By Steve Ginsburg Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:12am EDT (Reuters) - Game on Dude was installed as the early 9-5 favorite and will break from the fifth post for the $5 Million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park on Saturday. The Bob Baffert-trained gelding was leading the race a year ago but was caught by a high-flying Drosselmeyer in the final strides at Chu...

Thailand coach Victor Hermans is worried about his men's fragile defence ahead of the first match of their Futsal World Cup campaign against Costa Rica on Thursday. The Dutch coach said yesterday that Brazil and Spain, the only two nations who have won the world title, are again favourites to be crowned champions. He said Paraguay, Italy and Russia could reach the top in the seventh World Cu...

Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:24am EDT (Reuters) - Former world number two Sergio Garcia will make his comeback after eye surgery in the European Tour's season-ending Dubai World Championship next month. The 32-year-old Spaniard, who has not played since Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the United States in Chicago four weeks ago, had an operation this month to correct an as...

Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:12am EDT (Reuters) - The 2015 Solheim Cup, the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup, will be held at the St Leon-Rot Golf Club near Heidelberg, an hour's drive from Frankfurt. "It will be a fantastic experience for our golf in Germany," said Sandra Gal, a member of the victorious 2011 European team."I am sure my home country will be a great host...

Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:49am EDT (Reuters) - Nicolas Colsaerts, dubbed 'The Dude' by his team mates after making a stylish Ryder Cup debut last month, is still floating on a cloud four weeks after Europe's stunning victory in Chicago. The beanpole Belgian reeled off eight birdies and an eagle as he and partner Lee Westwood beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker one up in...

ZHENGZHOU, China | Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:37am EDT ZHENGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy staked an early lead before holding on to win by a stroke in his "Duel at Jinsha Lake" 18-hole exhibition event against Tiger Woods on Monday. "It was a pretty exciting day and the match was pretty close all day," Northern Ireland's McIlroy told reporters just 24 hou...

By Amlan Chakraborty NEW DELHI | Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:21am EDT NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A significant dip in race-day attendances failed to stop Indian Grand Prix organizers basking in the glory of an otherwise successful second edition. The Buddh International Circuit on the outskirts of Delhi put behind the teething problems that plagued the inaugur...

Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:56am EDT (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy believes becoming golf's world number one has lifted his game to new heights and that he will be hard to beat at next month's Singapore Open. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman heads a quality field at the $6 million tournament from November 8-11 that also includes American Phil Mickelson and three-times winner ...

By Steve Keating DETROIT | Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:46am EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - The San Francisco Giants capped a wild post-season ride by beating the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in 10 innings on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep and be crowned World Series champions for the second time in three years. Marco Scutaro, the most valuable player in the National...

By Julian Linden Mon Oct 29, 2012 1:19am EDT (Reuters) - The Atlanta Falcons extended their unbeaten start to the National Football League season to seven games with victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Showing no signs of complacency or rustiness after having a week off, the Falcons coasted to a comfortable 30-17 win with quarterback Matt Ryan...

Mon Oct 29, 2012 1:04am EDT (Reuters) - Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns and 305 yards as the ever-improving Denver Broncos smashed the visiting New Orleans Saints 34-14 on Sunday. A red-hot Manning outclassed Drew Brees in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV, where New Orleans beat Manning's former team Indianapolis.It was no contest between the quarterbacks t...

By Matt Cronin ISTANBUL | Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:41pm EDT ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Serena Williams' motivating factor in her WTA Championships triumph on Sunday was to save her own sanity, the American said after beating Maria Sharapova in the final of the season-ending tournament. Williams capped off a memorable 2012 on the circuit with a 6-4 6-3 victor...

SHANGHAI | Sun Oct 28, 2012 8:26am EDT SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Sweden's Peter Hanson capitalized on the early errors of playing partner Rory McIlroy to hold on for a one-shot victory over the world number one at the BMW Masters on Sunday Overnight leader Hanson posted a final round 67 for a 21-under-par total on the Lake Malaren course to capture his second...

