vera Zvonareva needed just over an hour to beat Shaheer Peer, 6-1, 6-4, and advance to the Pattaya Open final in Thailand. She will play unseeded Sania Mirza, a 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 winner over Magdalena Rybarikova.
WINTER SPORTS
Davis wins at World Cup meet
Shani Davis of the United States held off the competition to win the 1,500-meter speedskating race in a World Cup meet at Heerenveen, Netherlands. Davis won in 1 minute 45.40 seconds, beating Italian Enrico Fabris by 0.48 of a second. Trevor Marsicano of the U.S. was third in 1:46.09, followed by teammate Chad Hedrick in fourth.
American Steven Holcomb won his second bobsled World Cup race in two days, and Russian Alexsandr Zubkov won his second tour championship in the season finale at Park City, Utah. . . . Shaun White of the U.S. won the halfpipe competition at the World Cup snowboard event at West Vancouver, Canada, with a score of 47.3 points. In the women’s event, Kelly Clark of the U.S. won with 42.6 points. . . . Canada’s Steve Omischl won his second straight World Cup freestyle aerials title, and Lydia Lassila of Australia won her first when she denied a Chinese sweep of the women’s podium in the season-ending event at Moscow. Ryan St. Onge of the U.S. won the men’s overall title. . . . Hannah Kearney of the U.S. won the women’s dual moguls at a World Cup freestyle meet at Are, Sweden. Kearney beat Aiko Uemura in the women’s final and gave the American 570 points atop the women’s standings.
ETC.
Bolt wins his first race of year
In his first race this year, Olympic star Usain Bolt won the 400 meters in 46.35 seconds Saturday at the Jamaica Camperdown Classic in Kingston. He slowed in the last 50 meters, smiling while looking right and left in winning this event for the second straight year. . . . Dwain Chambers twice equaled the fastest 60-meter time in the world this year, winning in a personal-best 6.51 seconds at the UK Indoor European trials in Sheffield, England. . . . Cristobal Cruz retained the International Boxing Federation featherweight title, earning a close unanimous decision over Cyril Thomas at Saint-Quentin, France. . . . Taylor Phinney of the U.S. won the 1-kilometer time trial for his second gold at cycling’s Track World Cup Finals at Copenhagen.
PASSINGS
Uhlaender, 68, ex-major leaguer
Former major league outfielder Ted Uhlaender, whose daughter was a member of the U.S. Olympic skeleton team, has died. He was 68. His daughter, Katie, competed at Turin in 2006.
