Sports Briefs

BASEBALL

Seo steps aside to make
way for younger players

Former Major League pitcher Seo Jae-weong announced his retirement on Thursday.

The 38-year-old said through his Korea Baseball Organization club Kia Tigers that he wants to end his career so that more young players can have a playing opportunity. The Tigers said they will give Seo a coaching job if he wants to return to the club.

Seo joined the New York Mets in 1998 and made his big league debut in 2002. He also played with Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays in his six-season career in the MLB where he collected 28 wins and 40 losses with 4.60 ERA in 118 games.

Seo signed with his hometown club Tigers in 2008 and amassed 42-28 with 4.30 ERA in 164 games in the KBO. In 2012, he shut out 44 consecutive innings as a starter, a KBO record.

The right-hander also won a gold medal in the 1998 Asian Games and also represented Korea in two World Baseball Classic tournaments.

By Joo Kyung-don

TENNIS

Williams on path to match Graf’s Grand Slam title

MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams is one win away from another Grand Slam milestone after beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 in an Australian Open semifinal that was almost a no-contest between the players who’ll be Nos. 1 and 3 in the next women’s rankings.

If Williams wins Saturday’s final against No. 7-seeded Angelique Kerber, she’ll equal Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, a record in the Open era, and the second-most in history behind Margaret Court’s 24.

Kerber ended Sydney-born British player Johanna Konta’s surprising run with a 7-5, 6-2 semifinal win to reach her first Grand Slam final. Konta was the first British woman since 1983 to reach a major semifinal. Kerber has one win in six matches against Williams - in 2012.

Meanwhie, five-time champion Novak Djokovic has beaten four-time winner Roger Federer 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals to advance to his 6th Australian Open final.

The top-ranked and defending champion Djokovic is bidding to win his sixth Australian Open, and to continue a run that earned him three of the four Grand Slam trophies in 2015.

This was the 45th meeting between Djokovic and Federer, and the outcome now gives the 28-year-old Serbian an edge of 23-22.

Djokovic faces either No. 2 Andy Murray or No. 13 Milos Raonic in the final. AP