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UPI NewsTrack Sports

Andy Reid expected to be Chiefs coach

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Andy Reid reportedly agreed to terms to coach the Kansas City Chiefs on the same day the team parted ways with General Manager Scott Pioli.

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The mutually agreed upon departure of Pioli Friday allowed the Chiefs, who fired Coach Romeo Crennel Monday, to offer Reid wide control of football operations.

Several media outlets, including NFL.com, ESPN and The Kansas City Star, reported that Reid would be the next Kansas City coach. All cited unnamed sources said to be familiar with the situation.

Reid, who had been the Philadelphia Eagles' coach since 1999, was fired Monday after the Eagles finished a 4-12 season. Kansas City was 2-14.

Reid, 54, built a 130-93-1 record over 14 seasons as the Eagles' coach. His teams made the playoffs nine times, advancing to Super Bowl XXXIX after the 2004 season. The 2012 record marked the third time his team didn't win at least half of its games.

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Pioli's tenure in Kansas City included an AFC West title with a 10-6 Chiefs record in 2010, but the team is 9-23 in the two seasons since. Crennel was the coach for the last 19 of those games going 4-15.

"The bottom line is that I did not accomplish all of what I set out to do," Pioli said in a statement Friday. "To the Hunt family -- to the great fans of the Kansas City Chiefs -- to the players, all employees and alumni, I truly apologize for not getting the job done."


Davydenko takes upset win over Ferrer

DOHA, Qatar, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Unseeded Nikolay Davydenko handily defeated top-seed and world No. 5 David Ferrer Friday in semifinal play of the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open tennis tournament.

Davydenko lost only six points on serve in a 6-2, 6-3 romp. He won 84 percent of the points when serving and nearly half (27-of-56) off Ferrer's serve.

Davydenko grabbed control of the match early, posting two first-set breaks while winning 16-of-18 points on serve.

No. 2-seeded Richard Gasquet earned the other spot in Saturday's finals, beating qualifier Daniel Brands 7-5, 7-5. Gasquet took 74 percent of the points when serving and saved all three of the break points he faced.

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Late breaks in each set allowed Gasquet to advance to his19th ATP title match. He is 7-10 in previous championship matches. Davydenko is 21-6 in finals but Saturday will mark his first title match since May 2011. Gasquet has a 3-2 edge in matches against Davydenko.

The tournament champion collects $180,600, with $95,130 going to the runner-up. The semifinal appearances were worth $51,530 to both Ferrer and Brand.


South African Olympian killed in crash

SHELLY BEACH, South Africa, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- South African cyclist Burry Stander, who competed at the 2012 Games in London, was struck and killed by a vehicle during a training run, cycling officials said.

Cycling South Africa, the sport's national governing body, said Stander was riding Thursday in Shelly Beach when the vehicle struck him, CNN reported Friday.

"Not only is this a loss to South African sport, but we have lost a true gentleman who through his professionalism, modesty and humility, constantly showing sheer guts, represented our country with great pride," the cycling body said in a statement.

Stander, who recently married multiple South African road race champion Cherise Taylor, placed fifth in the Men's Cross Country mountain bike event at the London Olympics. He placed 15th in the same event four years earlier in Beijing.

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Radwanska, Wickmayer gain Auckland finals

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Agnieszka Radwanska and Yanina Wickmayer on Friday earned spots in the finals of the ASB Classic tennis tournament in New Zealand.

Radwanska, the event's No. 1 seed and the No. 4-ranked player in the world, got by Jamie Hampton 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3) while the third-seeded Wickmayer stopped No. 8-seeded Mona Barthel 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Both matches took about 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Radwanska took just five more points (89-84) over the course of the match, including a seven-point advantage in the two tiebreakers. She cashed in all three of her break chances.

Both players had a pair of breaks in the second set.

Barthel won more points (92-91) than Wickmayer on the day but that was because of the lopsided second set. Wickmayer managed just two breaks on the day and neither player claimed an edge in the third set until the tiebreaker.

Radwanska is looking for her 11th WTA championship. She won three of her five title appearances in 2012. Wickmayer is 3-5 in title matches but hasn't won since January 2010. She's 0-3 in her more recent finals. Radwanska and Wickmayer have split their two earlier WTA meetings.

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