Unbeaten Calzaghe stops Roy Jones Jr.

If this was indeed his final fight, Joe Calzaghe left his fans on their feet begging for more.

The popular undefeated Welshman overcame a first-round knockdown to beat Roy Jones Jr. in a bloody one-sided unanimous decision Saturday night, delighting a raucous crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden in what Calzaghe claims will be his final bout.

With blazing hand speed and a constant push forward, Calzaghe (46-0) opened a deep gash over Jones’ left eye in the seventh round, forcing the ringside doctor to take a close look at it. The bout was allowed to continue, blood flowing down Jones’ face, but it hardly mattered after that.

“Super” Joe indeed looked super.

All three judges scored the light heavyweight fight 118-109 for Calzaghe, as did the Associated Press, every round going to him after the first.

On the undercard, former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah overcame a pair of nasty cuts to unanimously outpoint Ernest Johnson.

Arthur Abraham defeated Raul Marquez by technical knockout at Bamberg, Germany, to defend his IBF middleweight title for the eighth time and remain undefeated at 28-0.

The bout was originally scheduled for Oct. 4 but was postponed when Abraham came down with flu.

GOLF

Marino, Verplank tied for the lead

Steve Marino shot a six-under-par 66 to tie Scott Verplank for the lead heading into the final round of the $4.6 million Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The second-year PGA tour member will play with Verplank and Davis Love III in the final threesome today. Verplank and Marino are tied at 19-under 197 after three rounds.

Erik Compton, who has had two heart transplants and got a sponsor’s exemption, shot a 72 and is 13 strokes off the lead.

Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson each made putts on the final hole to reach 10 under and share the lead after two rounds of the rain-plagued HSBC Champions tournament at Shanghai, China.

Organizers are hoping the leaders can play about 27 holes today, leaving a nine-hole finish on Monday.

Anthony Kim was disqualified today for playing with an altered driver. Kim accidentally hit a sprinkler head as he tapped his driver on the ground while walking down the seventh fairway.

TENNIS

Venus defeats No. 1 Jankovic

Venus Williams advanced to the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over top-ranked Jelena Jankovic at Doha, Qatar.

Williams will face Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Elena Dementieva, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, in the other semifinal at the WTA Tour’s season-ending event.

Williams saved five break points before winning a grueling service game in the third set to go up, 4-2. That game also featured a 26-stroke rally, the longest of match. She went on to clinch the victory with a backhand crosscourt winner on her first match point.

MOTOR SPORTS

Edwards rolls to Nationwide win

Carl Edwards improved his bid to win a championship this season, rolling to a dominating win at Avondale, Ariz., to stay in mathematical contention for the Nationwide Series title.

The victory chipped into Clint Bowyer’s lead -- Bowyer started the race up 91 points, but he was in an early accident and finished fourth. Bowyer goes to next week’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 56-point lead over Edwards.

Edwards, the defending series champion, led a race-high 78 laps and withstood a final challenge from Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin on a late restart to win his sixth race of the season.

ETC.

UCLA’s Dragovic released on bail

UCLA basketball player Nikola Dragovic, arrested for suspicion of misdemeanor battery, was released on $20,000 bail early Saturday morning.

Los Angeles Police Department officers took Dragovic into custody Friday after he allegedly pushed his live-in girlfriend to the ground. The couple was breaking up, police said, and when the 6-foot-9 junior went to their apartment to retrieve his belongings, he found them dumped out front.

No information was available on who paid Dragovic’s bail. His first scheduled court appearance is Dec. 4.

--David Wharton

Jeremy Abbott led an American double in the men’s competition at the Cup of China figure skating event, and South Korea’s Kim Yu-na held onto her lead to win the women’s event. Abbott followed up his win in Friday’s short program by leading fellow American Stephen Carriere with a free skate that included a triple axel-triple toeloop combination and a triple lutz-double toe-double loop for a score of 156.39. The performance was Abbott’s second straight personal best. . . . The Milwaukee Brewers hired former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph as bench coach. . . . Running back Najeh Davenport was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. . . . The NFL has rescinded a $7,500 fine against New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck for a hit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brooks Bollinger last weekend.