STUTTGART, Germany -- Maria Sharapova won her third straight Porsche Grand Prix title on Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Sharapova won her first tournament of the year and clinched the 30th title of her career. She is now undefeated in 13 consecutive matches on the indoor clay in Stuttgart. Ivanovic wasted a 3-1 lead in the second set as Sharapova raised her game to stay in the high-quality match between two former top-ranked players and French Open champions. Ivanovic was seeking her third title of the year. "I just tried to hang in there," Sharapova said. "For the first half of the match I thought it might not be my day today, but somehow I turned it around." Ivanovic got off to a flying a start and won the first five games of the match before Sharapova started fighting back. Ivanovic wasted a set point and could not serve out the set at her first attempt. She gifted Sharapova another game with a double-fault but finally pulled together to win the first set. Sharapova had trouble reading Ivanovics varied game and change of pace. But she held on as Ivanovic began to lose her focus. "From the first moment it was always a close match," Ivanovic said. "It was always a few close balls to decide each game, and it went on the whole match. In the second set she definitely went for those big shots, though, and she made some amazing points. "Shes just a great player, and thats what happens when you play against great players in big matches like this. You need to use your opportunities." Sharapova returned late last year after missing four months following shoulder surgery. "It was a very tough year for me," she said. Stuttgart is the only tournament Sharapova has won three times. . The Oilers have been shut out in three straight home games and are in last place in the Western Conference with a 4-14-2 record. "Things have obviously not gone as well as I would have thought probable. . -- D.A. Points was disqualified Friday from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for using a training device while waiting to play the 18th hole at Pebble Beach.
https://www.cheapwarriors.com/479o-harr ... riors.html. New York City FC introduced Frank Lampard in Brooklyn on Thursday after signing the 36-year-old former Chelsea midfielder to a two-year contract. . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. . - Their offence is underperforming.Marco Fu lost his cue tip but not his nerve as he levelled his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Mark Selby at 8-8. Fu had started Friday afternoon trailing 5-3 but outplayed the world No 1 and was looking to take the lead in the 15th frame when the unthinkable happened.While chalking his cue and glancing at the table mid-break, Fu nudged the tip off and joined the Crucible crowd in shock as he realised what had happened. Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis, owners of 13 world titles between them, were equally surprised, suggesting the incident could upset Fus progress in the best-of-33 encounter, which resumes on Saturday morning.But, after an interlude for running repairs, he showed no concerns with his amended equipment and closed out the frame with a break of 81. Mark Selby in action against Fu Selby, who had been short of his best throughout, won the last to ensure they would resume with nothing between them, but not before both men made big errors.Fu looked to have it won before he missed the final red, a mistake his rival then matched before a sloppy safety shot from Fu finally settled matters in Selbys favour.He finished with a break of 81, his best of the day compared to a pair of centuries from Fu, who made 135 and 114.Alan McManus had earlier scored three centuries of his own as he clawed back a six-frame deficit to trail Ding Junhui 9-7 in a pulsating match. Alan McManus eyes up a shot against Ding Junhui McManus, at 45 the oldest man to make the last four at the Crucible since Ray Reardon in 1985, looked down and out as Ding took three of the first four frames to build an imposing 9-3 advantage.ddddddddddddBut the Scot won four in a row after the interval to bring himself right back into the match ahead of their resumption on Friday evening.The four centuries scored by McManus and Ding between them - added to Dings four from Thursdays opening session - matched the record for the number of 100-plus breaks in a single World Championship match.Ding, 16 years his opponents junior, had struck first with a 138 clearance to extend his overnight lead to 7-2, only for McManus to fire straight back with a 107 to bring the deficit back to four frames.But the Chinese star looked in irresistible form as back-to-back clearances of 90 and 97 took him into the mid-session interval having extended his advantage to six.McManus, who had defied the odds to beat John Higgins and reach his first semi-final in 23 years, won the next and a superb 136 clearance - including a trick-shot black - brought it back to 9-5.And as Ding showed signs of faltering, McManus took a second chance to make it 9-6 then came close to making a maximum in the final frame of the session but over cut the final black. However, the a 125 finish was good enough to leave a top-quality match thrillingly poised for the evening session. Also See: Photos Bet ￡5 Get ￡20 free Get Sky Sports ' ' '
