BASKETBALL

SPURS HOLD OFF SUNS IN GAME 1

The San Antonio Spurs left the Phoenix Suns bloodied and beaten in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Tim Duncan had 33 points and 16 rebounds — eight offensive — and Tony Parker added 32 points to lead the Spurs to a rough-andtumble 111–106 victory on Sunday.

Steve Nash scored 31 for Phoenix but missed a crucial 45 seconds in the final minute because of a bloody cut on his nose, the result of a head-on collision with Parker with 2:53 to play. The cut required six stitches after the game.

Michael Finley added 19 points for San Antonio, which with the victory has home-court advantage the rest of the series.

Amare Stoudemire had 20 points and 18 rebounds but was just 6–of–19 shooting. Leandro Barbosa scored 18 points for the Suns. Shawn Marion, after a slow start, scored 16, 11 in the final quarter.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.

TENNIS

GAME, SET, MATCH: CLIJSTERS IS DONE WITH TENNIS

Her muscles aching when she gets out bed, Kim Clijsters is done with tennis at 23.

The former U.S. Open champion, once ranked no. 1, initially planned to quit after the season. Now, with injuries having exacted too much and her thoughts turning to family and a “new life,” her retirement is immediate.

“Health and private happiness are so much more important,” she said on her Web site yesterday.

Still ranked no. 4, Clijsters said she was wary of the injuries that have led to fatigue, lack of motivation and a decline in play. “It’s tiring to get out of bed and to use an hour just to warm up stiff muscles in the morning,” she wrote in Dutch on her online diary. “The constant injuries and continual rehabilitation … it makes it all even more difficult to go on.”

Clijsters made the decision after losing in straight sets to Ukrainian qualifier Julia Vakulenko in her final match Thursday, failing to defend her title in Warsaw, Poland.

BASEBALL

MAUER HEADS TO DL WITH STRAINED QUAD

With their cleanup hitter and starting left fielder already sidelined with injuries, the Minnesota Twins took their biggest blow yet yesterday.

All-Star catcher Joe Mauer was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps muscle after yesterday’s 4–3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Mauer had an MRI exam yesterday morning and missed his second straight game. Test results revealed a strain, and the Twins recalled catcher Chris Heintz from Triple-A Rochester to take Mauer’s place on the roster. The move is retroactive to May 5.

SOCCER

MANCHESTER UNITED WINS PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE

Manchester United won its first English Premier League title since 2003 without kicking a ball yesterday because Chelsea was held to a 1–1 tie at Arsenal.

United, which beat Manchester City 1–0 Saturday, has 88 points. Chelsea is second with 81 points with two games left. The two play each other at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. United has won the English title nine times since the Premier League was formed in 1992 — all under manager Alex Ferguson, who took over the club in 1986. United also has won seven other English titles.

Chelsea had been trying to win its third straight Premier League title. The last club to do that was Manchester United between 1999 and 2001.