Last update - 01:15 30/09/2007
Sports Shorts
Mets still breathing in playoff race
John Maine flirted with the first no-hitter in Mets history before allowing an infield single to Paul Hoover with two outs in the eighth inning, and New York routed the Florida Marlins 13-0 yesterday. The Mets stayed alive in the playoff race by snapping a five-game skid that cost them their National League East lead. On Friday, the Chicago Cubs clinched first place in the National League Central with a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers' 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, which also eliminated the Brewers from postseason contention. Also Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks clinched a playoff spot by stopping the Colorado Rockies' 11-game winning streak with a 4-2 win, combined with the Florida Marlins' 7-4 victory over the Mets. The Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 to capture their first American League East title in 12 years, as the New York Yankees' string of nine straight AL East division championships came to an end with a 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in 10 innings. (AP)
Tzipi Obziler reaches her first final
Tzipi Obziler is continuing to play her best tennis at an age when many players have retired. The 34-year-old Israeli, who entered the top 100 of the WTA singles rankings this season for the first time in her career, reached her first-ever final yesterday after Russia's Anastasia Rodionova retired from heat illness in their semifinal at the tournament in Guangzhou, China. Obziler was leading 6-1, 3-1 when Rodionova could no longer continue. Obziler will face Virginie Razzano of France (39), who defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the other semifinal yesterday, for the title today. Shahar Peer and her doubles partner, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, reached the final of the tournament in Luxembourg by defeating Russia's Vera Dushevina and Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 6-2, 6-2 on Friday. (Rami Hipsh)
Brazilian guard signs with Maccabi Tel Aviv
In case Tal Burstein does not recover quickly from his ankle and heel injuries, perennial Premier League champion Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Alex Garcia, a backup No. 2 guard on the Brazilian national basketball team, to a two-year deal over the weekend. Garcia, who has played in a total of 10 NBA games with the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets, averaged seven points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for Brazil at the FIBA Americas pre-Olympic tournament. (Yoav Borowitz)