DATE/TIME: 17:32:22 SPORTS SUMMARY--SATURDAY EVENING CONTENT=
SP-08 WORLD CUP / ASIA
China's football (soccer) team has defeated Qatar, 3-0, while Oman defeated Uzbekistan, 4-2 in Asian qualifying for next year's World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
China has already qualified for the World Cup, so Saturday's win in Shengyang made no difference to the Chinese team's place in the standings.
The defeat left Qatar in third place in the group behind the United Arab Emirates, meaning that Qatar will not make the trip to the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Oman beat Uzbekistan in a battle of the bottom two teams in Group B. It was Oman's first win in the group.
The two Asian group winners qualify for the 2002 World Cup finals. The two runners-up play a two-leg playoff series, with the winner facing Ireland for another spot in soccer's biggest tournament. South Korea and Japan qualify as hosts. (dpa, Reuters)
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SP-09 MEN'S TENNIS
German tennis player Tommy Haas has reached the finals of the C-A Trophy tennis tournament in Vienna for the second year in a row, but he had a tough semifinal to get there.
Haas, the sixth seed, won a hard-fought victory over Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in three sets, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6. He next takes on Argentina's Guillermo Canas, a straight-set winner over Austrian's Stefan Koubek, 6-2, 7-5.
The two have never met before on hard courts and Sunday's final promises to be a tough one. Haas is ranked 16th by the Association of Tennis Professionals Champions race while Canas is 17th in the world.
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Meanwhile, at the Lyon Grand Prix tennis tournament in France, Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic came back from one set down to beat former U-S Open winner Marat Safin of Russia.
Ljubicic ousted the third seeded Russian in three sets that ended in tiebreakers (6-7, 7-6, 7-6). Sunday will be the Croatian's first ever final in an A-T-P tour event.
He takes on Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui, a straight-set winner over Belgian Xavier Malisse (7-6, 6-2). The Moroccan is hoping to win his third career title, and his second this year. He won a tournament in Bucharest last month. He has never played Ljubicic.
(AP, Reuters)
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SP-10 MATCHPLAY GOLF
Former U-S Masters golf champion Ian Woosnam of Wales has defeated reigning champion Lee Westwood of England to reach the finals of the World Matchplay Golf championship in Wentworth, England.
Woosnam, the 1987 and 1990 champion, beat Westwood 10 and nine (10 strokes ahead and nine holes to play) Saturday.
He next takes on Irishman Padraig Harrington, a four and three winner over European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance of Scotland.
Woosnam entered the event after Americans David Duval and David Toms decided not to fly to England because of concerns following the September-eleventh terrorist attacks in the United States. The 1991 U-S Masters Champion and former world number-one has 43 victories worldwide in his career. However, he has not won a tournament since the British P-G-A in 1997.
(AP, Reuters)
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SP-11 AUTO RACING
Defending champion Michael Schumacher of Germany has won the pole for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, the final Formula One race of the year.
Schumacher, who has already clinched this year's driving title, piloted his Ferrari around the course at an average speed of more than 228 kilometers per hour.
It was Schumacher's 10th pole position of the season. The German world champion will be bidding for his ninth victory of 2001 on Sunday.
Juan Montoya of Colombia finished with the second fastest time in a Williams. Michael's younger brother Ralf Schumacher finished third in the other Williams while Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello finished with the fourth fastest time.
(AP, Reuters)
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