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Woods, Cink reach Match Play final

MARANA, Ariz., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink will meet Sunday in the final of at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at Marana, Ariz.

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Woods sank a 12- foot birdie putt on the 17th hole Saturday to move 1-up against defending champion Henrik Stenson, who conceded the final hole to give Woods a 2-up victory and an appearance in the final for the fourth time at the Championship.

"It was a nice putt to make," said Woods, who won this title in 2003 and 2004 and lost in the final in 2000.

Woods and Cink will play in a 36-hole match Sunday. Cink beat Justin Leonard 4 & 2 in Saturday's other semifinal.

Woods, the No. 1 overall seed, beat K.J. Choi in the morning's quarterfinal match. He never built a bigger lead than 1-up throughout the match against Stenson.

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Gay leads by 5 shots at Mayakoba Classic

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Brian Gay birdied five of his last six holes Saturday to shoot an 8-under 62 and take a five-stroke lead after three rounds of the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Gay matched Fred Funk's 54-hole record from last year with a 15-under 195 through the third round. He is five ahead of second place Steve Marino, who shot a 64 Saturday.

John Merrick, the leader after the first two rounds, had a 69 Saturday that dropped him into a share of third place with Matt Kuchar (64) at 9-under 201. Esteban Toledo turned in a 63 and is in fifth at 202.

Gay will be in search of his first PGA Tour victory Sunday. He held a share of the 54-hole lead at the 2004 Colonial, finished with a 77 in the final round and tied for 14th.

"I've never had a five-shot lead, so I don't know," Gay said.


Nicklaus and Watson have good first day

MAUI, Hawaii, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson got eight skins and $270,000 Saturday to take the lead after nine holes of the Champions Skins Game.

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Loren Roberts and Gary Player won the first hole and $30,000. The teams of Arnold Palmer and Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen and Fuzzy Zoeller were shut out Saturday.

Watson hit to 10 feet from the hole at the fourth and Nicklaus made the putt for three skins and $90,000.

The par-three ninth was worth five skins and $180,000. Player missed from 18 feet, but Nicklaus sank a 15-footer for birdie. Zoeller was short from five feet.

The format is alternate-shot. The final nine holes, worth $470,000, will be played Sunday.


Llodra again surprises in Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Michael Llodra of France and Sweden's Robin Soderling won their semifinal matches Saturday at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Llodra, the event's biggest surprise, secured a place in an ATP singles final for the second time this season by improving his career record against the 6-foot-10, big-hitting Croat Karlovic to 2-0.

Soderling trumped France's Gilles Simon 6-2 6-1.

"When I saw the draw, I thought I'd be lucky to win two matches," Llodra told the BBC. "Now I'm into the final."

He won despite just one service break and 16 aces by Karlovic.

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The tournament's top three seeds all lost Thursday.

Soderling needed only 50 minutes after winning all five of his break-point chances and dropping just seven points on his own serve.

Sunday's Soderling-Llodra winner will claim a first-place check of $250,000.


Sharapova advances to Qatar final

DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Maria Sharapova and Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva Saturday reached the finals of the $2.5 million Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova, the reigning Australian Open champion, topped 16th-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-3 in their semifinal match.

The three-time Grand Slam tournament victor won 71 percent of her first serve points and registered five service breaks in the 92-minute match to improve to 13-0 this season.

Zvonareva, who is not seeded, rallied to beat China's Na Li 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in her semifinal.

"It was a really tough match," Zvonareva admitted. "Even though I had a few unforced errors, I stayed aggressive and kept her from playing her game. I just kept fighting and in the end it worked out."

When she faces Sharapova in Sunday's final, she will carry a 4-3 edge in their all-time series.

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