TENNIS

FEDERER DOWNS HEWITT FOR PAC-LIFE TITLE

Top-ranked Roger Federer had every part of his game working yesterday, beating no. 2 Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to successfully defend his Pacific Life Open title. Hitting powerful, accurate groundstroke that kept his Australian opponent scrambling back and forth at the baseline, Federer mixed in winning volleys, winning drop shots and the occasional overhead that he rarely failed to put away. It was the 42nd win in 43 matches for Federer, and his seventh straight over Hewitt. Federer’s title was his fourth of the year and seventh in his last eight tournaments.

GOLF

PERRY TAKES BAY HILL, SINGH TAKES NO. 1

Kenny Perry lost a three-shot lead in three holes, but emerged the winner in the Bay Hill Invitational when Vijay Singh hit 7-iron off the rocks and into the water on the 18th hole to make double bogey, the second straight week he has blown a chance to win.

With Singh in the water, Perry went for the center of the green and lagged his 70-foot putt within 2 feet. He closed with a 2-under 70 and at age 44 became the oldest winner of Arnold Palmer’s tournament. Perry finished at 12-under 276 for his eighth career victory, worth $900,000, and giving him loads of confidence coming into the first stretch of big tournaments.

The only consolation for Singh was replacing Tiger Woods at no. 1 in the world. With Woods chopping his way around Bay Hill to finish out of the top 20, Singh only had to finish fourth to return to no. 1 in the world ranking. Ernie Els also had a chance to be no. 1 with a victory at Bay Hill, but his hopes fizzled with a 77 in the second round. The Big Easy closed with a 70 and joined Woods in a tie for 23rd.

SORENSTAM WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT LPGA START

Annika Sorenstam won her fourth straight LPGA Tour start, making up four strokes in the last three holes and then beating Lorena Ochoa on the first hole of a playoff in the Safeway International yesterday. The victory – the 58th of Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour career – was her second in two events this year and sixth in her last eight tournaments.

Sorenstam finished with a 2-under 70 to match Ochoa (74) at 11-under 277. Sorenstam, the four-time LPGA player of the year and scoring record-setter, won her season debut in Mexico City two weeks ago, dashing the 23-year-old Ochoa’s dream of a victory in her native land. It was more of the same this time, but with a twist.

– Associated Press