In Brief

UNLV

Women's tennis team beats UC Riverside, Wichita State

The UNLV women's tennis team rolled to a pair of victories Sunday, beating Wichita State 5-1 and sweeping UC Riverside 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

UNLV (8-1), ranked 35th, won all three doubles matches for the first point against UC Riverside, then took all six singles matches in straight sets. Freshman Lucia Batta paced the Rebels with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Taylor Raney at the No. 1 slot.

In the opener against Wichita State, the Rebels had to wait out a rain delay that led to the cancellation of the doubles matches. UNLV had no problem, with four of its five singles wins coming in straight sets.

Batta (18-3) topped Lutfiana Budiharto 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1.

Also: The UNLV men's tennis team lost to UC Irvine 4-3 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Rebels (8-5) took two of three doubles matches to earn the first point, but the Anteaters claimed four of six singles matches. Mehdi Bouras and Alex Bull paced UNLV, notching wins at Nos. 1 and 5 singles, respectively, with Bouras outlasting Chris Kearney in a pair of tiebreakers, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).

MISCELLANEOUS

The Factor wins at Santa Anita to improve Derby credentials

The Factor emerged as a strong Kentucky Derby contender for trainer Bob Baffert by posting a gate-to-wire win in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

With Baffert favorite Martin Garcia in the saddle replacing Rafael Bejarano, The Factor went straight to the front of the field of six 3-year-olds and never looked back, beating Sway Away by three-quarters of a length and covering seven furlongs in 1 minute, 20.34 seconds.

The Factor earned $90,000 to take his career total to $124,680 and paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Sway Away paid $3.60 and $2.80. Premier Pegasus, an undefeated graded stakes winner coming into the race, was a well-beaten third and paid $3.60 to show.

The Factor set a track record for six furlongs in a win at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, and coming into the Grade II San Vicente, the gray colt was considered Baffert's No. 2 Triple Crown Prospect after Jaycito.

The silver-haired trainer has 20 horses nominated for this year's Run for the Roses.

Also: A spokesman said jockey Eibar Coa's condition was improving after Coa had surgery for a neck injury he suffered in a fall from his horse.

Coa's agent, Tito Fuentes, said in a press release that the jockey has some movement in his arms and shoulders after Saturday's surgery. Coa, who fractured his C-4 vertebra Friday in a race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., has feeling throughout his body but cannot move his legs.

Coa is scheduled to have surgery again either today or Tuesday.

Jean-Baptiste Grange of France claimed the final gold medal of the Alpine skiing world championships by winning the men's slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Grange led after the first run and hung on for the victory, beating Jens Byggmark of Sweden by 0.43 seconds. Nolan Kasper was the top American, finishing 15th, and giant slalom champion Ted Ligety was 19th.

Teddy Tamgho broke his indoor triple jump world record, leaping 58 feet, 9¼ inches at the French indoor championships in Aubiere, France, to better the mark by 1 centimeter.

The 21-year-old Frenchman had set his previous mark at the world indoor championships in Doha, Qatar.

Tony Martin of Germany won the Tour of the Algarve with a strong sprint in the final stage in Portimao, Portugal, denying Tour de France champion Alberto Contador his third straight title at the race, the Spaniard's first competition since escaping a doping ban.

Martin won the 10-mile time trial in 20 minutes, 53 seconds to claim the title with an overall time of 18 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds. Contador placed 15th in the final stage and finished fourth overall, 41 seconds behind Martin.