Tennis Sports

Bastad, Sweden – Swedish favourite Robin Soderling beat second-seeded David Ferrer to become a two-time Swedish Open champion. Soderling posted a 6-2, 6-2 victory to up his record against the Spaniard to 10-4. Sunday’s final was the first between the top two seeds in Bastad since 2006. The fifth-ranked Swede reached the final of this tournament for the third straight year. He bested Juan Monaco in 2009 and was last year’s runner-up to Nicolas Almagro. Soderling captured his fourth title in as many finals this year — he also won at Brisbane, Rotterdam and Marseille — and evened his record in 20 career championship matches. World No. 6 Ferrer, the 2007 Bastad champ, was trying for his third title of 2011.

The serving power of Chris Guccione and returning prowess of Lleyton Hewitt earned Australia a crucial doubles victory and a 2-1 lead over China in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup tennis tie in Beijing on Saturday.

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The Falcon women’s track & field team competed in three events at the Augustana College NCAA Qualifying Meet on Friday in Rock Island, Ill.

Leah Korf (Oakdale, MN, Tartan) ran in the 800 and finished the race in 2:17.97.

Megan Belger (Bloomer, Bloomer) ran in the 400 andfinished in 58.48.

Becky Ponick (Stanley, WI, Stanley-Boyd) competed in her specialty – the javelin. She had a best throw of 127-3.

The field for the NCAA Meet, which will be held May 24-26 in Delaware, Ohio, will be known on Sunday.

Theophane: Fighting on Chisora v Fury card

Trans-Atlantic boxer Ashley Theophane is to fight on ‘The Big Brawl’ card on July 23 to defend his British light-welterweight title.

Theophane will go toe-to-toe with Welsh champion Jason Cook at Wembley Arena on the same card that sees Dereck Chisora’s return against Tyson Fury, who at 14-0 holds an identical record to the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion.

Londoner Theophane has successfully split his training between his home-town and adopted city, New York, a decision that was inspired by his idols.

“I watched (Mike) Tyson and (Marvin) Hagler and wanted to come to America to train and fight.

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Patrick Kane apparently played the first round of the playoffs with a fractured wrist. He will have surgery.

The team disclosed the injury Friday, saying it was discovered recently during his offseason training. Blackhawks team doctor Michael Terry said Kane will have surgery on Tuesday to repair a scaphoid fracture. Both Terry and Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said Kane is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp.

“It was a little sore, and he got it checked out and it was one of those things where it needed to be fixed,” Bowman said.

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