Syracuse sends Robinson packing

Syracuse coach Greg Robinson was fired yesterday with the Orange nearing the end of a fourth straight dismal season under his leadership. Robinson, who will coach the season's final two games, is 9-36 overall and 3-25 in the Big East. He had another year left on a contract that pays $1.1 million per season. Syracuse (2-8, 1-5 Big East) lost to Connecticut, 39-14, Saturday night and is trying to avoid a third 10-loss campaign under Robinson. "Last week we fell out of bowl contention and this week was senior week. We just thought at this point the community could relax," athletic director Daryl Gross said, explaining why he waited until yesterday to make a decision. "He's a guy who wanted to live here the rest of his life. A guy like that you give a chance."

Bode Miller lost to Jean-Baptiste Grange by .79 seconds in the World Cup slalom opener, spoiling what could have been a perfect weekend for the American slalom skiers at Levi, Finland. American Lindsey Vonn won the opening slalom Saturday. Grange, who led American Ted Ligety by .25 seconds and Miller by .26 after the first run, had a two-run total of 1 minute 44.49 seconds down Levi's Black Course north of the Arctic Circle. For Miller, it was the first podium finish in slalom since he won in 2004 at Sestriere, Italy. "It's been a while, but it's been a lot of times when I felt good and comfortable but couldn't put it together in a race," said the Franconia, N.H., native. "So it was important today for me to get to the finish line." . . . American Shani Davis won the 1,000 meters at a World Cup speedskating meet in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Davis, who won the 1,500 Friday, finished in 1:08.99. Pekka Koskela of Finland was second in 1:09.05. Davis leads the overall standings with 180 points, followed by Stefan Groothuis of the Netherlands at 145.

Third-ranked Novak Djokovic won his first Masters Cup title with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Nikolay Davydenko in the season-ending tournament in Shanghai. It was Djokovic's first tournament victory since he won the Rome Masters in May, leaving him just 10 points behind No. 2 Roger Federer in the rankings. After Davydenko netted a serve return on match point, Djokovic repeatedly pumped both fists and threw two rackets, his wristbands, and shirt into the crowd. He celebrated with his family and coach in a group hug, jumping together. Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, to win the doubles title and clinch the year-end ATP No. 1 ranking.

American Randall Bal set a world record in the 50-meter backstroke, one of three world records to fall on the last day of a short-course World Cup meet in Berlin. Bal broke the four-day-old record with a time of 20.87 seconds, beating fellow American Peter Marshall by .03 seconds. Marshall set the record of 23.05 Wednesday in Stockholm. Paul Biedermann of Germany broke Ian Thorpe's 8-year-old record in the 200 freestyle by finishing in 1:40.83 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 1:41.10. Marieke Guehrer of Australia set the third record, clocking 24.99 in the women's 50 butterfly. That was 0.32 seconds faster than the mark set by Sweden's Therese Alshammar, who was second in 25.35 . . . Ten-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall Jr. has officially retired from swimming. The 34-year-old American decided his family - a wife and two small children - came before another attempt at the Olympics . . . Six-time world champion Katie Hoff has dumped coach Paul Yetter after a disappointing Olympics in which she failed to win a gold medal in a half-dozen events. She is working with Michael Phelps's coach, Bob Bowman.

Annika Sorenstam nearly holed her third shot on the par-5 18th, then lipped out a 9-foot birdie try to give Angela Stanford a one-stroke victory in the inaugural Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. Stanford closed with a 3-under 69 for a 13-under 275 total and earned $200,000 for her third LPGA Tour title. Sorenstam, making her second-to-last start before she leaves the LPGA Tour, finished with a 69 . . . Jeev Milkha Singh closed with a 2-under 69 to win the $5 million Singapore Open by one stroke over Ernie Els (71) and Padraig Harrington (70). Singh, who was five shots off the pace after the third round, finished at 7-under 277. Phil Mickelson (75) finished ninth . . . Brian Higgins, who won the Mass. Four-Ball and Mid-Amateur titles, has been named MGA Player of the Year, ending the seven-year reign of Frank Vana Jr.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong plans to meet with Tour officials before deciding to compete in the 2009 race. Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's team director at Astana, said the pair had asked for a meeting. "The decision will be made down the road, after having talked with the organizers. We have asked for a meeting," Bruyneel told the newspaper . . . The Spurs signed guard Blake Ahearn from the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League . . . Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin will be retired next year, and may already have run his last race . . . Vladimir Sobotka had a goal and Kevin Regan made 29 saves as the host Providence Bruins claimed a 4-3 AHL victory over the Norfolk Admirals . . . Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will miss England's friendly against Germany Wednesday after suffering a leg injury in the Reds' 2-0 win at Bolton, England.