TEHRAN, Feb. 19--Saba Battery, Iran’s representative in the first West Asian basketball meet, stood top in Group A in the Syrian city of Aleppo Saturday night, IRNA said.
The Iranian side extended its winning streak, outscoring Lebanon’s Blue Star 81-66.
Iran had earlier won all three matches against the Iraqi, Syrian, and Jordanian teams.

Austria's Thomas Morgenstern soars to win the gold medal in the long hill Ski jumping individual competition at the Torino Winter Olympic Games in Pragelato, Italy, Saturday. Morgenstern won the competition ahead of his compatriot Andreas Kofler and Norway's Lars Bystoel. (Reuters Photo)

SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 19--Paul Sheehan beat Michael Sim in a playoff to win the South Australian Open at Royal Adelaide on Sunday.
Sheehan won with a bogey-five on the second extra hole as Sim took a six after the pair finished the fourth round locked together at seven-under-par 281, Reuters reported.
Sheehan closed with a 69 to force his way into the playoff while Sim, who led overnight, made par at each of the last 10 holes in a steady round of 71.
Former US Open amateur champion Nick Flanagan birdied the final hole to finish outright third at six-under-par with Aron Price and Jarrod Lyle tied for fourth at five-under.
Craig Bowden was the highest placed American, finishing joint fifth at four-under-par. The South Australian Open is co-sanctioned by the Australasian senior tour and the US PGA’s secondary tour.

SAN JOSE, USA,
Feb. 19--British teenager Andrew Murray pulled off the biggest win of his career when he upset top seed Andy Roddick 7-5 7-5 to reach the SAP Open final on Saturday.
The 18-year-old Scot dominated the world number three with an aggressive all-round performance and will next face Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who beat American Vince Spadea 6-3 6-4 to reach the final, Reuters said.
“I was almost a little sick because of nerves but in the end I came though,“ Murray, the world number 60, told reporters after his first victory over a player ranked in the top 10. Roddick came out roaring, bludgeoning Murray with his famed serve and gigantic forehand.

BERLIN, Feb. 19--An 89th-minute Michael Ballack header saved German league leaders Bayern Munich from defeat to Hannover 96 on Saturday but Bayern suffered a blow when ’keeper Oliver Kahn had to leave the field injured.
Kahn bruised a thigh early in the second half and is doubtful for Tuesday’s round of 16 Champions League tie against AC Milan at the Allianz Arena.
A messy header by Thomas Brdaric looked to have given in-form Hannover victory, but not for the first time this season Ballack led his team by example when he outjumped his markers to head in from Willy Sagnol’s cross, AFP reported.
Schalke 04 secured fourth place with a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin in the capital.
German international Gerald Asamoah opened the scoring on six minutes, but Alexander Madlung pulled Hertha level.
Bosnian international Zlatan Bajramovic scored the winner deep into first-half stoppage time of a match which ended with both teams down to ten men, with Brazilian international defender Gilberto dismissed for Hertha.
Hannover are fifth with Hertha down to sixth.
At the other end of the table, Kaiserslautern continued their revival with a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld.
In contrast, FC Cologne remained bottom after crashing to a 2-0 defeat away to Borussia Monchengladbach.
In other matches, Bayer Leverkusen edged MSV Duisburg 3-2.

Alpine Skiing
American Bode Miller missed a gate midway down the course during his run in the men’s super-G on Saturday and did not finish. Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt won the gold medal at 1 minute, 30.65 seconds, continuing to add to his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the sport.

Biathlon
Germany’s Kati Wilhelm won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 10km biathlon pursuit Saturday in a snowstorm and swirling winds. She blew away the competition, finishing an astonishing 1 minute, 13.6 seconds ahead of teammate Martina Glagow, who won her second silver.

Ski Jumping
Thomas Morgenstern landed the longest jump of the day to beat roommate Andreas Kofler by the slimmest of margins. After soaring 140 meters, the 19-year-old Austrian leaped in the air and celebrated even before knowing he had won the large hill ski jumping gold medal Saturday.

Short Track
South Korea’s Ahn Hyun-Soo won his second gold medal of the Winter Olympics, capturing the men’s 1,000m final in 1 minute, 26.739 seconds. Ahn edged compatriot Lee Ho-Suk by .025 of a second, the length of Ahn’s skate blade, with Ohno third in 1:26.927.

MADRID, Spain,
Feb. 19--Ronaldinho was in inspirational form as he returned to lead Barcelona to a 5-1 home victory over an unfortunate Real Betis in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
The Brazilian playmaker, who was suspended for the league defeats against Atletico Madrid and Valencia, played a part in Henrik Larsson’s opener after 17 minutes, and triggered Melli’s own goal in the 28th.
He then went on two score two himself from free kicks but it was not all plain sailing for the home side who had keeper Victor Valdes to thank for a number of crucial saves.
Joaquin pulled a goal back for Betis in the 61st minute but Argentine Lionel Messi came off the bench to make it five with just six minutes left.
The leaders now have 55 points and remain seven clear of second-placed Real Madrid.