Karbon, Mancuso 1-2 in giant slalom opener

Denise Karbon won the World Cup season-opening giant slalom on Saturday at Soelden, Austria, her first victory in four years, and Olympic champion Julia Mancuso of Olympic Valley, Calif., finished second.

Karbon, who sustained two debilitating injuries over the last few seasons, raced down the Rettenbach course in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes 23.21 seconds.

“It’s my first victory in a long time,” Karbon said. “But then, it’s the first time in a long time that I haven’t been injured.”

Mancuso finished in 2:23.54 after a speedy top section on her second run to rally from 12th position.

Kathrin Zettel, who broke her leg in March, was third in 2:23.73 after placing 24th after the opening leg. Olympic silver medalist Tanja Poutiainen, who led after the opening run, finished fourth in 2:23.78 after a disappointing second effort. Lindsey Vonn -- formerly Kildow -- of Vail, Colo., was 13th in 2:24.38.

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TENNIS

Federer will play Nieminen in final

Top-ranked Roger Federer defeated big-serving Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), to move into the final of his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors at Basel.

Federer, the defending champion, will play Jarkko Nieminen, who advanced to his first final of the year by beating Marcos Baghdatis, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Karlovic produced an ace, one of his 16, and a volley to save two match points in the 10th game of the second set. Federer couldn’t convert another in the tiebreaker but a forehand into the net by Karlovic put Federer into his 11th final of the year.

A win for Federer, who is 7-0 against Nieminen, can clinch his season at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year.

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Second-seeded Andy Murray defeated third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (1), to advance to the final of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. He will play sixth-seeded Fernando Verdasco, who beat qualifier Marin Cilic, 6-2, 6-3.

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Second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova saved a match point against fifth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova to win, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3), and reach the final of the Generali Ladies at Linz, Austria. She will play sixth-seeded Patty Schnyder, who defeated third-seeded Marion Bartoli, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

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Sebastien Grosjean reached the final of the Lyon Grand Prix in France by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 6-2, in 53 minutes. He will play Marc Gicquel, who defeated Alejandro Falla, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7).

FIGURE SKATING

Takahashi holds off Lysacek for title

Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi was outpointed in the free skate by U.S. champion Evan Lysacek, yet still won Skate America thanks to his overwhelming margin from the short program at Reading, Pa.

Takahashi fell twice and also tired toward the end of the routine. But his lead of more than 12 points from Friday was enough to hold off Lysacek.

GOLF

Chopra and Estes are tied for lead

Daniel Chopra eyed his first PGA Tour title after joining Bob Estes at the top of the leaderboard in the unfinished third round of the Ginn sur Mer Classic at Port St Lucie, Fla.

Chopra and Estes both birdied the par-five 11th to get to 16 under overall before play was suspended for the day because of darkness.

The co-leaders were among 34 professionals who will have to complete the third round early today.

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Suzann Pettersen left everyone else behind in the LPGA Thailand at Pattaya, birdieing five of the last seven holes for a bogey-free nine-under 63, giving her a seven-stroke lead.

She is at 20-under 19. She had two-stroke advantages the first two days, opening with rounds of 65 and 68 on the Pattaya Old Course.

Solheim Cup teammate Laura Davies was second, a stroke ahead of Paula Creamer. Davies and Creamer, paired together in the group ahead of Pettersen and Alena Sharp, had matching 66s. Sharp (72) was nine under along with Rachel Hetherington (68) and Katherine Hull (68).

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Denis Watson shot a four-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Jim Thorpe and Brad Bryant into the final round of the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Championship at Sonoma, Calif.

BOXING

Middleweight Estrada comes back to win

U.S. middleweight Shawn Estrada of Los Angeles defeated Ryota Murata of Japan, sealing the win with a 17-12 comeback in the final minute of the bout at the World Championships in Chicago. U.S. featherweight Raynell Williams won over Kazakhstan’s Mazat Ospanov after struggling at the beginning of the bout. Williams won the match, 28-9.

BASEBALL

Yankees preparing offer to Rodriguez

The New York Yankees are preparing to offer Alex Rodriguez a contract extension that probably will run for four or five years and have an average yearly salary of $25 million to $30 million.

New York has tried to set up a meeting with Rodriguez, but the slugger’s agent, Scott Boras, hasn’t committed to a face-to-face session. Rodriguez can opt out of his record $252-million, 10-year contact up until the 10th day after the World Series.

He is owed $72 million by the Yankees during the final three seasons of that deal, but New York would receive a $21.3-million subsidy from the Texas Rangers, who originally signed Rodriguez to the contract and agreed to the payments when they traded him to New York in 2004. The Yankees would lose that subsidy if Rodriguez terminates the contract and say they would drop out of negotiations if he opts out.

SOCCER

Rooney scores again to help United win

Wayne Rooney scored his eighth goal in seven matches to lead Manchester United to a 4-1 victory over Middlesbrough in the English Premier League.