By Alan Baldwin GREATER NOIDA, India | Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:42am EDT GREATER NOIDA, India (Reuters) - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday and stretched his Formula One championship lead over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who was a battling second, to 13 points with three races remaining. The victory from pole position was t...

By Patrick Johnston KUALA LUMPUR | Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:16am EDT KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - American Nick Watney fired a course-record 10-under-par 61 to overhaul compatriot Bo Van Pelt and win the $6.1 million CIMB Classic on Sunday after a brave run by Tiger Woods again fell short on the back nine. Watney started the day four back of overnight lead...

By Ian Ransom PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia | Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:14am EDT PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia (Reuters) - Retiring MotoGP champion Casey Stoner completed a fairytale farewell at Phillip Island by extending his record to six consecutive victories Down Under on Sunday but deflated home fans holding out hope of a comeback further down the road. "I...

By Alan Baldwin GREATER NOIDA, India | Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:46am EDT GREATER NOIDA, India (Reuters) - The French Grand Prix could be back on the calendar next year for the first time since 2008, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters on his 82nd birthday at the Indian Grand Prix, the Briton suggested France coul...

Sun Oct 28, 2012 3:39am EDT (Reuters) - Two-times NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady has denied money was a factor in his decision to join the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). "I played 15 years in the NBA," the CBA's highest-profile import told the China Daily newspaper. "I made a lot of money. No, money has nothing to do with it."McGr...

By Steve Ginsburg DETROIT | Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:01am EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - The San Francisco Giants rode another virtuoso pitching performance to blank the Detroit Tigers 2-0 on Saturday and move within one victory of their second World Series title in three years. San Francisco have a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and can clai...

Sun Oct 28, 2012 1:38am EDT (Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets on Saturday after the Western Conference champions were unable to reach an extension agreement with NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. In the multi-player trade, the Thunder acquired guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks and a second round p...

Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:27pm EDT (Reuters) - Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has postponed Tuesday's scheduled appeals on the New Orleans Saints bounty case, the league's official website reported on Saturday. No reason was given but the appeals were set to be heard in Washington D.C., which is bracing itself for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.Four Saints play...

DETROIT | Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:29pm EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey were selected Saturday as winners of the 2012 Hank Aaron Award as the most outstanding offensive players in each league. Both Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers third baseman who became the first Triple Crown winner since 1967, and Posey, the San Francisco Giants catcher w...

By Brian Homewood BASEL | Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:04pm EDT BASEL (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro will meet on Sunday for the first time since their epic Olympic Games clash after both beat French opponents to reach the final of the Basel Open. Argentine Del Potro overpowered Richard...

By Abhishek Takle GREATER NOIDA, India | Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:08am EDT GREATER NOIDA, India (Reuters) - Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was unshaken in his belief that he can win this season's Formula One title despite rival Sebastian Vettel taking another dominant pole position at the Indian Grand Prix on Saturday. The Spaniard qualified only fifth whi...

LONDON | Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:07am EDT LONDON (Reuters) - London Olympics organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe had sleepless nights worrying about possible terrorist attacks during this year's Games, according to his autobiography to be published next month. Coe, 56, who exuded calm and confidence as the chairman of the committee that organized the...

FRIDAY - OCTOBER 26, 2012 A pair of three-goal performances from Claudio Goodridge and Fernando Mena led Panama to a 7-5 victory over host Thailand in the first of two futsal friendlies in Bangkok on Friday. Miguel Lasso had the other goal for the Canaleros, who earned their second consecutive victory against an Asian opponent after topping Malaysia earlier this week. Panama continues pre...

SHANGHAI | Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:20am EDT SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Swede Peter Hanson's lead was trimmed to a single shot by world number one Rory McIlroy in the third round of the BMW Masters golf on Saturday. Northern Ireland's McIlroy hit a three-under-par 69 to move within one stroke of fellow-Ryder Cup winner Hanson, who shot a third round 70 to hold the l...

