Tennis
WTA CHAMPIONSHIP: Amelie Mauresmo outlasted Mary Pierce 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in a marathon baseline slugfest to win the WTA Championships on Sunday for the biggest title of her career.
Mauresmo double-faulted to trail love-40 in the final game, but rallied on five consecutive errors by Pierce in the first all-French final of the season-ending tournament.
When Pierce's cross-court backhand went wide, Mauresmo fell to her knees and clapped her hands to her head as the crowd erupted in applause. She got up and met Pierce on the sideline, where they embraced and Pierce whispered in her ear and kissed Mauresmo's cheek.
She earned $1 million for the victory; Pierce received $500,000.
Gymnastics
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: After dominating gymnastics' junior ranks, U.S. champion Nastia Liukin finally gets to see how she matches up against the best in the world.
The 16-year-old was chosen for her first world championships team, along with two-time world gold medalist Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone and Jana Bieger. The world championships, which will have all-around and individual event finals, are Nov. 22-27 in Melbourne, Australia.
Liukin was touted as gymnastics' next big thing even before she began routing the junior ranks. Her father won two gold medals for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics; her mother was the world rhythmic champion the year before. At her first U.S. Gymnastics Championships as a senior, Liukin won the all-around title, as well as golds on uneven bars and balance beam.
Sacramone won the vault title at the World Cup final last year, beating the Olympic gold and bronze medalists, and was champion on vault and floor at the Pan American Championships. Bieger was third at nationals in the all-around, vault and uneven bars.
"Chellsie and Alicia have already demonstrated their strength and dynamic routines against the world's best, and Nastia and Jana will be showing the rest of the world what they can do on the world stage," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "I know we will be well represented in Melbourne."
Baseball
MATSUI, YANKS TALKING: Hideki Matsui's agent and the New York Yankees kept up contract talks over the weekend as they aimed to reach agreement on a new contract by their Tuesday deadline.
Arn Tellem spoke by telephone Sunday with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and Tellem met with Matsui on Sunday. The sides have been talking about a four-year contract in the $50 million range.
"The talks have been positive and constructive, and we are making progress," Tellem said in an e-mail Sunday night.
Matsui's first contract with the Yankees, a $21 million, three-year deal, included a provision that New York must re-sign him by Tuesday or place him on unconditional release waivers — which would mean the Yankees could not re-sign him until May 15.
Tellem and Cashman met last week in Indian Wells, Calif., and both expressed optimism about striking a deal by the deadline.