Wimbledon, England ? Serena Williams has been known to say she isn’t satisfied with this or that aspect of her game, even after easily winning a match, say, 6-3, 6-2.

So it was somehow refreshing to hear Williams actually praise herself after a victory by that very score over 26th-seeded Maria Kirilenko on Saturday at Wimbledon.

Yes, only five matches since returning to the tour after nearly a full year off because of a series of health scares, Williams produced a performance worthy of the 13-time Grand Slam champion that she is. And then Williams talked the talk of someone finally ready to concede that British bookmakers might very well have been right to make her the pre-tournament favorite.

Asked whether she was surprised by the odds, the seventh-seeded American smiled widely and said: “I wouldn’t bet against me.”

Williams was part of a parade of past champions who breezed into the fourth round Saturday, joined by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova, who all were straight-set winners, too. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, seeking her first Grand Slam title, and two-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who is now 44-1 in 2011, also moved on.

Soccer

Mexico rallies past U.S., 4-2

Pasadena, Calif. — Pablo Barrera scored two goals and Mexico rallied to beat the United States, 4-2, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

Andres Guardado and Giovani Dos Santos also scored for Mexico, which has won two consecutive Gold Cup titles and six overall. The victory qualifies Mexico for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, a preview of the 2014 World Cup.

Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan scored to help the United States build a 2-0 lead. Donovan became the Gold Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 13 goals.

Golf

Cantlay falters; Jacobson leads

Cromwell, Conn. — UCLA star Patrick Cantlay tumbled down the leaderboard a day after shooting the lowest score by an amateur in PGA Tour history, while Fredrik Jacobson had a 7-under 63 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Bryce Molder in the Traveler’s Championship.

The 19-year-old Cantlay followed his course-record 60 with a 72 to fall five strokes behind Jacobson.

Tseng pulling away in LPGA

Pittsford, N.Y. — Yani Tseng extended her lead at the LPGA Championship to five strokes, putting the 22-year-old star a round away from winning her fourth major title.

The top-ranked Tseng shot a 5-under 67 to finish at 13-under 203 at Locust Hill Country Club.

Wiebe Champions leader

Endicott, N.Y. — Mark Wiebe shot a 4-under 68 in the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open to take a two-stroke lead over John Huston in a bid for his second straight Champions Tour victory.

Wiebe, who won two weeks ago at Rock Barn, had an 11-under 133 total at En-Joie Golf Club. Huston had a 70.

Baseball

Nationals to hire Davey Johnson

Chicago — Davey Johnson is poised to take over as manager of the Washington Nationals, replacing Jim Riggleman, who abruptly resigned Thursday.

General manager Mike Rizzo said Saturday that Johnson has agreed to a deal, but there are a few technical items to figure out before the team can make an official announcement today.

Johnson, who has not managed in the majors since 2000, will join the team today in Chicago, fly with the Nationals to Los Angeles and take over Monday when they begin an interleague series against the Angels.

The 68-year-old Johnson managed the Mets, Dodgers, Reds and Orioles over 14 seasons and compiled a 1148-888 record. His 1986 Mets team won the World Series, and Johnson’s clubs finished first or second 11 times during his 14 previous seasons managing. He hasn’t managed since 2000 when he was with the Dodgers.

Obit

CNN’s Charles dies at 64

Atlanta — Nick Charles, a former taxi driver who became CNN’s first sports anchor, died Saturday after a two-year struggle with bladder cancer, the cable network reported.

He died peacefully at his New Mexico home, his wife, Cory, told the network. He was 64.

He made his name before a national audience teaming with Fred Hickman for almost 20 years on “Sports Tonight,” a daily highlight show that battled with ESPN for viewers. Charles became such a popular TV personality that Topps put his face on a trading card, CNN reported.

Auto racing

Sorenson Nationwide winner

Elkhart Lake, Wis. — Justin Allgaier was coasting to the finish and a near-certain victory — then he ran out of gas.

Ron Fellows still thinks he should’ve taken home the trophy.

In the end, NASCAR officials ruled Reed Sorenson won a chaotic, disputed overtime finish in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Road America.