By Alan Baldwin GREATER NOIDA, India | Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:30am EDT GREATER NOIDA, India (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel roared to pole position at the Indian Grand Prix on Saturday as Red Bull flexed their muscles with a third successive one-two sweep in qualifying. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Vettel's closest challeng...

By Alan Baldwin GREATER NOIDA, India | Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:18am EDT GREATER NOIDA, India (Reuters) - Ferrari moved to placate angry Indian authorities on Saturday with an assurance that a navy flag on their Formula One cars was not a political statement of support for Italian sailors detained for killing local fishermen. The Italian navy flag will...

By Patrick Johnston KUALA LUMPUR | Sat Oct 27, 2012 3:59am EDT KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Tiger Woods found lakes, bunkers and cart paths to stall his third round charge up the CIMB Classic leaderboard on Saturday, as Bo Van Pelt grabbed a share of the lead after flirting with golf's magical 59. Defending champion Van Pelt double-bogeyed the last t...

By Steve Ginsburg DETROIT | Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:43am EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - After losing the first two games of the World Series in San Francisco, the Detroit Tigers are delighted to be hosting Game Three at Comerica Park on Saturday. The Tigers are undefeated in four post-season games at Comerica in 2012 and their 50 home wins in the regular sea...

By Larry Fine Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:42pm EDT (Reuters) - A remarkable odyssey has taken Ryan Vogelsong to baseball's grandest stage with the chance to put a stranglehold on the World Series for the San Francisco Giants in Saturday's Game Three against the Tigers in Detroit. The 35-year-old Vogelsong has toiled in parts of 10 seasons in the minor leagues, pi...

By Steve Ginsburg DETROIT | Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:54pm EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit's perceived advantage in pitching evaporated during the first two games of the World Series and now the Tigers find themselves facing the San Francisco Giants' hottest starter in Game Three on Saturday. The Tigers entered the Fall Classic well-rested and were able...

Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:17pm EDT (Reuters) - Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook is expected to be ruled out for the rest of the regular season after breaking his right arm, the National Football League (NFL) team said on Friday. Cook suffered the injury in Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will require surgery, sidelining him for up to eight we...

Fri Oct 26, 2012 7:29pm EDT (Reuters) - Michael Roos's impressive run of 119 consecutive starts for the Tennessee Titans will end on Sunday after the offensive tackle was ruled out of the game against the Indianapolis Colts. A Pro Bowl selection in 2008, Roos had an emergency appendectomy on Monday and the team was wary of bringing him back too soon."We're not go...

By Steve Ginsburg DETROIT | Fri Oct 26, 2012 7:29pm EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - The Detroit Tigers arrived back on their home turf Friday to overcast skies, chilly temperatures and a lot of griping by the locals about the winter-like weather. Detroit manager Jim Leyland, however, could not be happier with the conditions.After losing the first two gam...

Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:34pm EDT (Reuters) - Nicolas Almagro's chances of making next month's World Tour Finals in London were dealt a blow when he was beaten 6-3 7-5 by top seed and Spanish compatriot David Ferrer in the quarter-finals of the Valencia Open on Friday. Almagro, seeded sixth at the indoor hardcourt event, did not ...

By Zoran Milosavljevic BELGRADE | Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:32pm EDT BELGRADE (Reuters) - Holders Olympiakos Piraeus are in danger of being eliminated in the preliminary group stage of the Euroleague after a 79-61 home defeat by Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday exposed a myriad of weaknesses. Eight-times champi...

By Steve Keating DETROIT | Fri Oct 26, 2012 3:52pm EDT DETROIT (Reuters) - Almost everyone loves a great comeback story and, for those who do, few are more compelling than the one unfolding in Detroit as the Motor City sheds its 'loser-ville' image. After decades of decay, the city that was at Ground Zero of the auto industry collapse then floore...

By Simon Evans MIAMI | Fri Oct 26, 2012 3:18pm EDT MIAMI (Reuters) - The New York Jets-Miami Dolphins rivalry does not require much additional spice but the temperature has risen for Sunday's AFC East divisional encounter after a week of sharp insults and jibes. In the build-up to their first meeting of the season last month, Jets head coach Rex ...