Sports briefs 11/8/04

Running

• Britain's Paula Radcliffe surged ahead in the final feet Sunday to win the tightest New York City Marathon in history in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 10 seconds -- less than three months after pulling out of the Athens Games just a few miles from the finish in a fit of tears. Radcliffe edged Kenya's Susan Chepkemei by 4 seconds to become the race's first non-Kenyan women's champion since 2000.

The men's race wasn't nearly as thrilling, with Hendrik Ramaala of South Africa winning in 2:09:28 for his first marathon victory. Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi of the United States was next across, 25 seconds behind.

Tennis

• Marat Safin overwhelmed Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 with the help of 16 aces Sunday to win his record-tying third Paris Masters title.

Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open champion, claimed his 14th career championship. Stepanek was appearing in his first ATP Tour final and was trying to become the first qualifier to win a Masters Series tournament since Albert Portas at Hamburg in 2001.

• Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo shook off a slow start and beat Vera Zvonareva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to successfully defend her Advanta Championships title for her fifth tournament victory of 2004.

Mauresmo seems poised to make a splash in next week's season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles. The Frenchwoman has won two straight tournaments, including in Austria last week.

This was her 15th career title, with others this year coming in Berlin, Rome and Montreal.