SOCCER: Man City lands berth in FA Cup final
Manchester City reached the FA Cup final by beating defending champion Chelsea 2-1 in a free-flowing game yesterday in London.
Goals by Samir Nasri in the 35th minute and Sergio Aguero in the 47th built a 2-0 lead, and Demba Ba pulled the Blues back into the game with an acrobatic finish in the 66th. Ba wasted his team’s best chance to tie it when he fired straight at goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon from close range minutes later.
In Barcelona, Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 49th and 50th goals in all competitions this season as Real Madrid won 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao, while Barcelona didn’t need Lionel Messi to brush aside Real Zaragoza 3-0 and ease closer to the Spanish league title.
In Paris, Marseille saw its slim title hopes diminish as it was held to a scoreless draw at Lille in the French League. Marseille is nine points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain.
In Milan, AC Milan and Napoli played to a 1-1 draw in a battle for an automatic Champions League spot.
NHL: Sabres close gap in playoff chase
In Buffalo, Jhonas Enroth stopped 32 shots in helping the Sabres keep up their late-season playoff push with a 3-1 win over the slumping Lightning. Buffalo (18-19-6) took over sole possession of 10th place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the eighth-place Rangers.
In St. Louis, Corey Crawford stopped 30 shots and the Blackhawks got goals from Bryan Bickell and Marian Hossa for a 2-0 win over the Blues. … In Nashville, Tenn., the Red Wings beat the Predators 3-0 to gain sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference.
TENNIS: Isner wins U.S. Clay Court title
John Isner of the United States beat Argentina’s Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Isner won his first tournament of the year and the sixth of his career. He had seven aces in the match, giving him a record 64 for the tournament.
AUTO RACING: Alonso takes Chinese GP
In Shanghai, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix, claiming his and the team’s first win since last year’s race in Germany. … In Almodovar, Portugal, Sebastien Ogier extended his lead of the World Rally championship by winning the Rally of Portugal.