Agencies, with staff writer
FORMULA ONE
Vettel holds off Hamilton
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel held off a tremendous late charge from Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton to win the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday and take a seven-point lead in the title race. Hamilton was catching the German on every lap, but ultimately ran out of time and finished almost seven seconds behind. “The car was really amazing to drive,” Vettel said. “Lewis was a threat towards the end and with the traffic you never know.” Vettel and Hamilton were level with a win each, but Vettel’s second victory of the season and the 44th of his career puts him in command heading into the Russian Grand Prix in two weeks. “We just have to make sure we keep it going, but for now the team has done a really, really great job,” Vettel said. “I had a good feeling yesterday and after a couple of laps [today] I thought everything was making sense.” Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas finished third.
TENNIS
Vondrousova wins first title
World No. 233 Marketa Vondrousova won her first WTA Tour title on Sunday when the 17-year-old defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) in the Biel Ladies Open final. The Czech teenager came through qualifying at the hard-court event and knocked out top seed Barbora Strycova in the semi-finals. “It’s the biggest win of my career, because I’d mostly played smaller tournaments,” said the left-hander, who was playing in just her second WTA Tour tournament. “This was one of my first big tournaments and I was injured in my left elbow for a lot of last year. I had to do a lot of fitness, which helped me become a better mover. Now I’m playing really great.”
GOLF
Rookie Bryan wins Heritage
Rookie Wesley Bryan carded a four-under 67 on Sunday to claim his first PGA Tour title, edging former world No. 1 Luke Donald by one stroke at the Heritage. Bryan’s four-under effort at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, South Carolina, gave him a 13-under total of 271. He became the first South Carolina-born player to win the event since it was launched in 1969. Bryan also booked an invitation to next year’s Masters. After a dominant season on the Web.com Tour last year, Bryan admitted he had hoped to win on the PGA Tour in time to book a berth in this year’s Masters — which was won by Sergio Garcia the previous weekend. “But I guess the week after Augusta’s not too bad,” he said. Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung carded a 69 to finish tied for 44th place on two-under.
GOLF
Molinari ends title drought
Edoardo Molinari came from four shots behind to win a European Tour event for the first time in almost seven years when he edged Irishman Paul Dunne at the first playoff hole to take the Trophee Hassan II in Marrakesh on Sunday. Italian Molinari, 36, stormed through with two eagles in his final seven holes to shoot 68 and tie the 24-year-old Dunne. Dunne hit his playoff hole tee shot straight into the trees and missed a difficult putt for a bogey on the par-five 18, allowing Molinari a short putt to clinch his first title since Gleneagles in 2010. “It’s been a while now, I’ve been through some tough times in the last years. I felt my chances had gone after a bogey on the 16th, but then I got a birdie on the difficult 17th and a very exciting eagle at the last,” Molinari said.