Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009

Japanese gymnast takes gold

Sports In Brief

LONDON — A bad night might turn out to be the best thing for Jonathan Horton. The two-time Olympic medalist came to the world gymnastics championships expecting to contend for the all-around title. Instead he finished way down in 17th place after falling in three events Thursday night, including high bar.

"Since the Olympics, I haven't had the motivation and fire like I feel like I should have," Horton said. "This does it."

Horton has long had the skills to be among the world's best and, after his breakout performance at the Beijing Games.

Though he finished fifth in qualifying after a fall off pommel horse, his longtime nemesis, he had a clean slate Thursday with scoring starting from scratch in the final.

But things went ugly in a hurry. The U.S. champion had falls in three events — floor exercise, pommel horse and high bar — and Kohei Uchimura of Japan ran away with the men's title. He scored 91.500 points, more than 2½ ahead of Daniel Keatings, who delighted the O2 Arena by giving Britain its first all-around medal. Russia's Yury Ryazanov was third.

American Tim McNeill was seventh at his first major international competition.

Tennis

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had straight-set wins Thursday to advance to quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters. Gael Monfils of France and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland joined the long list of players to retire in matches this week. ... Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark overpowered Britain's Katie O'Brien 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Japan Women's Open in Osaka. The U.S. Open finalist will next face Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak. American veteran Jill Craybas will meet Australian Samantha Stosur in another quarterfinal match. ... Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta retained her chance of reaching the WTA Championships by beating Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the Generali Ladies quarterfinals in Linz, Austria. Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic and Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania also advanced to the quarters.

Golf

Champions Tour winner Tom Pernice Jr. shot a bogey-free 9-under 62 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Troy Matteson and Spencer Levin in the PGA Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. ... The organization that handles the annual PGA Tour stop in Milwaukee is dissolving after failing to find a sponsor, virtually guaranteeing the Tour won't return to Milwaukee next year. ... Bernhard Langer is going for his third consecutive win at the Administaff Small Business Classic in suburban Houston that begins today, while Jay Haas is seeking a win in his third consecutive start. ... Francesco Molinari had an eagle and eight birdies to take a 2-shot lead with a 9-under 63 after the first round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.