IN BRIEF

TENNIS

Nadal tops Djokovic to win Rome Masters

Rafael Nadal is looking unstoppable on clay for a fifth consecutive year.

The top-ranked Spaniard won his record fourth Rome Masters on Sunday, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-2 for his third clay-court title in three weeks, adding to his victories at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open.

Having dropped only one set over the three-week stretch, it's tough to imagine someone taking three sets from Nadal at the French Open, which begins in three weeks.

The Spaniard will be aiming for a record fifth consecutive title at Roland Garros, which would break a tie with Bjorn Borg, who won six French Opens overall.

Also: Svetlana Kuznetsova upset top-ranked Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 in Stuttgart, Germany, to win the Porsche Grand Prix and capture her first WTA title since September 2007.

It was Safina's first tournament since becoming No. 1 two weeks ago.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion now ranked No. 9, was in command in the all-Russian showdown with an aggressive, big-hitting game, winning on her third match point with an overhead smash.

Venus and Serena Williams said they are interested in playing the Fed Cup final against Italy in November despite skipping the United States' victory over the Czech Republic last weekend.

Italy will host the Nov. 7-8 final at a site still to be determined.

CYCLING

Armstrong takes second in Tour of the Gila

The last big test for Lance Armstrong before the Giro d'Italia was more than 105 miles of steep roads and windy descents in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico.

It was the hardest stage of the Tour of the Gila, but Armstrong and teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner passed the test in Pinos Altos, N.M. The Astana riders, who entered the five-day event as independents, used the tour as a tuneup for the upcoming race in Italy, with Leipheimer winning the event's overall title and Armstrong taking second.

Armstrong said he feels good enough to be a contender for some stage wins in Italy but that Leipheimer has the best chance for an overall win.

MISCELLANEOUS

UNLV baseball earns win over New Mexico

The UNLV baseball team outlasted New Mexico when Ryan Thornton delivered a two-run homer in the 11th inning, giving the Rebels a 13-11 win in Albuquerque, N.M.

UNLV (25-23, 9-9 Mountain West Conference) allowed a ninth-inning run that tied the game at 11. In the top of the 11th, Jarred Frierson got a two-out single, and Thornton followed with his second game-winning hit in as many games.

Also: Russia routed Latvia 6-1 in Bern, Switzerland, sealing a spot for the United States in the world hockey quarterfinals.

With Russia already assured a top spot in its group and a No. 1 seeding in the quarterfinals, its latest victory resolved some issues among a logjam of four teams fighting for three places.

Latvia's loss to Russia in its final group match means it cannot edge the U.S, by virtue of the Americans' 4-2 win when they met in a first-round match April 25.

Panathinaikos withstood a late comeback by CSKA Moscow to win its fifth Euroleague basketball title with a 73-71 victory in Moscow against the defending champions.

Anselmo Moreno retained his WBA bantamweight title in Bremen, Germany, with a split decision over former champion Wladimir Sidorenko.