NHL, players union to resume labor talks
NEW YORK, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Talks to end the NHL's 2-month-old lockout will resume Monday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday.
Daly said the two sides would again try to breathe life into the labor negotiations, which stalled last week over core economic issues.
"We can confirm that we have tentatively agreed to get back together on Monday, either late in the afternoon or early evening," he said. "The meeting was requested by the union and it's their agenda. We will see what they have to tell us."
League officials and the NHL Players Association last met Sunday as hopes for a deal that could allow the delayed season to get under way by Dec. 1 faded.
News that the negotiations would resume came after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman this week floated the idea of the sides taking a two-week break.
All games through Nov. 30 have officially been canceled, as has the Winter Classic, which was set for Jan. 1 in Ann Arbor, Mich., between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.
Choi's 69 good for Group Titleholders lead
NAPLES, Fla., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Na Yeon Choi drained four birdies en route to a 3-under-par 69 Saturday, grabbing a one-stroke after three rounds of the season-ending Group Titleholders.
Choi, seeking her second win of the season, finished at 12-under-par 204 -- one better than second-round leader Ai Miyazato, who lost ground with a double-bogey on No. 2 and went on to record a 71.
Miyazato ended with sole possession of second place at minus-11, while first-round co-leader So Yeon Ryu (68) finished Round 3 two shots back at 10-under.
Tied for fourth at minus-9 were Brittany Lincicome (70) and Karine Icher (70).
The Group Titleholders event is comprised of the Top 3 finishers in each official LPGA Tour event.
Czechs take 2-1 lead in Davis Cup finals
PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup finals Saturday with a four-set victory over Spain in doubles play.
Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek rallied to beat the defending champions' duo of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.
Stepanek committed two double faults in the first match but he and Berdych broke serve in the 12th game of the second set to even the match at 1-1. The Spaniards fended off two match points in the final set before succumbing on a Berdych return 3 hours, 18 minutes after the match began.
The Czechs can clinch the cup Sunday in reverse singles play. Berdych and David Ferrer meet in the first match followed by Stepanek against Nicolas Almagro.
Jimenez tied for 1st at Hong Kong Open
HONG KONG, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Miguel Angel Jimenez pulled even Saturday with Michael Campbell for the lead going into the final round of the European Tour's UBS Hong Kong Open.
Jimenez posted a very steady 2-under-par 68 in the third round while Campbell, the second-round leader, was 1-under for the day. That left them tied at 10-under 200 after 54 holes.
Matteo Manassero jumped from 10th into a tie for third with a 64 that included a four-hole run in which he had an eagle and three birdies. Zhang Lian-wei, who shot 69 Saturday, is tied with Manassero for third at 9-under.
Fredrik Andersson Hed fought through three bogeys en route to an even-par 70 and is in fifth place at 8-under.
Jimenez on Saturday completed his second consecutive bogey-free round. His birdies came at No. 10 and the 529-yard, par-5 13th, which he has birdied each of the three days.
Campbell, looking for his first title in seven years, opened with a birdie. He had bogeys at Nos. 6 and 11 but both times answered on the next hole with birdies. Campbell dropped a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole to keep the tie with Jimenez.
