SAO PAULO - The IndyCar Series opener scheduled for March in Brazils capital was cancelled on Thursday.The television network promoting the event released a brief statement saying the decision was made unilaterally by the local government in Brasilia.Band TV did not provide any additional details, calling it a hasty decision by the government.Brasilia officials did not immediately announce their reasons for the cancellation, but local media said the government determined that the event did not make sense financially. Local prosecutors and government watchdog groups had already warned about the financial challenges of the contract that had been signed by the previous administration.Band will inform in the next few days how those who have bought tickets will be reimbursed. The network laments this hasty decision, the statement said.IndyCar said two-thirds of the tickets and all hospitality packages for the March 8 race at the Nelson Piquet Autodromo had already been sold. A deal with a title sponsor had been announced on Wednesday.After what it called an unexpected decision, IndyCar officials said they had every indication that the race was already a success.This comes as a great disappointment, IndyCar said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. We will have further comment when we have had the opportunity to talk with all of our partners and the authorities in Brazil.The series said it was waiting for formal confirmation from our partners in Brazil regarding the cancellation.Economically IndyCar is protected and the paddock is protected from such action, IndyCar said.The government agency organizing the event in Brasilia could not be immediately reached for comment.Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves said he was caught by surprise by the announcement.To my knowledge, everything was OK, the Brazilian said in a statement. Its a shame that the race has been cancelled. I hope that a solution to this problem can be found in the future. Im sorry for the fans, but things like these are beyond the control of teams and drivers.On Tuesday, fellow driver Tony Kanaan said he had high expectations for his home race.To me, it means a lot, the 2013 Indy 500 champion said. All my friends are there, its a dream come true again.Band was the Brazilian organizer and promoter of the race in Sao Paulo from 2010-2013. The network was not able to secure the event in 2014 because of financial problems, but it reached a partnership with the government in Brasilia to secure the series return this year.The now-defunct CART series was in Brazil from 1996-2000, with a race on an oval track in Rio de Janeiro. The race in Sao Paulo was held on a street course, and the one in Brasilia was going to take place on a permanent circuit. Work at the track was almost finalized, according to organizers.The contract for the race in Brasilia was to run until 2019.Motorsport is popular in Brazil, and IndyCar and Formula One attract good crowds. The F1 race takes place at the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo.Brasilia also was scheduled to host a MotoGP race in 2015 but the event was cancelled.___AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in North Carolina contributed to this report.___Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni Cheap NFL Jerseys .com) - Guess whos back, back again? Josh Gordons back, tell a friend. NFL Jerseys Sale .The third-seeded Murray, who won here in 2009, will face seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa next on the indoor hard court. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/cheap-jerseys. Cesar said the difficulties he went through after the 2010 World Cup helped him become "a better professional" and made him "more focused" on his career. He admitted that he took things for granted before the World Cup in South Africa, when he arrived considered the worlds top goalkeeper. Cheap NHL Jerseys . The (35-35-10) Jets have 80 points and are also playing .500 hockey on home ice this season with a 17-17-6 record. Michael Hutchinson will start his second straight game in goal. Authentic NFL Jerseys .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around.BRISBANE, Australia - Serena Williams extended her winning streak against Maria Sharapova to 14 matches with a 6-2, 7-6 (7) semifinal victory Friday to earn a shot at back-to-back Brisbane International titles. The defending champion will play second-seeded Victoria Azarenka in Saturdays final, and will be favoured to retain the title that kicked off her stunning 2013 season that included 78 wins from 82 matches and 11 titles. After blowing two match points in the tiebreaker, Williams sealed the win with her seventh ace against the third-seeded Sharapova. In their first meeting since the French Open final, the uneasy rivals barely exchanged glances before the match and only briefly shook hands after. Both players were returning aggressively — leading to 15 double-faults between them and six breaks of serve in the second set — and hitting their grounds strokes hard and deep. Williams hit consecutive double-faults to give Sharapova a mini-break at 5-4 in the tiebreaker, something she said she couldnt remember ever doing before on tour. Sharapova responded with a double-fault to make it 5-5, and said shed missed her opportunities. "I had a few missed chances ... but overall Im happy I can compete at this level in my third match back," Sharapova said. "Its a good sign for me." Any friendship that existed between the pair soured when they traded personal barbs relating to their romantic relationships ahead of last years Wimbledon, where Sharapova made an early exit. Sharapova only played one match after that in 2013 as she recovered from a right shoulder problem. Williams said shed need to vastly improve her first-serve percentage — which sunk to 40 in the semifinals — to beat Australian Open champion Azarenka, who overcame a shaky serve and another case of the nerves to beat former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Facing two of her biggest rivals back-to-back in her first tournament of the year, and less than two weeks before the Australian Open, is a big step up in preparations for Williams. "Yeah, I feel like Im being pushed into the deep end straightaway," she saiid.dddddddddddd. "I also think its a good thing." Azarenka had her problems on serve, too. She dropped her first three service games and was facing three break points in the opening game of the second set when she shifted the momentum with a winner she picked up on a half-volley when Jankovic was in control of the point. After needing 10 match points to beat Stefanie Voegele in the quarterfinals the previous night, Azarenka missed one chance to serve it out at 5-2 in the deciding set, conceding a break with a double-fault. She then missed a match point at 5-4 but held her nerve and finally finished it off on her second match point. The prospect of a match against another top four player so close to the Australian Open doesnt daunt Azarenka. "I dont think its ever too early. If you want to win big titles you got to play against the best players," she said. On the mens side, top-seeded Roger Federer coasted to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Marinko Matosevic of Australia and moved into a semifinal against No. 8 Jeremy Chardy of France. Second-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Marin Cilic of Croatia and will next play former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, who cruised past Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-4, 6-2. Both Williams sisters will be playing finals Saturday, with Venus Williams to face Ana Ivanovic in the title match at the WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. Venus Williams got a walkover into her first final since October 2012 when Jamie Hampton withdrew from their semifinal with a right hip injury. Ivanovic beat third-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-2, 7-6 (3). At the Hopman Cup, France clinched a place in the final against Poland with a victory over winless Spain. Alize Cornet beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 6-2 before Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sealed the victory by defeating 194th-ranked Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-2. The Czech Republic took a 3-0 win over the United States after John Isner withdrew ahead of his singles match and Sloane Stephens retired with a left wrist problem after losing the first set 6-3 to Petra Kvitova. ' ' '