Briefs | Boxing: David Haye takes WBA heavyweight title from Nikolai Valuev

Boxing

Haye earns majority decision: David Haye of Britain backed up weeks worth of boasting, winning the WBA heavyweight title with a majority decision over Nikolai Valuev of Russia on Saturday in Nuremberg, Germany.

Haye (23-1) landed two left hooks that left Valuev (50-2) wobbly in the 12th round. Two judges scored the bout 116-112 for Haye and a third called it 114-all.

The 7-foot-2, 315.9-pound Valuev was the tallest and heaviest champion of all time. Former cruiserweight champion Haye, who stands 6-3, weighed in at a career-high 218 pounds.

Before the fight, Haye described Valuev as a "hairy freak" and a "circus act." Haye said he hurt his right hand hitting Valuev in the head, likely in the second round.

"It was like punching a brick wall," he said.

Haye's first title defense is supposed to come against American John Ruiz, who stopped German Adnan Serin in the seventh round earlier in the night.

Figure skating

Americans post podium finishes in Japan: Brian Joubert of France won the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan, earning his first Grand Prix title of the season.

Miki Ando of Japan won the women's event for her second Grand Prix title of the season.

Joubert, who was first after the short program, won with 232.70 points. American Johnny Weir was second with 217.70.

Ando prevailed with 162.55 points. Russian Alena Leonova won the free skate and was second in the standings with 160.85 points. American Ashley Wagner was third.

Speedskating

Ohno is second: Apolo Ohno of Seattle was second in the men's 500 meters and failed to qualify for the 1,500 final in a short-track World Cup event in Montreal.

Charles Hamelin of Canada won the 500 in 41.576 seconds and Ohno's time was 41.807.

American Katherine Reutter won the women's 1,500 in 2:23.275.

Hockey

Canada routs U.S. women in Four Nations final: Canada rallied from a goal down to overwhelm the United States 5-1 in the Four Nations Cup final in Tikkurila, Finland.

College basketball

Virginia suspends Sene: Sophomore center Assane Sene has been suspended for Virginia's first three games for conduct detrimental to the team.

Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett, previously Washington State's coach, said he hopes the 7-foot Sene learns from the suspension.

Tennis

Italy takes 2-0 Fed Cup lead: Americans Alexa Glatch and Melanie Oudin lost singles matches in straight sets to give Italy a 2-0 lead over the United States in the best-of-five Fed Cup final in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Glatch lost to Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1, and Francesca Schiavone defeated Oudin 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 on the outdoor red-clay court.

Reverse singles and doubles are scheduled for today.

Federer, Djokovic advance to final: Roger Federer will play Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the Swiss Indoors final in Basel in a bid for a fourth consecutive title in his hometown tournament.

Federer defeated childhood friend Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 in one semifinal. Djokovic beat Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-2.

Olympics

Vancouver ticket sales postponed by technical difficulties: Anyone hoping to get some of the last remaining tickets for the 2010 Vancouver Games will have to wait until next weekend.

Technical problems hit the ticket Web site and prevented the sale of any of the 100,000 tickets that were to be available at 10 a.m. PST Saturday, said Renee Smith-Valade, vice president of communications for the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee.

The committee intends to have the technical issues ironed out so the ticket sale can begin Saturday. The tickets are for events including gold-medal hockey and the opening and closing ceremonies.

Poker

Main event: Seven players still have a chance at the $8.55 million first prize in the World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas.

Seattle Times news services