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FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil -- Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic won her third WTA singles title by coming from the brink of defeat to beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the Brazil Cup final on Saturday. Playing in her third final this year, the 32nd-ranked Zakopalova won 11 straight games to win the match in 2 hours, 12 minutes, securing her first trophy since 2005. She had lost 12 straight finals, including to Kurumi Nara of Japan at the Rio Open last weekend. Muguruza was leading 6-4, 5-2 and serving for the match when she suddenly couldnt win another game. The 20-year-old Spaniard, ranked 36th, had beaten Zakopalova in the final in Hobart, Australia, in January, which marked her first career title. . City, fielding a depleted team having already qualified, was twice pegged back by the plucky Czech champions but substitute Negredo tapped home in the 78th minute and Dzekos header made sure of victory in the 89th. The result kept City three points behind Bayern Munich ahead of their meeting in Germany in two weeks. . In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending. . -- A deflected pass that landed in DeSean Jacksons hands. .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. . He will be practicing with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) on a conditioning assignment. - @AnaheimDucks Corey Perry has a knee sprain and will miss the next three to four weeks.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Rory McIlroy birdied an 18-foot putt on his final hole to surge into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.On the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, where he recorded his first victory as a professional in 2009, McIlroy enjoyed a superb day of ball-striking as he notched a bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64.His 14-under-par total after two rounds was one ahead of Scotlands Marc Warren, who continued his remarkable run of form following a second-place finish last week in Doha, with a nine-birdie round of 65.Graeme McDowell, playing his first tournament of the year, showed no signs of rust as he added a 65 to his opening 67, and was tied for third at 12 under with Englands Seve Benson, whose 66 contained a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 18th hole.Defending champion Stephen Gallacher also made a rare double bogey on the Majlis course, where his last three finishes have been second-first-first, but he made four birdies over the next five holes for a round of 67.The Scotsman was tied for fifth on 11 under with the Race to Dubai leader Danny Willett (66) of England, overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger (69) of Austria, and thhe English duo of Lee Westwood (68) and Andy Sullivan (68).dddddddddddd.McIlroy sprayed slightly from the tee, finding just seven out of 14 fairways, but that did not deter him from hitting all but one green in regulation. And while a three-foot birdie putt did horseshoe out on the 12th hole, and he burned the edge in the next two, he was delighted with his round, which gave him the halfway lead in the tournament for the fifth time in eight starts.I felt like I played very nicely. Couldnt ask for much more; bogey-free, made birdies, and set myself up for a good run over the next couple of days, McIlroy said.But there are so many people who are close to the lead, its so bunched up.Warren, who is ranked 56th in the world and needs a good finish this week to crack into the top-50 and earn his first invitation to the Masters in April, made one bogey before and after the turn, and finished on a high by rolling in a 50-foot birdie putt on his final hole, the ninth of the course.Denmarks Morten Orum Madsen shot the lowest round of the day, a 9-under 63 to improve into a tie for 10th at 10-under par.The cut was at 2 under, which was missed by Sergio Garcia (71), at 2 over. ' ' '
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