Sports in Brief: Djokovic, Ferrer gain final in the Emirates

Novak Djokovic

overcame

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

to enter the final of the Mubadala Championship in the United Arab Emirates for the third time in three years on Friday, but he won't be facing top-ranked

Rafael Nadal

.

Djokovic beat Tsonga, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in 74 minutes to set up a repeat of last year's final against David Ferrer, who knocked out Spanish compatriot Nadal, 6-4, 6-4, with breaks in the last game of each set, in 90 minutes of quality tennis. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray won his first match following a three-month layoff for a back injury when he beat Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3, 6-4, in the playoff for fifth.

FOOTBALL Miami Dolphins defensive back Brent Grimes (Northeast High), a former all-American at Shippensburg, was selected to play in the 2013 Pro Bowl. It is his second Pro Bowl selection.

MEN'S BASKETBALL Mark Blount (William Penn) tallied 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, and Kevin Green (Chester) scored 10 points, but Neumann fell to Berkeley, 85-79, in the first game of the Team Hill Holiday Classic in Montclair, N.J.

Michigan star Mitch McGary is out indefinitely after deciding to have surgery on his lower back.

BASEBALL Veteran outfielder Raul Ibanez agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Ibanez has 300 career homers and is seven hits shy of becoming the 18th active major-leaguer with 2,000 hits. He played his first major-league game with Seattle in 1996, also making stops with the Royals, Phillies and Yankees.

The Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year contract with reliever Jose Veras that includes a club option for 2015.

In college preseason rankings, Millersville, led by PSAC East player of the year Zach Stone (Coatesville), is ranked 29th in Division II and Rowan is ranked 30th in Division III.

FIGURE SKATING U.S. champion Max Aaron is dropping from three to two quadruple jumps in his long program after a disappointing fall season. The U.S. championships are set to start Jan. 10.

SOCCER Cardiff City's Malky Mackay lost a power struggle with the club's eccentric owner, Vincent Tan, and was fired only five days after being told he would remain in charge of the Bluebirds for the "foreseeable future."

HOCKEY Saku Maenalanen had two goals and an assist to help Finland beat Norway, 5-1, in Group B play at the world junior tournament in Malmo, Sweden.

In Group A, Milan Kolena and Marko Dano each had two goals and an assist in Slovakia's 9-2 victory over Germany. Defending champion United States, which opened with a 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Group A Thursday, will play Slovakia on Saturday.

- Staff and wire reports