COLUMBUS, Ohio — A halftime brawl between more than 100 fans marred an exhibition match Sunday between West Ham United of the English Premier League and the Columbus Crew of MLS.
The fights, which overshadowed West Ham United’s 3-1 win, began when a handful of West Ham supporters, some wearing the team’s claret and blue colors, entered the northeast corner of the stadium where the Crew’s most boisterous supporters typically gather.
Crew supporters began directing chants toward the rival fans, and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham fans. Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff eventually separated the groups.
A Highway Patrol spokesman said officers arrested one fan outside the stadium for disorderly conduct. A dispatcher didn’t know whether Columbus police had made any arrests inside the stadium.
Canadian qualifier prevails
STANFORD, Calif. — Qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak became the first Canadian to win a WTA Tour singles title in 20 years, taking advantage of an injury to Marion Bartoli to win the Bank of the West Classic 7-5, 6-3.
Wozniak, 20, needed to win eight matches — including three qualifiers — in nine days to become the first Canadian since Jill Hetherington in February 1988 to win a women’s singles title.
• Gilles Simon won the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, beating Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4.
• Juan Martin del Potro won his second straight ATP Tour title by defeating Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-1 in the clay-court final of the Austrian Open in Kitzbuehel.
• Albert Montanes of Spain won his first ATP Tour singles title, capturing the Dutch Open in Amersfoort, Netherlands, with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over defending champion Steve Darcis of Belgium.
Mystics end Storm’s streak
WASHINGTON — Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 22 points and Alana Beard tied a career high with nine assists as the Washington Mystics, in their first game following a coaching change, snapped the Seattle Storm’s seven-game winning streak with an 89-57 rout.
• Asjha Jones had 23 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Connecticut Sun snap a five-game losing streak with a 74-67 win over the Chicago Sky.
• Kara Lawson’s tiebreaking jumper with 39 seconds left helped the Sacramento Monarchs become the first team to win at Detroit this season, as they beat the Shock 88-85.
Triathlon turns tragic
NEW YORK — A 32-year-old man died during the New York City triathlon, the first death in the eight-year history of the event.
Race director Bill Burke said other competitors alerted medical personnel to the man during the 1,500-meter swim in the Hudson River, and he was unconscious when he was pulled from the water.
Burke said the man’s family was in Argentina, and he wasn’t being identified by race officials until they were contacted.
The Associated Press
