<strong><span class="subhead">Safina pulls out of WTA final</span></strong></p><p><strong>Dinara Safina </strong>finished the best year of her career with tears in her eyes on Wednesday, as a serious back injury ended her season. Safina lasted just 13 minutes in her first round-robin match of the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar, before calling it quits while serving at 1-1 against <strong>Jelena Jankovic</strong>.</p><p> Her withdrawal meant she lost the year-end No. 1 ranking to <strong>Serena Williams</strong>, who subdued sister <strong>Venus</strong> 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, <strong>Caroline Wozniacki </strong>beat <strong>Victoria Azarenka </strong>1-6, 6-4, 7-5.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Plaintiff wins bat lawsuit</span></strong></p><p>A Montana jury on Wednesday found that bat maker Hillerich & Bradsby failed to adequately warn about the dangers that aluminum bats can pose, awarding a family of <strong>Brandon Patch</strong> $850,000 in his death. The jury decided the product was not defective.</p><p> Patch&rsquo;s family had argued that aluminum baseball bats are dangerous because they cause the ball to travel at a greater speed than wooden bats. Patch was hit in the head while he was pitching in an American Legion game in Helena in 2003.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Phelps leads US team into duel</span></strong></p><p><strong>Michael Phelps</strong> will lead the U.S. against a team of European swimmers at Duel in the Pool, likely the last major international meet for high-tech bodysuits. USA Swimming&rsquo;s 36-person team includes 17 Olympians. The United States will face a combined squad from Britain, Germany and Italy on Dec. 18-19 at Manchester, England.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Zenyatta likely to run in Classic</span></strong></p><p>The handlers of undefeated Zenyatta, who is entered in the $5 million Breeder&rsquo;s Cup Classic and the $2 million Ladies&rsquo; Classic, are leaning toward having the 5-year-old mare run in the Classic on Nov. 7, pending the outcome of her final six-furlong workout Saturday at Hollywood Park. A total of 166 horses, including 37 from Europe, were pre-entered Wednesday for the $25.5 million, 14-race Breeders&rsquo; Cup world championships at Santa Anita.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Agassi piques agency&rsquo;s interest</span></strong></p><p><strong>John Fahey</strong>, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, wants tennis authorities to explain <strong>Andre Agassi&rsquo;s </strong>admission in his autobiography &ldquo;Open&rdquo; that he used crystal meth and escaped a suspension by blaming his positive test on a spiked drink. Fahey said the case shows the importance of having a monitoring body like his review and follow up on positive cases.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Elsewhere</span></strong></p><p>&bull;Semi-professional football player <strong>Leon Woods</strong>, 23, of Rochester, N.Y., has been charged with hitting a referee in the face with his helmet. Referee <strong>Pete McCabe </strong>needs surgery for his broken nose, jaw and other bones in his face.</p><p>&bull;The Council of State, France&rsquo;s highest administrative body, rejected German cyclist <strong>Stefan Schumacher&rsquo;s </strong>appeal of his two-year doping ban.</p><p> &bull;<strong>Tom Lehman </strong>has withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Cup Championship because of a family emergency, leaving 29 players in the season finale on the Champions Tour.</p><p>&bull;Northern Iowa is the overwhelming choice to win the Missouri Valley Conference men&rsquo;s basketball title in 2009-10, according to a poll of coaches, media and sports information directors.