Weekend Sports in Brief

Updated Nov. 9, 2020 3:12 a.m. ET

Associated Press

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this year, extending its record of consecutive seasons with at least one week on top of the rankings to 13.

Notre Dame moved up two spots to No. 2 on Sunday after upsetting Clemson in a dramatic double-overtime game Saturday night. Ohio State remained No. 3. Clemson gave up the top spot for the first time this season and landed at No. 4.

The Crimson Tide, who had an open date, received 59 of 62 first-place votes. Notre Dame, which has its best ranking since it was No. 1 at the end of the 2012 regular season, received two first-place votes. Ohio State got one.

Texas A&M moved up two spots to No. 5, the Aggies’ best ranking since they finished fifth to end the 2012 season.

Florida jumped two spots to No. 6 after beating Georgia to snap a three-game losing streak against its SEC East rival. The Bulldogs fell eight spots to a season-low 13th.

No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Miami and No. 10 Indiana round out the top 10.

TENNIS

PARIS (AP) —Daniil Medvedev won the Paris Masters for the first time by beating Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 Sunday for his eighth career title and third at a Masters event.

The third-seeded Russian secured just his second win against the fourth-seeded Zverev in seven matches, and his previous victory against the imposing German was also in a Masters final last year in Shanghai.

The battle between first-time finalists here and the last two U.S. Open runners-up went with serve — and with no break points — until Zverev broke Medvedev in the 12th game to take the opening set.

When Medvedev hit a forehand long on that point, Zverev let out a loud roar that pierced the silence at a Bercy Arena left empty by the coronavirus pandemic.

Medvedev’s relentless accuracy from the baseline induced a loose shot from Zverev in the ninth game of the second set when he hit long from the back of the court. Medvedev’s pinpoint returning is among the best on the ATP Tour, and that chipped away at Zverev’s confidence as he won only 57% of points on first serve compared to 75% for Medvedev.

GOLF

HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Ortiz held off Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama by closing with a 5-under 65 to win the Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour in 42 years.

He earned every bit of it, caught in a tight battle on the back nine with the world’s No. 1 player and Japan’s biggest star. Ortiz delivered the winner with a 6-iron to 8 feet on the par-5 16th. He had to settle for a two-putt birdie, and it held up when Johnson and Matsuyama narrowly missed birdie chances coming in.

Ortiz finished in style. Needing two putts to win, the 29-year-old holed a 20-foot birdie putt for a two-shot victory that sends him to the Masters next April for the first time.

It was the loudest cheer for a winner since March. The Houston Open was the first domestic PGA Tour event that allowed spectators, with 2,000 tickets sold daily. They were treated to a good show.

The last Mexican-born player to win was Victor Regelado, who captured the Quad Cities Open in 1978.

Johnson was making his first start since the U.S. Open after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

After opening with a 72, Johnson rallied with two rounds of 66 and a closing 65. His one regret would be the 16th hole. Tied for the lead, Johnson fanned a 7-iron for his second shot on the par 5, leaving a tough chip to 18 feet and a birdie putt that grazed the left edge of the cup. Matsuyama closed with a 63.

Ortiz finished at 13-under 267.

NFL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Drew Brees threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns, regaining the NFL career TD pass lead and lifting the New Orleans Saints into first place in the NFC South with a 38-3 rout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.

The three-time defending division champions won their fifth straight game, intercepting Brady three times and completing a season sweep of the Bucs (6-3).

The Saints (6-2) weren’t perfect — turning the ball over twice themselves — however the offense was extremely efficient with receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back in the lineup, and the defense played its best game of the season.

Brees was 26-of-32 passing, including first-half TD throws of 14 yards to Tre’Quan Smith, 8 yards to Adam Trautman and 12 yards to Sanders, who missed the previous two games while on the COVID-19 list. The 41-year-old added a 3-yarder to Josh Hill to make it 38-0 with just over nine minutes remaining.

Brees regained the league career TD pass lead with 564, three more than the 43-year-old Brady, who had thrown for 17 touchdowns and just one interception over his previous six games.