New world MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo says he feels liberated after winning a season-long battle with the powerful Repsol Honda team to claim his second premier class title.

Lorenzo clinched the world championship after rival Dani Pedrosa crashed on the second lap of Sunday's Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, ending a chance to catch his fellow Spaniard in the final two races of the season.

Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored twice as Real Madrid cruised to a 5-0 victory at Mallorca on Sunday to keep up the pressure at the top of La Liga.

Jose Callejon got the fifth as Real remained in fourth position, a point behind Malaga in third, and eight behind leaders Barcelona, who crushed Rayo Vallecano 5-0 on Saturday, and second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Controversy with more betting implications returned to Italy's top flight Sunday as Juventus extended their lead and nine-man Lazio dropped to fourth after a bad-tempered away defeat to Fiorentina.

Arturo Vidal's 57th-minute winner against Catania helped Juve extend their lead at the top of Serie A and took their unbeaten streak to 48 matches.

Argentina's Superclasico derby of derbies between bitter rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate ended all square in a 2-2 draw on Sunday

Leonardo Ponzio's early freekick, which left keeper Agustin Orion groping at thin air, put River, promoted last season a year after their first ever relegation stunned fans across the nation, into an opening minute lead.

LeBron James had yet to claim an NBA championship when he arrived in Miami two years ago, boldly predicting multiple title runs with Heat teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

Now, as the NBA prepares to open its 67th season on Tuesday, "King" James is coming off a crowning achievement, having won his first NBA title with the Heat last June and then guiding the US Olympic team to London gold in August.

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes insisted the Bundesliga leaders will not allow themselves to be derailed by Sunday's shock 2-1 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen.

"The defeat will not knock us of course, but we must learn the lessons from it," insisted Heynckes, as Leverkusen won in Munich for the first time in 23 years.

Serena Williams completed her sensational 2012 comeback by easing to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Maria Sharapova for a third WTA Championships title on Sunday.

The 31-year-old's victory came at the end of a spectacular year in which she also collected the Wimbledon, Olympic and U.S. Open titles.

Slovenia's Tina Maze won the ladies' opening giant slalom here Saturday with in third a sensational first World Cup podium for Austrian Stefanie Koehle.

The 29-year-old Maze finished in a total time of 2min 31.41sec, ahead of Austria's Kathrin Zettel in 2:31.83, in a season opener plagued by fog and bad weather.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be without defensive midfielder Javier Martinez and winger Franck Ribery for Sunday's match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Ribery still has muscular problems in his right thigh, while Martinez is carrying a hip injury ahead of the match against Leverkusen at Munich's Allianz Arena with Bayern chasing their ninth straight league win.

Sebastian Vettel insisted he cannot take victory for granted in Sunday's Indian Grand Prix after claiming pole position in another Red Bull front row lockout on Saturday.

The 25-year-old German who is bidding to become the youngest treble champion in F1 history said he felt happy to be at the front of the field, but knew plenty of hard work lay ahead.