Sports briefs for October 25, 2004

Monday, Oct. 25, 2004 | 10 a.m.

First loss in final for Sharapova

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova lost Sunday for the first time in her career in a tournament final, falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Australia's Alicia Molik in the championship match of the Swisscom Challenge at Zurich.

The loss also snapped a 12-match winning streak for Sharapova. She was seeking her seventh tournament title in seven trips to the final round.

It was the third career title for Molik, who lost in straight sets to Sharapova at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England, in June.

Man U halts Arsenal

Manchester United's 2-0 victory against league-leading Aresenal ended the Gunners' unbeaten league streak at 49 games.

Rebels get second

UNLV's Jarred Texter shot a final-round 2-over-par 71 to finish third and Ryan Moore finished seventh to lead the Rebels men's team to a second-place finish in the Nelson Invitational at Palo Alto, Calif. New Mexico won the tournament by a five-stroke margin over UNLV.

Mets eye Riggleman

The New York Mets received permission to discuss their managing vacancy with Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Jim Riggleman. The team also was expected to interview New York Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph.

Groundbreaker dies

Joseph Dorsey, a boxer who won a 1957 fight against Louisiana's law banning interracial bouts, died of cancer at his home in New Orleans. He was 69.