SPORTS digest

Federer’s fifth title

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.

Forget the comeback talk. Roger Federer is back.

He defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 to win a record-tying fifth BNP Paribas Open title in an all-Swiss final Sunday to go with his record 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January after missing most of last year with various injuries.

Federer kept reminding everyone during the ATP Masters 1000 event that he was “on the comeback” and, wanting to see how he felt, hadn’t planned beyond the first three months of year. He might want to think bigger now.

Federer tied the tourney record of Novak Djokovic, who lost in the fourth round, while winning his 90th career title, keeping him third behind Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl on the all-time list in the Open era.

Confederate flag flies

GREENVILLE, S.C.

A small group of protesters flew a large Confederate flag from the top of a parking garage next to the arena where two men’s NCAA Tournament games are being played.

The group arrived Sunday morning, raising the flag from the back of a pickup truck. They planned to stay throughout the games and be on grounds as fans arrived at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Protesters say they hope to make their presence known to the NCAA. The governing body lifted its ban against South Carolina holding championships in 2015.

In 2002, the NAACP held a march in downtown Greenville to protest the state flying the flag on Statehouse grounds during the NCAA regionals at the arena.

USA Hockey meeting

Top executives from USA Hockey will meet representatives of the women’s national team to discuss a wage dispute that could lead to players boycotting the upcoming world championships.

John Langel, a lawyer for the players, told The Associated Press on Sunday that they’ll meet with USA Hockey officials in Philadelphia on Monday, two days before the scheduled start of training camp. USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer confirmed the meeting would take place.

Players announced Wednesday they’d boycott camp and the tournament unless significant progress is made in negotiations on what they hope is a four-year contract. They are seeking a deal that pays them outside the six-month Olympic period. USA Hockey has said it is not in the business of employing players but is still hoping the players picked for the world championships are on the ice when it begins.

Team USA calls up 2

CHICAGO

Defender Matt Besler and attacker Sacha Kljestan have been called up to the U.S. men’s national training camp ahead of a key set of World Cup qualifiers.

Kljestan replaces the injured Bobby Wood (back) and Besler will bolster the defense. The U.S. opens training camp in San Jose, California, on Monday. The team plays its first qualifier since rehiring Bruce Arena as coach against Honduras in San Jose on Friday. The team then travels to Panama for another game four days later.

Besler played all four matches for the U.S. at the 2014 World Cup.

Kljestan became the second player in Major League Soccer history to record 20 assists in a season in 2016.

The U.S. is 0-2 in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.

Ski World Cup upset

ASPEN, Colo.

Andre Myhrer of Sweden won a slalom race at the World Cup Finals on Sunday when first-run leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria uncharacteristically lost speed near the finish. Myhrer navigated the course in a combined time of 1 minute, 27.97 seconds, holding off Felix Neureuther of Germany by 0.14 seconds. Austria’s Michael Matt was third and Hirscher fourth.

Staff/wire report