Teen upsets Blake to end Japan’s 16-year drought

Qualifier Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man to win an ATP title in 16 years by upsetting top-seeded James Blake, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in the International Tennis Championships final on Sunday in Delray Beach, Fla.

With the win, the 244th-ranked Nishikori, 18, is expected to move to a No. 122 ranking. He is the youngest player to win an ATP title since Lleyton Hewitt won Adelaide as a 16-year-old in 1998.

Shuzo Matsuoka was the last tournament champion from Japan. He won his lone title at the Seoul tournament in April 1992.

Blake has failed to capture the title in two consecutive final appearances at the ITC.

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Top-ranked Justine Henin won her second tournament of the year, beating Karin Knapp, 6-3, 6-3, at the Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium.

Henin, who has won the last 10 finals she has reached, earned her first WTA victory on home soil in five years and the 41st title of her career. She won in Sydney before losing to Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the only blemish on her season.

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Fourth-seeded Andy Murray beat Mario Ancic, 6-3, 6-4, to win the Open 13 in Marseille, France.

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Flavia Penneta won the Cachantun Cup when Klara Zakopalova retired late in the second set because of a left ankle injury in Vina Del Mar, Chile.

Pennetta was leading Zakopalova, 6-4, 5-4.

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WTA Tour players’ parents, agents, coaches and other entourage members must agree to allow criminal background checks if they want full access at tournaments as part of a broader effort to protect players’ safety and security.

SWIMMING

Coughlin surpasses her world record

Five-time Olympic medal winner Natalie Coughlin set a world record in the 100-meter backstroke during a preliminary race at the Missouri Grand Prix in Columbia.

Coughlin finished in 59.21 seconds, lowering her previous world record in the event by 0.23 of a second.

Katie Hoff set her second American record in as many days when she and six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps each won twice.

Both easily won their respective 200-meter freestyle and 400 individual medley races, with Hoff setting a U.S. record in the 200 by in 1 minute 56.08 seconds to defeat Coughlin, who held the old American mark of 1:56.43.

WINTER SPORTS

Matt eclipses Kostelic in homecoming slalom

Mario Matt won the inaugural men’s World Cup slalom in Zagreb, Croatia, spoiling Ivica Kostelic’s homecoming.

Kostelic learned to ski on the Sljeme hill outside Zagreb and had hoped to win the first men’s World Cup race to be held in the Croatian capital.

But Matt, a two-time world champion, protected his lead from the first run, and the Austrian won in an aggregate time of 1:51.36.

Kostelic took second in 1:51.69, and Reinfried Herbst of Austria, who won last week, settled for third at 1:51.76.

Bode Miller, the overall World Cup leader, lost his balance at the bottom of the course and nearly crashed out in the first run. Although Miller managed to stay on his skis, he finished outside the top 30 and did not qualify for the second run, meaning he failed to pick up any points.

The top American was Jimmy Cochran in 19th place, and Cody Marshall was 23rd.

GOLF

Hoch prevails in playoff for second straight title

Earning his second straight Champions Tour title, Scott Hoch made an eight-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation to get in a four-way playoff, then made another eight-footer on the first playoff hole to win the ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla.

Tom Jenkins, Tom Kite and Brad Bryant had already made their pars before Hoch.

All four had finished at 14-under 202, with Kite and Bryant shooting seven-under 65s.

Hoch, who shot 68, won the Allianz Championship last week.

JURISPRUDENCE

Bills receiver Parrish booked on DUI charge

Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence, police say. Parrish, 25, was stopped at 4:30 a.m. Saturday in a 2005 Bentley, said a Miami Beach Police Department spokesman. He was later released on $1,000 bond.