VALENCIA, Spain — Larry Ellison‘s space-age trimaran BMW Oracle won back the America’s Cup for the United States on Sunday by routing two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland in a two-race sweep.
The 65-year-old software tycoon’s victory over rival billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli sends the oldest trophy in international sports to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club.
The two billionaires have been locked in a tumultuous legal fight for 2 1/2 years, and it looked for a while like the result of this race was going to be contested off the water.
Alinghi raised a red protest flag on its giant catamaran late on the first leg of the triangle course used for Race 2, leaving everyone wondering what it was about since there’s no communications off the boats. The Swiss dropped the protest after the race.
The America’s Cup has been away from U.S. shores for 15 years, the longest drought since America won the silver trophy by beating a fleet of British ships around the Isle of Wight in 1851.
Verdasco defeats Roddick
SAN JOSE, Calif — Second-seeded Fernando Verdasco rallied to beat Andy Roddick 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the SAP Open, earning his fourth career title.
Verdasco had lost 15 straight matches against top-10 players, and seven consecutive matches to Roddick.
• Top-seeded Elena Dementieva recovered from a set down to beat Lucie Safarova 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Open GDF Suez in Paris.
• Robin Soderling won the ABN Amro final in Rotterdam, Netherlands, when former champion Mikhail Youzhny retired because of a thigh injury.
• Top-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Lukasz Kobut 6-1, 6-0 to win the Brazil Open in Costa do Sauipe.
• Top-seeded Vera Zvonareva successfully defended her Pattaya Open title in Thailand, beating hometown favorite Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
Force breaks long drought
POMONA, Calif. — Funny car star John Force ended a 20-month victory drought, winning the 50th running of the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals.
Force’s holeshot win — 4.124 seconds at 298.67 mph to Ron Capps‘ 4.123 at 305.08 — was his NHRA-record 127th of his career and first in 40 races.
Larry Dixon (top fuel) and Mike Edwards (pro stock) won their divisions.
Footnotes.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. won his second U.S. Bowling Congress Masters title for his record 47th PBA Tour victory, beating top-seeded Chris Barnes 290-217 in Reno, Nev.
• Right-hander Edwin Jackson and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a $13.35 million, two-year deal, avoiding an arbitration hearing.
• Northern Iowa senior center Jordan Eglseder, the Panthers’ second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game, has been suspended for three games after being arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
