Venus Williams successfully defends Dubai Championships title

Venus Williams successfully defended her Dubai Championships title Saturday, beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 6-3, 7-5, in the final in the United Arab Emirates.

Williams broke Azarenka a third time at 5-5 in the second set and served out for her 42nd singles title on the WTA Tour.

Williams didn’t lose a set, and in the final she lost her serve once against Azarenka, who is ranked No. 6, one spot behind Williams.

Williams served well, hitting seven aces and winning 80% of her first serves.

Top-seeded Maria Sharapova beat Sofia Arvidsson, 6-2, 6-1, to win the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tenn.

Before this tournament, Sharapova, the world’s 16th-ranked player, had played one match this season, losing in the first round of the Australian Open. Sharapova won her 21st career title.

Arvidsson, the 2006 Memphis champion, qualified for the event and was seeking the second title of her career.

Sam Querrey advanced to his first final of the year with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis.

Querrey, ranked 31st, will face sixth-seeded John Isner in an all-American final.

Isner advanced with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Philipp Petzschner of Germany.

Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost to Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (11), 5-7, 7-6 (3), in the Open 13 in Marseille, France.

Benneteau will try to win his first title in his fourth career final. He will play 2009 finalist Michael Llodra of France, who defeated Mischa Zverev of Germany, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

BASEBALL

Damon, Tigers reach a deal

A person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press that the Detroit Tigers and Johnny Damon have reached a preliminary agreement on an $8-million, one-year contract.

The person, who talked on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced, said the contract is subject to a physical, which will be sometime next week.

The Houston Astros extended the contract of General Manager Ed Wade through the 2012 season.

Wade, who was hired as the Astros’ GM on Sept. 20, 2007, was given a two-year extension on his original contract, which was to run through the 2010 season.

ETC.

Payton, Rice among inductees

Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Deacon Jones and former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson were among the first set of honorees inducted into the Black College Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The Black College Hall was established last year by former Pro Bowl quarterback James Harris and Super Bowl most valuable player Doug Williams. The first class included eight players, two coaches and one contributor.

Calvin Borel, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, was selected in a vote of his peers as the 2010 winner of the Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

-- Eric Sondheimer Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen has been charged with driving under the influence. Allen was arrested in Miami Beach and was being held at the Pretrial Detention Center in Miami on $1,000 bond.

A spokesman for the Dolphins declined to comment, saying the team only recently learned about the incident.