Off the wire

TENNIS Federer beats Djokovic

Roger Federer ousted defending Monte Carlo Masters champion Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday, and the second-ranked Serb said he plans to take a break to let his injured wrist heal. Federer will try to win the event for the first time in an all-Swiss final against Stanislas Wawrinka, who defeated David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 7-6 (3). Djokovic described soreness in his right wrist at the start of the week. The heavily taped wrist seemed to bother him more toward the end of the first set, and he served slower throughout the second. Federer is aiming for his first Monte Carlo win after losing three consecutive finals to eight time champion Rafael Nadal from 2006-08. The final today will be the first all-Swiss affair since Marc Rosset beat Federer in Marseille in 2000, and the first meeting between Federer and Wawrinka for a title. Wawrinka, who trails Federer 13-1 overall, earned his only victory against him here in 2009 in the third round.

Top-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia overcame Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals Saturday of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. Cibulkova won her second successive match from a set down and will play seventh-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia in today’s final. Cibulkova, who reached the final of the Australian Open, was tested by the big serves of third-seeded Pliskova, who slammed in 17 aces during the 2 ½-hour match. In the other semifinal, Vekic rallied to beat second-seeded Shuai Zhang of China 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Vekic, the 17-year-old who knocked out fourth-seeded Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria in the quarterfinals, saved six break points and won in 1 ½ hours.

The Czech Republic took a 1-0 lead over defending champion Italy in the Fed Cup semifinals Saturday after Lucie Safarova defeated Sara Errani 6-4, 6-1 in the opening singles match in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

FOOTBALL Auburn trip costly

Auburn’s trip to the BCS championship game cost $3.13 million, mostly for transportation and meals. The university released a breakdown of expenses Saturday in response to open records requests. The Tigers lost 34-31 to Florida State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Auburn spent $1.68 million on transportation costs for 848 people, including the band and cheerleaders. It cost Auburn $382,917 for transportation and meals for its 39-member official party - including faculty members and athletic department staffers. Names weren’t released. The school also spent $58,315 to absorb the cost of 211 unsold tickets. Southeastern Conference teams get $1.975 million for participating in the BCS championship game. The league and each member school get a share of the remainder of the $18 million payout.

GYMNASTICS Oklahoma, Florida share title

Oklahoma and Florida are co-champions in NCAA women’s gymnastics. The defending champion Gators and first-time winners Oklahoma shared the title with scores of 198.175 in the Super Six on Saturday night in Birmingham, Ala. It’s the first time the sport has had co-champions. There is no tiebreaker. That left both teams celebrating on the podium. Florida finished with a pair of 9.95s on the floor exercise and Oklahoma also had two on the vault. LSU finished third at 197.60 followed by Alabama, which held a slight lead before having to count a fall on the balance beam on the final rotation. The Gators captured their first title last season. Oklahoma had finished in the top three in the past four years, including a pair of runner-up finishes.

BOXING

Hopkins wins split decision

Bernard Hopkins, the 49-yearold Philadelphia native, gave Beibut Shumenov a boxing lesson Saturday and won a 12-round split decision to unify three light-heavyweight title belts. The announcement of a split decision sent gasps through the crowd. Judge Gustavo Padilla of Panama had Shumenov in front, 114-113. But two judges, Dave Moretti of Las Vegas and Jerry Roth of Las Vegas, each had it 116-111 for Hopkins. Fighting before a crowd of 6,823 at D.C. Armory, Hopkins gave Shumenov all kinds of trouble with his awkward, plodding style. Hopkins (55-6-2) got stronger later, nailing Shumenov with a straight right to the jaw that made his opponent’s knees buckle and sent him to the canvas in the 11th round for a mandatory eight count. Shumenov, 30, got in a few good shots, but had to relinquish his World Boxing Association and International Boxing Association title belts to Hopkins, who already had the International Boxing Federation championship.

HORSE RACING

Dynamic Impact, Mr Speaker win final preps

Dynamic Impact isn’t headed to the Kentucky Derby, but the 3-year-old son of Tiznow earned $300,000 for his connections on Saturday by nosing out 2-5 favorite Midnight Hawk in the $500,000 Grade III Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course in suburban Chicago.

Trainer Mark Casse entered Dynamic Impact in both of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby preps - the Illinois Derby and the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky - but Casse decided on the Illinois Derby because he was confident Dynamic Impact would handle the surface at Hawthorne after two races at Oaklawn.

“I kind of thought Hawthorne is similar to Oaklawn, so I thought we would have a bit of an edge going in there,” said Casse, who had horses at Oaklawn for the first time.

Dynamic Impact broke his maiden at Oaklawn on March 1, and the horse Dynamic Impact defeated in the maiden victory, Knock Em Flat, ran second in the $100,000 Northern Spur on Arkansas Derby day.

Dynamic Impact, ridden by Miguel Mena, ran the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:49.07.

Midnight Hawk, trained by Bob Baffert, has enough points to enter the Derby but would have to do so after two weeks rest. Midnight Hawk was coming off a second-place finish in the March 23 Sunland Park Derby. Earlier in the season Midnight Hawk ran second in the San Felipe and third in the Robert B. Lewis.

Dynamic Impact paid $21.20, $6, and $4.80 while Midnight Hawk returned $2.20 and $2.10. Irish You Well paid $4.80 at 22-1, closing well enough to get the show but still 8 ½ lengths back of the top two.

Mr Speaker won the $200,000 Lexington Stakes Saturday on the polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. The victory gave Mr. Speaker his first 10 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings but not nearly enough to make the field if more than 20 horses entered. Mr Speaker is trained by Shug McGaughey, who won last year’s Derby with Orb. Mr Speaker paid $6.20, $3.40, and $2.40, while Divine Oath brought $3.80 and $2.80. Supermonic paid $3 a head back in third.

Cairo Prince, who was being pointed to the Kentucky Derby despite a fourth-place finish in the Florida Derby three weeks ago, has sustained an injury to his left front ankle and will not run in the race, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.