In brief

PRO FOOTBALL

Several former Saints join
concussion suit against NFL

Eleven former NFL players living in Louisiana have sued the league, the latest players to accuse the NFL of failing to protect players from the risks associated with concussions.

Several former New Orleans Saints players, including quarterback John Fourcade, are among the 11 former players named as plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in New Orleans. The lawsuit said each of them has developed mental or physical problems from concussions or concussion-like symptoms.

Several similar suits blaming the NFL for concussion-related dementia and brain disease already have been consolidated in Philadelphia. James Dugan, a lawyer for the former players from Louisiana, said he expects the case to be transferred to Philadelphia within a month.

The NFL has vowed to vigorously defend itself against the suits.

Football helmet manufacturer Riddell Inc. also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed in New Orleans.

Also: Authorities said firefighters extinguished a fire Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., home of the Buccaneers.

Lt. William Ferguson of the Tampa Police Department said early Saturday that several motorists called 911 to report that the scoreboard at the stadium was on fire.

Ferguson said officers found that the speaker system above the stadium's north scoreboard was on fire. The Tampa Fire Department responded and put out the flames.

GOLF

Miyazato fires 65 to take lead
in LPGA Thailand tournament

Ai Miyazato shot 7-under-par 65 in the LPGA Thailand to take a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Yani Tseng after the third round in Chonburi, Thailand.

Miyazato, the Japanese player who won the 2010 tournament, birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine. She had a 14-under 202 total.

Tseng, the winner last year, shot her second straight 65 after opening with a 73. The Taiwanese star had 12 worldwide victories last year, seven on the LPGA Tour.

Also: Kenny Perry shot 10-under 62 to set the Champions Tour's 36-hole scoring record in the Ace Group Classic at Naples, Fla. Perry had an 18-under 126 total, three shots ahead of first-round leader Larry Mize.

Jbe Kruger of South Africa shot 6-under 66 in the third round of the Avantha Masters to take a one-shot lead in the European PGA Tour event at New Delhi. Kruger had an 11-under 205 total.

MISCELLANEOUS

Findlay Prep basketball rolls
to win over California squad

Amedeo Della Valle scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead the Findlay Prep basketball team to a 71-52 win over Stoneridge Prep (Calif.) at Henderson International.

Nigel Williams-Goss had 18 points and five steals for the Pilots (27-1), ranked second nationally by USA Today. The Pilots broke open a 24-24 halftime tie to win for the fourth time in five days without McDonald's All-Americans Brandon Ashley or Anthony Bennett.

Also: Top-seeded Roger Federer reached the ABN Amro World Tennis final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Nikolay Davydenko in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Federer will play for the championship against Juan Martin del Potro. The third-seeded Argentine downed second-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 6-1.

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka hobbled around the court with an ankle injury, adjusting her game and persevering to defeat Agenieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-4 and reach the Qatar Open final in Doha, Qatar.

Azarenka will play for the title against Sam Stosur, the U.S. Open champion, who advanced from her semifinal after Marion Bartoli retired with a right calf injury after losing the first set, 6-3.

Serena Williams withdrew from the Monterrey (Mexico) Open because of an ankle injury. Tournament organizers said Williams turned down a wild-card invitation because she hurt her ankle during a recent practice. The tournament opens Monday.

Kentucky Derby champion Animal Kingdom won a $60,000 turf allowance race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in his first start since June.

Last year's Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old had been out since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes. It was then discovered he had a fracture in his left hind leg that required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Ellafitz led all the way in winning the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares by 1¼ lengths at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Martin Garcia and trained by Bob Baffert, Ellafitz ran 1 1/16 miles in 1 minute, 42.48 seconds.

Lindsey Vonn clinched her fifth consecutive World Cup downhill title after placing third on the 2014 Sochi Olympics course in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. German rival and friend Maria Hoefl-Riesch won the race.