Sports Digest

TENNIS: Marat Safin overpowered Argentina's David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 to win the Madrid Masters yesterday.

Safin dominated from the baseline throughout, with Nalbandian unable to live with the pace of his opponent's ground strokes.

The Russian third seed emerged from a run of three broken service games with a 3-1 lead and held with authority for 4-1 before taking the opening set in 29 minutes. Nalbandian, seeded fourth, made a backhand pass down the line to gain an early break in the second set but Safin hit back in game six, setting up break-point with a withering forehand crosscourt.

Safin broke again in game 10 to move two sets ahead and coasted through the third to complete victory in one hour 52 minutes.

TENNIS: Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova saw her hopes of a third consecutive WTA title dashed yesterday in a surprise defeat by unseeded Australian Alicia Molik in the final of the Zurich Challenge.

The Russian world number seven looked in control during the early stages of the final, out-powering Molik with a barrage of fine ground-strokes. But after taking the first set 6-4, the 17-year-old Siberian seemed to lose her way in the second set, hitting unforced errors to bring Molik back into contention.

The 23-year-old took advantage - breaking Sharapova's service twice to take the set 6-2. After treatment on her right shoulder, Sharapova was much improved in a tight third set. But Molik, once touted as one of the game's most promising teenagers, maintained momentum - grabbing a decisive break late on before serving out for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, victory.

ATHLETICS: Double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj, the greatest middle distance runner of his generation, plans to retire in 2006 after trying to break the 5,000 metres world record next year. The 30-year-old Moroccan, who won the 1,500 and 5,000 metres gold medals at the Athens Olympics in August, holds the 1,500 metres, mile and 2,000 metres world records.

El Guerruoj said 2006 would be "the year of farewell" at a ceremony in Oviedo, Spain, where he received the 2004 Principe de Asturias prize, Spain's top international sporting honour. Next year El Guerrouj said he would try to break the world 5,000 mark held by Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, the man he beat to the line in Athens.