Harvick grabs first Busch win of year
Nextel Cup driver Kevin Harvick raced to his first NASCAR Busch Series victory of the year Saturday, taking the lead with 52 laps to go and holding off teammate Clint Bowyer after a late caution in the Pepsi 300 in Gladeville, Tenn.
Harvick finished 0.504 seconds ahead of Bowyer, his Richard Childress racing teammate, en route to his 18th career Busch Series victory. Harvick also took a 156-point lead over Denny Hamlin in the series standings and became the eighth Nextel Cup driver to win in the first eight races of the Busch Series season.
Hamlin, the pole-sitter, was third, followed by J.J. Yeley and Carl Edwards.
Golf
Furyk, Baddeley tied
Jim Furyk’s bogey on the 18th hole dropped him into a tie for the lead with Aaron Baddeley after three rounds of the Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Furyk had a 68 and Baddeley a 66 to finish tied at 14-under, three strokes ahead of Billy Mayfair (68) at Harbour Town Golf Links.
Furyk is trying for his first victory since last year’s Western Open. Baddeley has not won a tour event.
•Lorena Ochoa shot a closing 6-under 66 to win the Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas.
Ochoa finished at 19-under 197, three shots in front of Seon Hwa Lee and five ahead of Brittany Lincicome.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., tied for 13th place after closing with a 71 for a 209 total. She earned $16,312.
Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum finished with a 217 total after a final-round 75. She pocketed $2,134.
Tennis
Henin-Hardenne ousted
Justine Henin-Hardenne lost for the first time at the Family Circle Cup, falling to Patty Schnyder 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals in Charleston, S.C.
The top-seeded Henin-Hardenne, who was the defending tournament champion, had won 14 straight matches here. It was Schnyder’s first win over Henin-Hardenne in seven meetings dating back to 2001.
Schnyder, the No. 3 seed, next plays Nadia Petrova, who is looking for her second straight WTA title. The second-seeded Petrova advanced to the final with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
•Jurgen Melzer blended power and finesse to beat seventh-seed Paul Goldstein 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals of the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston.
Melzer will play Mardy Fish in today’s final. Fish advanced when Tommy Haas withdrew after five games because of pain in his right wrist.
Gymnastics
Bo wins all-around
Lu Bo didn’t need to excel in every exercise to leave the Pacific Alliance Gymnastics championships in Honolulu with a gold medal around his neck – just the last one.
Lu edged Chinese compatriot Feng Jing with a strong score in the vault to win the all-around title.
The team championship went to Japan, followed by Canada, China and the United States. American Brett McClure placed sixth.