In Brief

TENNIS

Nadal overcomes jinx
in rout against Djokovic

Rafael Nadal finally managed to beat Novak Djokovic in a final, thrashing the top-ranked Serb 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday to win the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco for the eighth consecutive year and end a run of seven straight defeats to his rival in title matches.

Nadal was hardly troubled by Djokovic in this one, breaking the Serb's serve five times in a one-sided affair on clay to win his 42nd straight match at Monte Carlo. It was his first title since last year's French Open.

Nadal, 25, thrust his hands in the air after clinching victory in style with an ace that flew past the beleaguered Djokovic, who beat Nadal in an epic Australian Open final this year.

Also: Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic won their reverse singles matches to put Serbia into the Fed Cup final for the first time with a 3-2 victory over Russia in the best-of-5 matches in Moscow.

Jankovic defeated two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4 to give Serbia an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the semifinal. Ivanovic had put Serbia ahead 2-1, rallying to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the first reverse singles.

Serbia will face defending champion Czech Republic in the final in November. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova used her powerful serve and forehand to clinch victory for the Czechs against Italy at Ostrava, Czech Republic.

The third-ranked Kvitova beat Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (1) to give the Czechs an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

Serena Williams defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 6-2 to send the United States back into the Fed Cup World Group by clinching a series victory over host Ukraine in Kharkiv. Williams' win gave the U.S. a 3-0 lead.

MISCELLANEOUS

Padres' Blanks suffers
season-ending injury

San Diego Padres infielder/outfielder Kyle Blanks will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, the second time he's had a year cut short by a major operation.

Blanks tore his labrum while swinging a bat. He missed time in spring training with the injury, but started the season with San Diego and played in four games before going on the disabled list April 14.

The 25-year-old Blanks had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in the 2010 season.

Also: Minnesota right-hander Nick Blackburn is set to rejoin the Twins' starting rotation Tuesday. Blackburn, coming back from minor shoulder irritation that flared up earlier this month, threw a 52-pitch bullpen session Sunday.

Bourbon Bay won the $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap by a nose over Eagle Poise on closing day at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., after stewards needed six minutes to review the photo finish.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Bourbon Bay ran 1¾ miles in 2 minutes, 45.70 seconds in the nation's longest graded stakes race on the turf.

The English Premier League title race took an unexpected twist when Manchester City beat Wolverhampton 2-0 to move within three points of leader Manchester United, which blew a two-goal lead in a 4-4 tie with Everton.

With the two rivals meeting at Etihad Stadium in the next round and City having a much better goal difference than United, the destiny of the title is back in both teams' hands in what is proving a thrilling climax to the season.

Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany coasted to victory in the London Marathon to virtually assure themselves of selection for the Summer Olympics in the same city.

Kipsang, the second-fastest marathon runner ever, won in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 44 seconds, and Keitany took the women's title in 2:18:37.