* Russia took first place in the unofficial team standings at the IX Paralympic Winter Games in Turin, which ended this weekend, with a total of 33 medals, including 13 gold, 13 silver, and seven bronze. Germany (8-5-5) took second spot, and Ukraine (7-9-9) finished third.
* Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova cruised to her eleventh career title by defeating compatriot Elena Dementieva in the women's singles finals at the $2,100,000 Pacific Life Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, USA, 6:1, 6:2
* Maria Sharapova, world No. 4, was rated third in the WTA Tour Race rankings announced Monday by the WTA, the governing body of women's professional tennis. Three other Russians are ranked in the top 10: Elena Dementieva (5), Nadezhda Petrova (6), and Svetlana Kuznetsova (10).
* Russian tennis player Nikolai Davydenko dropped two notches to No. 7 in the new ATP Tour Race ratings announced by the ATP, the governing body of men's professional tennis
* Three grandmasters currently hold top spot at the VII Anatoly Karpov international chess tournament, being held in Russia's Siberian Khanty-Mansiisk region and featuring the world's leading players. The $13,000 tournament will run through March 28.
Standings after Day 2:
1-3 Aleksei Shirov (Spain), Ruslan Ponomaryov (Ukraine), Sergei Rublevsky (Russia) - 1.5 points
4-8 Ivan Sokolov (Netherlands) Vadim Zvyagintsev, Yevgeny Bareyev, Alexei Dreyev, Yevgeny Nayer (all Russia) - 1 point
9- Alexander Onishchuk (United States) - 0.5 points
10 - Viorel Bologan (Moldova) - no points
* Dinamo Moscow won Russia's bandy title by defeating Kuzbass Kemerovo away (8:4) and home (8:6) in the two-leg finals series. Rodina Kirov took the bronze by defeating Zorky Krasnogorsk at home (9:8), and away (4:3) in the two-leg bronze-medal series
* Russia's soccer Premier League started this weekend. Week 1 results (host teams listed first):
Spartak Nalchik - CSKA Moscow - 0:1
Spartak Moscow - Luch-Energia Vladivostok - 1:1
Lokomotiv Moscow - Krylya Sovietov Samara - 0:1
Dinamo Moscow - Shinnik Yaroslavl - 1:1
Zenit St. Petersburg - Saturn Ramenskoye - 1:1
Rubin Kazan - FC Rostov - 2:1
FC Moscow - Amkar Perm - 1:0
Torpedo Moscow - Tom Tomsk - 1:2
Team standings after Week 1:
1-2 Rubin Kazan - 3 points/goal difference 2-1/
1-2 Tom Tomsk - 3/2-1/
3-5 Krylya Sovietov Samara - 3/1-0
3-5 FC Moscow - 3/1-0
3-5 CSKA Moscow- 3/1-0
6-11 Dinamo Moscow - 1/1-1
6-11 Zenit St. Petersburg - 1/1-1
6-11 Luch-Energia Vladivostok - 1/1-1
6-11 Saturn Ramenskoye - 1/1-1
6-11 Spartak Moscow - 1/1-1
6-11 Shinnik Yaroslavl - 1/1-1
12-13 FC Rostov - 0/1-2
12-13 Torpedo Moscow - 0/1-2
14-16 Amkar Perm - 0/0-1
14-16 Lokomotiv Moscow - 0/0-1
14-16 Spartak Nalchik - 0/0-1
* Russian hockey team Khimik Voskresensk was the last team to advance into the quarterfinals of the national hockey championships, the SuperLeague, by defeating Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, 2-1, in the fifth leg of best-of-five play-off series.
Quarterfinals draw (teams listed first start the series with two matches at home):
Metallurg Magnitogorsk - Lada Tolyatti
Ak Bars Kazan - Salavat Yulayev Ufa
Avangard Omsk - CSKA Moscow
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl - Khimik Voskresensk
Quarterfinals legs are set for March 22, 23, 25 (26, 28 if necessary)
* Russian mini-football team CSKA Moscow lost to Arbat Moscow in the national championship, 2:3. Norilsky Nickel Norilsk tied with Spartak Moscow, 4:4, and VIZ-Sinara Yekaterinburg, currently third in the championship, crushed last-placed MFC Tyumen, 5:0
Team standings after the first leg of Round 17:
1 Dinamo Moscow - 65 points (after 28 games)
2 Spartak Shchelkovo - 58 (26)
3 VIZ-Sinara Yekaterinburg - 53 (25)
4 Norilsky Nickel Norilsk - 41 (27)
5 Spartak Moscow - 40 (29)
6 TTG-Yava Yugorsk - 33 (26)
7 CSKA Moscow - 29 (25)
8 Dyna Moscow - 26 (26)
9 Arbat Moscow - 23 (27)
10 MFC Tyumen - 9 (27)
* Leader CSKA Moscow beat Khimky Moscow Region, currently in second place in the Russian basketball national championships, 98:79 at home. UNICS Kazan clinched the away victory over Lokomotiv-Rostov Rostov-on-Don, 81:76 in overtime
Russian men's basketball SuperLeague Division A standings:
1 CSKA Moscow - 42 points (after 22 games)
2 Khimky Moscow Region - 37 (21)
3 Dinamo St. Petersburg - 34 (19)
4 UNICS Kazan - 34 (19)
5 Dinamo Moscow - 33 (20)
6 Ural-Great Perm - 32 (20)
7 Dinamo Moscow Region - 33 (21)
8 Lokomotiv-Rostov Rostov-on-Don - 28 (20)
9 Spartak VGUES Primorye - 27 (21)
10 Sibirtelekom-Lokomotiv Novosibirsk - 26 (21)
11 Spartak St. Petersburg - 26 (22)
12 CSK VVS Samara - 24 (20)
13 Universitet-Ugra Surgut - 23 (20)
