Murray ends Britain's 77-year wait at Wimbledon

Andy Murray needed one more point, one solitary point, to win Wimbledon _ a title he yearned to earn for himself, of course, and also for his country.Britain had endured 77 years since one of its own claimed the men's trophy at the revered tournament referred to simply as The Championships, and now here was Murray, on the brink of triumph after 3 hours of grueling tennis against top-seeded Novak Djokovic under a vibrant sun at Centre Court.Up 40-love, Murray failed to convert his first match poi

More SportsJuly 8, 2013

S. Korea falls to Iraq in quarterfinals of FIFA U-20 World Cup

South Korea fell to Iraq 5-4 on penalties in the quarterfinals of the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup here on Sunday, coming up short of making its first semifinals appearance at the tournament in three decades.At Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri in central Turkey, two South Korean kickers failed to convert in the decisive shootout as Iraq moved on after a thrilling encounter.South Korea was seeking its first final four berth in the biennial event since 1983 in Mexico. The competition was still called the

SoccerJuly 8, 2013

New tour leader insists he’s for real

AX 3 DOMAINES, France (AP) ― At his first real opportunity, Chris Froome blew away his main Tour de France rivals with a supersonic burst Saturday, a fierce uphill climb that felt a little like the bad old days of Lance Armstrong.But the Briton who took the race leader’s yellow jersey, and looks more likely than ever to keep it all the way to the finish in Paris on July 21, insisted there are fundamental differences between then and now.Armstrong was stripped of seven Tour titles last year for s

More SportsJuly 7, 2013

Korea grabs second place at Indoor Games

Host South Korea finished second on the medal table at an indoor multi-sport competition for Asian athletes that ended over the weekend.The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games wrapped up on Saturday in Incheon, about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, after eight days of action. South Korea claimed 21 gold medals, finishing behind China, which earned 29 gold medals.China has now topped the medal standings in each of the first four Asian Indoor Games. South Korea did have more medals overall than China

More SportsJuly 7, 2013

Rockets turn into contenders

HOUSTON (AP) ― Last offseason, the Houston Rockets were an afterthought, a young team with little star power.Now, after trading for James Harden just before this past season and adding Dwight Howard on Friday, Houston is suddenly primed to contend sooner than almost anybody expected.Still, Houston general manager Daryl Morey knows nabbing Howard is only the first step in a long process for his team.“We haven’t accomplished anything yet, but we’re putting something pretty cool together, I think,”

More SportsJuly 7, 2013

Bartoli wins Wimbledon

LONDON (AP) ― Ever since she was a kid, practicing until midnight with her father, Marion Bartoli went about playing tennis her own way.The two-handed strokes for backhands, forehands, even volleys. The hopping in place and practice swings between points, which help her focus. The unusual setup for serves ― no ball-bouncing, arms crossed, right wrist resting on her left thumb before the toss.Whatever works, right? This unique Wimbledon, appropriately enough, produced a unique champion in the amb

More SportsJuly 7, 2013

Usain Bolt runs season’s fastest 200 in Paris

PARIS (AP) ― Forget for a moment the laid-back, fun-loving Usain Bolt. Even when he’s winning the six-time Olympic champion is finding fault with his running these days.The Jamaican sprinter gave himself a grade of 7 out of 10 after running the fastest 200 meters of the season Saturday with a time of 19.73 seconds at the Areva Diamond League meet in Paris.Bolt shaved 0.01 second off the previous best time this year, set by American sprinter Tyson Gay at the U.S. trials last month.“I think I coul

More SportsJuly 7, 2013

Davis tops vote

NEW YORK (AP) ― Chris Davis’ first-half power surge made him one popular All-Star.Baltimore’s first baseman with the cool nickname “Crush” slugged his way past Detroit’s Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera in the final week to claim the most fan votes in All-Star game balloting. Washington outfielder Bryce Harper used a final push to win a spot in the National League’s starting lineup.Right-hander Max Scherzer was one of a major league-best six Tigers chosen for the All-Star game July 16 at Citi

BaseballJuly 7, 2013

Giggs, Neville in coaching roles at Manchester United

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Manchester United continued to rebuild its coaching staff by appointing Ryan Giggs as player-coach and Phil Neville as first-team coach on Thursday in moves to try to alleviate the pressure on new boss David Moyes. The 39-year-old Giggs has spent his entire career at United since making his debut in 1991. He has been taking his coaching diplomas and is due to attain the UEFA Pro Licence. “I see this as the first step in my future career,” Giggs said. “I’m really lookin

SoccerJuly 5, 2013

S. Korea to host Iran in World Cup qualifier rematch

South Korea will host football nemesis Iran in a friendly match later this year, setting up an opportunity for the Red Devils to avenge a pair of losses to Team Melli in the recently concluded World Cup qualification tournament, officials said Friday.The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea will take on Iran on Sept. 6, one of several FIFA-designated international match days.The venue and the time of the match have yet to be determined, the KFA added."We couldn't really find a team

SoccerJuly 5, 2013

Webb Simpson looking for elusive win at Greenbrier

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (AP) ― Webb Simpson hopes have another late lead at the Greenbrier Classic ― and this time hang onto it.Phil Mickelson might have a simpler goal: make the cut and go from there.They’ll try to improve on past performances on the Old White TPC course when the tournament starts Thursday in West Virginia.With the British Open two weeks away, Mickelson and Simpson are among only four golfers in the top 20 world rankings entered in West Virginia. The others are Lou

More SportsJuly 4, 2013

Brazil surges up FIFA rankings from all-time low

ZURICH (AP) ― Brazil has surged to ninth in the FIFA rankings after winning the Confederations Cup.The five-time World Cup winner and 2014 host fell to an all-time low of 22nd before a five-match victory streak earned the warm-up event title.World and European champion Spain tops the rankings despite losing the final last Sunday.Italy, third-placed at the Confederations Cup, climbs to No. 6. Uruguay rises seven to No. 12 after finishing fourth.Germany follows Spain, and Colombia rises four to No

SoccerJuly 4, 2013

Baltimore Orioles sign Korean pitcher Yoon Jung-hyun

The Baltimore Orioles have signed South Korean pitcher Yoon Jung-hyun, a U.S. media report said Thursday, Korean time, the latest Korean acquisition by the team that had earlier botched the signing of a high school pitcher here.The Baltimore Sun reported that the Major League Baseball club signed the 21-year-old left-hander for his “smooth delivery” and “a solid curveball with significant upside.” Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.Yoon dropped out of Dongguk University i

BaseballJuly 4, 2013