LJWorld.com

Kansas City, Mo. — Larry Johnson’s agent said he and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed Saturday night to cut the running back’s two-week suspension in half, saving him more than $300,000.

Peter Schaffer told The Associated Press that nothing had been signed.

“We’ve been working hard at it since Thursday,” Schaffer said. “We think we have a positive resolution and we’ll be able to move forward in the right direction.”

Johnson repordedly would remain suspended for two weeks but would be paid for one of the weeks.

The Chiefs suspended Johnson for two weeks until Nov. 9 for what they called conduct detrimental to the club. It would include only one game, Nov. 8 at Jacksonville, because this is their bye week.

On his Twitter account last Sunday night and then again the next day speaking to reporters, Johnson used gay slurs. It triggered quick reaction from gay rights groups demanding that he be punished. In another tweet, he also questioned Chiefs coach Todd Haley’s competence.

The two-week absence would cost him about $630,000. He might still face punishment from the league. The Chiefs have consistently said they would have no comment on the situation and a spokesman told AP Saturday night the club had nothing to say.

Johnson, who turns 30 this month, needs only 75 yards to become the Chiefs’ career leader.

TENNIS

Williams sisters to meet

Doha, Qatar — The Williams sisters will end their season with another title matchup.

Venus Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, Saturday in one semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Championships. Serena Williams won the other when Caroline Wozniacki quit because of an abdominal injury while trailing, 6-4, 0-1.

The American sisters were back on the court about 30 minutes after Serena’s win Saturday to compete in the four-team doubles event. They missed out on a second final, however, losing to Spaniards Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 2-6, 6-4, 10-8, after a champions tiebreaker.

GOLF

Viking Classic canceled

Madison, Miss. — PGA Tour officials canceled the weather-stricken Viking Classic on Saturday because of unplayable course conditions. There will be no makeup date, and players will move on to the final event of the season, the Children’s Miracle Network Classic on Nov. 12-15 in Orlando, Fla.

Poulter tied at Singapore

Singapore — Ian Poulter was 4 over through six holes Saturday in the third round of the Singapore Open, dropping the Englishman into a tie for the Singapore Open lead with France’s Thomas Levet and Japan’s Kodai Ichihara. Poulter, five strokes ahead after completing a second-round 64 in the morning, faltered in the afternoon to fall to 8 under before thunderstorms stopped play.

Ernie Els was in a group at 5 under. He had 10 holes left. Phil Mickelson was 2 under after 15 holes, and Padraig Harrington was 2 over through eight.

Kim, Fisher reach final

Casares, Spain — Ross Fisher defeated Masters champion Angel Cabrera on the third playoff hole Saturday to set up a World Match Play Championship final against Anthony Kim, who beat Robert Allenby, 5 and 4. Fisher secured a 1-up win after Cabrera conceded, having needed five shots to reach the green.

Cook builds six-shot edge

Sonoma, Calif. — John Cook took a six-stroke lead in a bid for his second Champions Tour victory in three weeks, shooting a 5-under 67 in the third round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Cook, the Administaff Small Business Classic winner two weeks ago in Texas, had a 19-under 197 total on the Sonoma Golf Club course, the best 54-hole score in a 72-hole tournament since Jack Nicklaus also had a 197 total in the 1990 Senior Players Championship. Cook shot a tournament-record 62 on Friday.

Two lead LPGA event

Incheon, South Korea — South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi shot a 1-under 71, and Taiwan’s Yani Tseng had a 70 to share the lead at 5 under after the wet and windy second round of the LPGA Tour’s KOLON Championship. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was 10 strokes back after a 77.

AUTO RACING

Johnson to start on pole

Talladega, Ala. — Jimmie Johnson will be starting from the pole at Talladega Superspeedway after rain washed out qualifying and the field was set by points. His Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon will start second and third.

Johnson, the three-time defending series champion, has a 118-point advantage over Martin with four races remaining in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. But Talladega is his weakest track, and he’s got a 17.7 average finish.

He’s started from the pole at Talladega two other times, both in his 2002 rookie season.

Busch bags truck triumph

Talladega, Ala. — Kyle Busch used a generous bump from teammate Aric Almirola a few hundred yards from the finish to win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks race at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.

Busch and Almirola pulled wide behind leader Todd Bodine on the final lap, and Almirola nudged Busch’s No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota to the front. They overtook Bodine just before the finish line in fading daylight at the 2.66-mile oval. The win was Busch’s sixth in the Trucks series this season and his fourth in his last four starts.

Bodine was third. Terry Cook was fourth, followed by David Starr.