U.S. Wins Another Hopman Cup Title

Serena Williams and Mardy Fish beat Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, yesterday in Perth, Australia, to give the United States its fifth title in the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis tournament.

An upper right leg injury to Jankovic -- and subsequent walkover by Williams in the opening women's singles -- had given the Americans a 1-0 lead over top-seeded Serbia hours before the scheduled start of the final yesterday.

Djokovic, despite receiving treatment for a sore right shoulder, then beat Fish, 6-2, 6-7 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), to keep Serbia in contention.

But the Americans' mixed doubles victory -- coming back from being down 4-1 in the opening set -- clinched the title in the eight-nation tournament. It was the ninth time the Americans had qualified for the final in the Hopman Cup's 20 years. . . .

Lindsay Davenport won her third title in four events, beating France's Aravane Rezai, 6-2, 6-2, in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

¿ FIGURE SKATING: Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Hamill said in a statement that she is being treated at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. The prognosis is favorable, but the 51-year-old Hamill said she will miss some of the "Broadway on Ice" tour while she is having treatment.

¿ COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey will skip his senior season to enter this spring's NFL draft. The 6-foot-4, 262-pound Harvey (Eleanor Roosevelt) finished his college career with 18.5 sacks and 76 tackles. . . .

James Hardy, Indiana's career leader in touchdown receptions and yardage, will bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft this spring. Hardy finished with 191 receptions for 2,740 yards and 36 touchdowns, all IU career receiving records. . . .

Hawaii Coach June Jones said he would travel to Dallas today to discuss the opening at Southern Methodist University. Meanwhile, Warriors wide receiver Davone Bess is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

¿ BASEBALL: Hideo Nomo is getting another shot at pitching in America.

The trailblazing Japanese right-hander signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals that includes an invitation to spring training next month. The 39-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005 and made seven starts in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2006.

¿ HORSE RACING: Curlin, the chestnut colt who counted the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Preakness Stakes among his victories last year, was named a finalist for the Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old male division along with Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and runner-up Hard Spun.

Curlin is expected to be named horse of the year when the Eclipse Award winners are announced Jan. 21 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

¿ BOXING: Washington native Anthony Peterson scored an impressive eighth-round knockout of Jose Izquierdo in a lightweight bout in Biloxi, Miss. Peterson (26-0, 19 KOs) knocked down Izquierdo (16-2-1, 13 KOs) in the seventh round and twice in the eighth before the fight was stopped at 2:54.

-- From News Services and Staff Reports