Annika Sorenstam shot a 3-over 75 yesterday, hurting her chances of ending a stellar career by winning the Dubai Ladies Masters at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a third straight time.

Sorenstam held a one-shot lead going into the third round but had four bogeys and one birdie to fall four shots behind leader Anja Monke of Germany.

Monke shot 68 for a 9-under 207 total, two shots ahead of Iben Tinning of Denmark (70) and Veronica Zorzi of Italy (71).

Sorenstam, a winner of 72 LPGA titles and 10 major championships, plans to retire after this tournament.

"I am not giving up," Sorenstam said. "I just walked off the course disappointed, but I will be ready for tomorrow. I really don't know what emotions I will have tomorrow. It's nothing that I have practiced before."

FIGURE SKATING

ASADA TOPS GRAND PRIX

Mao Asada of Japan showed off her triple axel skills and Jeremy Abbott of the United States hit every jump, earning victories yesterday at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating finals in Goyang, South Korea.

Asada kicked off her free skate with two triple axels, the only woman to perform such a feat, and it proved decisive in defeating longtime rival Kim Yu-na of South Korea.

Asada had 188.55 points to finish 2.2 points ahead of Kim at the Goyang Ice Arena north of Seoul.

Abbott breezed past Takahiko Kozuka of Japan for gold in his first Grand Prix final. Abbott earned 237.72 points, while Kozuka had 224.63 and American Johnny Weir finished third.

Ice dancing world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder won the gold.

GYMNASTICS

CHINA SWEEPS CUP

China's gymnasts are raking in the gold again.

He Kexin, Cheng Fei and Zhang Hongtao won titles at the World Cup Final in Madrid, Spain, giving the Chinese gold medals in three of the five events contested yesterday.

He added a World Cup title to the Olympic gold she won on uneven bars, while Cheng won her second straight crown on vault. Zhang, who wasn't part of China's men's team at the Beijing Olympics, won the pommel horse.

The United States, winner of 10 medals in Beijing, did not send anyone to the World Cup Final.

SOCCER

U.S. WOMEN TIP CHINA

Tina Ellertson scored her first international goal to give the United States a 1-0 victory over China in a women's soccer exhibition last night at Carson, Calif.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo made four saves for her 13th shutout of the year and the 41st of her international career.

Kristine Lilly, who has played in more international soccer games than any man or woman, made her first appearance since October. Lilly, who gave birth in June, entered in the 55th minute to extend her record to 341 games.

"It was fun to play again," Lilly said. "Physically, I feel pretty good. I'm still getting into shape."

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

South Africa's Thomas Aiken made an eagle-3 on the last hole for a course record 11-under 61 and a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 to lead American Len Mattiace by one stroke yesterday in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Malelane, South Africa. ... New Zealander David Smail shot a 2-under 70 for an 11-under 205 total and a one-stroke lead over Australian Andre Stolz (66) after the third round of the Australian Open at Sydney. ... 2005 champion Jordan Hasay from Mission College Prep in Arroyo Grande, Calif., won the girls' 5-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 22 seconds, and Solomon Haile, from Sherwood High in Silver Spring, Md., ran away with the boys' race, winning in 15:15, at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships at San Diego. ... Americans Louie Vito and Kelly Clark won their respective halfpipe events at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix yesterday at Copper Mountain, Colo.