Bettman, Fehr meet in NHL labor talks
NEW YORK, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Negotiations to produce a new NHL collective bargaining agreement resumed Saturday with a meeting in New York involving League Commissioner Gary Bettman.
NHL Players' Association chief Donald Fehr said he and Bettman met to discuss ways to overcome the differences between team owners and locked-out players as the possible cancellation of regular-season games looms.
"I spent a few minutes with Gary talking about the overall situation, and we agreed to keep in touch," Fehr said. "I am sure we will talk again tomorrow. I don't know whether we will meet again tomorrow. That remains to be seen."
Fehr said the core issue of reducing the players' absolute share of hockey-related revenues wasn't discussed Saturday. Instead, the talks were about how to define such revenues.
"I am not going to talk about the specifics, but in general we're trying to discuss how do we find a way to make an agreement," he said. "How do we bridge the gap on the major issues that are between us?"
After already wiping out the entire pre-season schedule, the lockout could next derail the scheduled Oct. 11 start of the regular season.
U.S. takes 10-6 Ryder Cup lead over Europe
MEDINAH, Ill., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker keyed the United States' dominance in foursomes Saturday, helping the Americans post a 10-6 lead over Europe in the Ryder Cup.
Furyk and Snedeker's 1-up victory over the highly touted European tandem of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell finished a run of three straight U.S. foursome wins in the morning session at Medinah Country Club.
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley improved to 3-0 for the week with a 7 & 6 drubbing of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, while Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson posted a 2 & 1 victory over Sergio Garcia and Nicolas Colsaerts.
That gave the United States a four-point lead, which it retained following a split in the afternoon four-ball sessions.
Europe, however, stayed somewhat within striking distance by taking the final two events.
Ian Poulter used five birdies over the last five holes to give himself and McIlroy a 1-up victory over Dufner and Johnson, while the tandem of Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia registered a 1-up decision over Tigers Woods and Steve Stricker.
The Europeans, however, need to equal the biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history Sunday to pull out a victory.
Racing broadcaster Chris Economaki dead
WYCKOFF, N.J., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Longtime auto-racing broadcaster and journalist Chris Economaki died in a New Jersey nursing home Friday, the publication he founded announced. He was 91.
National Speed Sport News said Economaki wrote a column on auto racing for them for 74 years as racing grew from a dirt-track novelty into a major worldwide sport.
Economaki began writing about racing as a teenager in New Jersey and made a national name for himself in 1961 when he was hired by ABC as one of television's first racing correspondents.
During his career, Economaki was a fixture at the Indianapolis 500, Daytona, various grand prix venues and drag strips. The New York Times said his experience paid off particularly well as one of the earliest pit reporters, who ventured out of the press box and explained the details of how cars were maintained on the fly.
The Brooklyn-born World War II veteran spent 23 years at ABC and later spent time at ESPN and CBS.
Petrova takes WTA title in Tokyo
TOKYO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Nadia Petrova defeated defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets Saturday in winning the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Petrova, the No. 17 seed, had 11 aces in a 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 win.
She roared through the first set, losing just four points on serve, but Radwanska, who was seeded third, answered by saving four break points in the second set. Both players had won 44 points on the day at that point.
They both played a strong third set but Radwanska had consecutive double faults -- her only doubles of the match -- to give Petrova a break point in the eighth game. She converted that and then held serve for the victory.
Petrova defeated three Top 10 players -- world No. 3 Radwanska, No. 9 Samantha Stosur in the semifinals and No. 6 Sara Errani in the quarterfinals -- in Tokyo en route to her 12th WTA title and second this year. Radwanska, in addition to looking to repeat in Tokyo, was trying for her fourth championship in 2012.
Petrova collected $385,000 for the title. The runner-up check for Radwanska totaled $192,000.
