Spanish league leader Real Madrid extended its winning streak to 14 games in all competitions by beating host Sporting Gijon, 3-0, with goals from Angel Di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Marcelo. Second-place Barcelona overwhelmed Levante, 5-0, with Cesc Fabregas scoring twice.
BOXING: Undefeated Alexander Povetkin retained his WBA heavyweight title with an eighth-round knockout of American challenger Cedric Boswell at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The Russian had Boswell on the ropes by the end of the seventh round and finished off his former sparring partner in the next to improve to 23-0 (16 KOs). Boswell (35-2, 26 KOs) lost for the first time since 2003.
Abner Mares kept his punches up and beat Joseph Agbeko by unanimous decision, retaining his IBF bantamweight belt in Anaheim, Calif. Mares (23-0-1, 13 KOs) won 118-110 on all cards in a rematch of his majority-decision victory over Agbeko (28-4) in August.
World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko's title defense against France's Jean-Marc Mormeck next weekend was plunged into doubt after it was announced the Ukrainian will undergo an operation to remove a kidney stone.
WINTER SPORTS: American Sarah Hendrickson won the first women's World Cup ski jump in Lillehammer, Norway. The 17-year-old jumped 313 feet, 4 inches, pushing French opponent Coline Mattel to second.
Lindsey Vonn finished in 1 minute, 51.35 seconds to beat Marie Marchand-Arvier of France in the downhill at Lake Louise, Alberta.
Beat Hefti and pusher Thomas Lamparter won the opening two-man bobsled race of the season in Igls, Austria. Americans Steven Holcomb and Justin Olsen were third.
TENNIS: Argentina won the doubles against Spain to trail by 2-1 in the Davis Cup final in Seville, Spain. David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank took a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez.
- Staff and wire reports
