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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. Her ranking plunged to 166th in the world in June, and she had struggled to rebuild her career after having right wrist surgery the previous August. Now shes glad she stuck around. Pennetta routed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday in the BNP Paribas Open to win the biggest title of her career. "After so many years, so much work and everything, this is the moment I always waited for," she said. "And its coming when you dont expect. It was something I was waiting since long time, and finally I have a good trophy in my hands." Actually, the crystal trophy was so heavy, she didnt hoist it for photographers. The 32-year-old Italian became the third-oldest winner of the desert tournament after Martina Navratilova, who won at age 33 and again at 34 in 1990-91. It was Pennettas first title since winning at Marbella in 2010. "We are old, but we still good athletes," Pennetta said. "We are strong. We have so many years on the tour, and we know how to handle the emotion and everything." Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer resumed their long rivalry in the mens final later in the day. As the 20th seed, Pennetta became the lowest seed to win the title. She came in ranked 21st and is projected to rise to No. 12 in the world Monday in the WTA Tour rankings. She beat top-seeded Li Na in the semifinals on her way to winning the title worth $1 million. The green-white-and-red Italian flag fluttered in the breeze from the stands as Pennetta ran to hug her team. She got doused by a bottle of water from Italian mens player Fabio Fognini in celebration. "It was hot, so it was good," she said, smiling. Radwanska, seeded second, was bothered with a left knee injury during the final. She twice called for the trainer in the second set and had her knee heavily taped. She was in tears apologizing to the sympathetic crowd afterward, saying she was unable to run. "I had the tape stronger and stronger every changeover," Radwanska said. "I thought that going to help, but not really. Didnt work." It equaled the most one-sided womens final in the tournaments 26-year history. Maria Sharapova lost just three games in beating Elena Dementieva in 2006, and Lindsay Davenport dropped three games in defeating Irina Spirlea in 1997. "This one is one of the best tournaments in the world," Pennetta said. "Its mine today." Pennetta threatened from the first game of the match, when she held two break points and had one more in the third game. She finally converted in the fifth game on Radwanskas errant backhand, then broke again in the seventh game on the Poles forehand error. Pennetta won the final five games to wrap up the first set, 6-2. Radwanska held for a 1-0 lead in the second before she got the trainer on court and Pennetta called for her coach. Pennetta staved off a break point to hold at 1-1, the last challenge Radwanska offered before it became evident she wasnt herself. Radwanska said she hurt her knee a few days ago in practice. "I just didnt expect it was going to be much worse today," she said. "But when the pain is so big that nothing is working -- no painkillers, no tape -- that means it is bad." Pennettas lob over Radwanska, who didnt even try to go after it, helped her earn the break and a 2-1 lead. The Italian swept the last six games, with Radwanska ending the match on three consecutive errors. She earned $500,000. Pennettas previous biggest title came at Los Angeles in 2009, a Premier-level event that no longer exists. Cheap Bob Uecker Jersey . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too. Cheap Hank Aaron Jersey . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. http://www.cheapbravesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-john-smoltz-jersey . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Cheap Orlando Cepeda Jersey . -- The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. Cheap Deion Sanders Jersey . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Georges Niang walked off the floor in the closing minutes with a bloody towel pressed tightly to his forehead, pumping his fist and riling up the Iowa State fans in the Sprint Center. Turns out he was just jumpstarting the celebration. Niang scored 25 points before leaving with that gash above his right eye, and the No. 16 Cyclones held on down the stretch to beat No. 10 Kansas 94-83 Friday night and reach their first Big 12 tournament title game since 2000. "We love competing for championships," Niang said later, a bandage over his wound. "Coach says take it one day at a time, but the Big 12 championship is one day away from us." DeAndre Kane had five 3-pointers and scored 20 points, and Big 12 player of the year Melvin Ejim added 19 points for the fourth-seeded Cyclones (25-8), who will play for just their second tournament title Saturday night against the winner of Texas-Baylor. The victory for Iowa State represented its first in four tries against Kansas in the Big 12 tournament, and its first over the Jayhawks in Kansas City since March 10, 1996, when the schools were still part of the Big Eight. It also allowed Iowa State to match its 2001 team for the second-most wins in school history, trailing only the 32 wins piled up by the 2000 team. Incidentally, it was that team that won the Cyclones only Big 12 tournament title. "Its a great win for us, for the fact it gives us confidence we can compete with anyone in the nation," Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It was good to finally get one of these after struggling to close out games against Kansas the past few years." Relying on some hot outside shooting, Iowa State took charge in the second half, and then held on as the top-seeded Jayhawks (24-9) tried to make a late run to get back into the game. Perry Ellis led Kansas with 30 points. Andrew Wiggins finished with 22. The Jayhawks again were playing without 7-footer Joel Embiid, the leagues defensive player of the year, and his rim-protecting presence was sorely missed. The freshman has a stress fracture in his back and is likely out until at least the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. "Joel not being in there, he could probably guard Niang better," Kaansas coach Bill Self said, "but I think it was more a collection of everybody rather than just one individual.dddddddddddd" The Sprint Center was packed to the rafters with fans eager to see whether Iowa State could finally end its five-game losing streak against the Jayhawks, or whether Kansas could burnish what it hoped would be a resume worthy of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The teams got after it right from the tip, racing up and down the floor in what amounted to a series of 94-foot wind sprints. Iowa State got the better of it early, forging a 23-16 lead, but the Jayhawks countered with a brutally efficient 20-3 charge to take control. Things got so intense that the normally placid Hoiberg was rung up with a technical foul after Kane appeared to be hammered on the way to the basket and no foul was called. "I used a bad word," Hoiberg said sheepishly. "Im not going to say I didnt." The Jayhawks lead was also short-lived. Kane started the comeback by converting a three-point play, Ejim and Niang went to work inside, and the Cyclones tied it 46-all in the closing minutes of the first half when Kane knocked down another shot from the corner. Their hot perimeter shooting continued in the second half, when the Cyclones turned a 48-46 deficit into a 66-57 lead, the last points in the run on a deep ball from Naz Long. By that point, Iowa State was 11 of 16 from the 3-point line. "We were on our heels defensively throughout the game," Ellis said. "I felt in the first half we did a lot better. In the second half, we let too many straight-line drives to the basket." The Jayhawks eventually extended their defence to the perimeter, and thats when Iowa State started going to the basket again. Niang scored four straight baskets for Iowa State during one stretch that made it 81-72, and scored on three straight trips to make it 86-74. The lead never got much smaller, even after Niang was whacked in the face during a scrum under the basket, prompting him to start the party for the Iowa State fans in attendance. "We felt like we had these guys in the second half," Niang said. "We came out and threw the first punch and from there it was clear skies." ' ' '