Sports in Brief | Injuries prompt Clijsters to retire

Kim Clijsters

ended her tennis career yesterday, cutting short plans to retire at the end of the season because of chronic injuries.

The 23-year-old Belgian, once ranked No. 1 and the winner of the 2005 U.S. Open, said on her Web site that it was time to stop immediately after playing for 10 years and start a "new life." She won 34 singles titles in her career.

Clijsters is now ranked No. 4. She lost in straight sets to Ukrainian qualifier Julia Vakulenko on Thursday in her final match, failing to retain her J&S Cup title in Warsaw, Poland.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia won his third ATP title of 2007, beating Richard Gasquet of France, 7-6 (7), 0-6, 6-1, in the Estoril Open final in Oeiras, Portugal.

Greta Arn of Germany captured the women's title, rallying past Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

Haverford College's men's and women's track and field teams captured Centennial Conference titles, with the men winning their 14th crown and the women winning their second straight.

Haverford's Ian Ramsey-North, a graduate of Friends' Central, was named the outstanding men's track performer. Carson Pickens, a graduate of Germantown Friends, won the high jump.

Annick Lamar (2 minutes, 15.98 seconds) and Darian Lunne gave the Fords women a 1-2 finish in the 800 meters.

Tennessee's Monica Abbott became the NCAA's career strikeouts leader in softball with 2,276 after fanning 11 yesterday in a doubleheader against Alabama. Former Texas star Cat Osterman had the previous record of 2,265.

Emirates Team New Zealand

clinched a place in the semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup with a victory over

China Team

off Valencia, Spain.

The Kiwis won on the northern "Romeo" course by 3:02.

Emirates Team New Zealand joins American entry BMW Oracle Racing and Italian syndicate Luna Rossa in the final four.

Fourth-place Desafio Espanol moved to within a win of clinching the final spot in the semifinals, which run from next Monday to May 24, by beating United Internet Team Germany by 1:08.

The Louis Vuitton Cup will decide which of the 11 challengers will sail against America's Cup champion Alinghi in the finals from June 23 to July 4.

A runner collapsed at the finish line of the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati and later died, race organizers said.

Hamilton County coroner O'dell Owens said the man, whose identity was not released, had high blood pressure.

Erik Staal

scored 23 seconds into overtime to give Canada a 4-3 victory over the Czech Republic at the world championships in Mytischi, Russia.

Slovakia reached the quarterfinals with a 4-3 victory over Belarus. The United States and Canada already advanced.

In Moscow, Johan Akerman scored as Sweden beat Finland, 1-0.

Russia defeated Switzerland, 6-3, but Russia's Alexander Ovechkin was suspended for one game for a check to the head of Valentin Wirz, who suffered a slight concussion. Ovechkin will miss today's game against Sweden.

Christian Gomez

and

Jaime Moreno

scored second-half goals as D.C. United beat Chivas USA, 2-1, in Washington.

Second-half goals by Steve Ralston and Wells Thompson led the New England Revolution past the Chicago Fire 3-1, in Foxborough, Mass.

Manchester United won its first English Premier League title since 2003 because Chelsea was held to a 1-1 tie at Arsenal.

United has 88 points. Chelsea is second with 81 points with two games left.