AUTO RACING
MATT KENSETH WINS, KESELOWSKI KEEPS POINTS LEAD: KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The fast, smooth new surface at Kansas Speedway had the potential to wreak havoc on the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
The recent repave cluttered Sunday's race with a record 14 cautions — a season high in the Sprint Cup Series — and contributed to issues that affected at least four title contenders. But the standings looked much the same when Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag in a battered Ford that he banged hard into the wall midway through the race.
Kenseth still managed to drive it to his second victory in three races, while Brad Keselowski dodged accident after accident to hang onto his seven-point lead over Jimmie Johnson in the standings with four races remaining in the Chase.
SWIMMING
OLYMPIC STAR MISSY FRANKLIN COMMITS TO CAL: BERKELEY (AP) — Olympic star Missy Franklin has verbally committed to attend the University of California, ending the pursuit of one of the most sought after swimming recruits.
Franklin will be reunited with Cal coach Teri McKeever, who directed the U.S. women's team at the London Olympics, where Franklin won five medals. The 17-year-old won the 100- and 200-meter backstroke events, earned gold medals in the 400 medley and 800 freestyle relays, and a bronze in the 400 freestyle relay.
BASEBALL
BLUE JAYS TRADE MANAGER JOHN FARRELL TO RED SOX: BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox are hoping that two big trades will help them get back to the playoffs after missing out three years in a row.
The first was a genuine blockbuster that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and Josh Beckett to the Los Angeles Dodgers and freed up more than $250 million in future salaries. The second was the deal that brought John Farrell back to Fenway Park on Sunday.
BASKETBALL
CATCHINGS AND FEVER WIN FIRST WNBA TITLE: INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tamika Catchings scored 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their first WNBA title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night.
Catchings, who was the MVP of the Finals, averaged 24.8 points in the series, which the Fever won 3-1 over the defending WNBA champions.
WARRIORS' CURRY OUT AGAIN WITH RIGHT ANKLE INJURY: OAKLAND (AP) — Stephen Curry is out with a sprained right ankle again before Golden State's season has even begun.
The team said in a statement Saturday night that Warriors coach Mark Jackson plans to hold the point guard out of the final two preseason games Monday at the Los Angeles Clippers and Tuesday against Phoenix. Curry injured his surgically repaired ankle in Golden State's 101-97 win at Portland on Friday night.
TENNIS
VENUS WILLIAMS WINS LUXEMBOURG OPEN TITLE: LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Venus Williams won her first WTA tournament in more than two years, beating Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-2, 6-3 to take the Luxembourg Open title on Sunday.
Slowed by injuries and illness for two seasons, Williams showed she still had the winning touch and played steady tennis while Niculescu proved error-prone as she sought her first career title.
At 32, Williams won her 44th singles title in a career that includes seven Grand Slams.
BERDYCH BEATS TSONGA IN 3 SETS TO WIN IN STOCKHOLM: STOCKHOLM (AP) — Tomas Berdych won his second ATP title this year by rallying to beat top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Stockholm Open final on Sunday.
GOLF
PETTERSEN WINS PLAYOFF IN SOUTH KOREA: INCHEON, South Korea (AP) — Suzann Pettersen won the HanaBank Championship on Sunday for her ninth LPGA Tour title, beating Catriona Matthew with a 5-foot birdie putt on the third hole of playoff after blowing a big lead.
Seven strokes ahead of Matthew at the start of the round, Pettersen shot a 2-over 74 to finish at 11-under 205 on Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course. The 43-year-old Matthew finished with a 67.
