TENNIS Serena’s streak ends at 17 Serena Williams’ 17-match winning streak ended Friday with a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5 ) loss to 17 th-ranked Russian Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals of the German Open in Berlin. Safina pressured Williams’ backhand, the same tactic that worked a day earlier in an upset of top-ranked Justine Henin. “It’s not like I played my best and lost, it could be worse,” Williams said. “I can sit here and name 50 things I could do better.” Williams was chasing a fourth consecutive title and appeared poised to improve to 21-1 this year until Safina’s hard shots began to land in the second set. In the deciding tiebreaker, Williams let a 4-3 lead slip away and sent a forehand long and wide to end the match. Safina will face 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in today’s semifinals. Azarenka ousted 15 th-seeded Alona Bondarenko 7-6 (2 ), 6-2. Elena Dementieva beat Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the other semifinal. She will face either Ana Ivanovic or Agnes Szavay, who split 3-6, 6-4 before the match was postponed because of darkness.
What was once almost unthinkable in tennis now happens more and more often: top-ranked Roger Federer loses. The latest defeat came Friday, a 7-6 (4 ), 7-6 (7 ) decision to 27 th-ranked Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters. This was Federer’s sixth loss of the year. The top-ranked Swiss lost only nine matches in all of 2007. Federer piled up a string of defeats at the beginning of this year when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis. He won his first title of 2008 at the Estoril Open last month, the longest he’s waited in nine years. The Rome Masters is a clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which begins May 25. The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament Federer has never won. He has also never won a title in Rome. Last year, Federer was upset in the third round by Italian wild card Filippo Volandri. In the semifinals, Stepanek will face Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic. He advanced when Nicolas Almagro retired with an apparent wrist problem while the Serb led 6-1, 1-0. In the other half of the draw, sixth-seeded Andy Roddick eliminated No. 14 Tommy Robredo 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4 ) to match his best performance in Rome. Roddick also reached the semifinals in his debut at the Foro Italico in 2002, losing to Tommy Haas. His semifinal opponent this time will be Stanislas Wawrinka, who rallied past eighthseeded James Blake 6-7 (5 ), 7-6 (5 ), 6-1. The last American to win in Rome was Andre Agassi in 2002. Roddick improved to 8-0 against Robredo, rushing the net on both his first and second serves against the Spaniard. In the third-set tiebreaker, Roddick overwhelmed Robredo with two aces and converted his first match point after following his second serve to net. Federer surrendered a 5-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker, and wasted a set point at 6-5 on Stepanek’s serve by hitting into the net. Federer had won four of his previous five meetings with Stepanek, but they are now 2-2 on clay.
Top-ranked Justine Henin has withdrawn from next week’s Italian Open in Rome, citing fatigue, and the WTA Tour said Friday she will be fined $ 20, 000 for the late withdrawal. The WTA instituted a series of fines for late withdrawals in response to a rash of players pulling out of tournaments. TRACK & FIELD Felix wins two sprints Allyson Felix of the United States broke 11 seconds in the 100 meters for the first time Friday, and later won the 400 at the Doha (Qatar ) Super Grand Prix. In less than an hour and a half, Felix became the fastest woman this year in both sprints. Felix ran a personal-best 10. 93 seconds in the 100. Then she took the 400 in 49. 83, the first time a woman had broken the 50-second mark this season. In the 100, Felix took charge in the final 40 meters, beating Sherone Simpson of Jamaica by 0. 16 seconds. Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart had held the previous fastest time this year with 10. 96. Felix went out fast in the 400 and led by about 10 meters when heading into the home stretch. Jamaica’s Shericka Williams was second in 50. 50. Felix’s American compatriot, Sanya Richards, had held the previous best this year of 50. 47. American David Oliver won the 110-meter hurdles in 12. 95 seconds, 0. 07 off the world record held by China’s Liu Xiang. Oliver’s previous best was 13. 08. Joel Brown was second in 13. 38 and Andy Turner clocked 13. 41. HORSE RACING Eight Belles’ body tested It will be at least two weeks before additional information is known about what caused Eight Belles to break down in the Kentucky Derby, the filly’s owner said Friday. A lab at the University of Kentucky in Lexington has begun to examine the body of the horse that was euthanized after her runner-up finish in the Derby. Owner Rick Porter said researchers haven’t shared any information except that both front ankles were completely broken. Porter says they’ve submitted blood and tissue samples for further examination, but it will take at least two weeks to get back full results of the necropsy — or animal autopsy. Trainer Larry Jones has insisted those tests will prove the filly was not on steroids.
Big Brown has not scared off all the 3-year-old horses with his overpowering victory in the Kentucky Derby. The probable field for next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore grew Friday, with only fifth-place Derby finisher Recapturetheglory taking another shot at the unbeaten colt. Hey Byrn and Icabad Crane were the latest confirmed starters Friday, joining fellow new shooters Behindatthebar, Giant Moon, Kentucky Bear, Racecar Rhapsody, Riley Tucker, Stevil, Tres Borrachos and Yankee Bravo. Harlem Rocker remained a possible starter.
FOOTBALL Player used dead girl’s card Florida junior safety Jamar Hornsby, 21, was kicked off the team Friday after turning himself in on charges he used the gas credit card of Florida junior Ashley Slonina, who was killed along with redshirt freshman player Michael Guilford in a motorcycle accident in October. Their motorcycle hit a median at a high rate of speed, police said. Hornsby learned Thursday that a judge had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges he used the gas card for six months, so he surrendered on charges of credit card theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, lawyer Huntley Johnson said. Hornsby was released from jail several hours later on his own recognizance. It was not immediately clear how Hornsby got the card. Hornsby started using the gas card the day after Slonina died. The card was used 33 times in Alachua County (Fla. ) and 37 times in Jacksonville, Fla., where Hornsby is from. The total amount was $ 3, 000, said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Stephen Maynard. Hornsby missed five games last season after being suspended for selling free football tickets he received as a student. He was also arrested in April 2007 after a fight in Gainesville, Fla., but his lawyer said those charges were dropped.
Alabama Coach Nick Saban said Friday that sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain was involved in a motorcycle accident Thursday evening but sustained only some cuts and abrasions. McClain was released from a hospital in his hometown of Decatur, Ala. A friend who was with the player moments before the accident told The Decatur Daily that McClain had bought the motorcycle earlier Thursday. Police reports indicated the driver of a motorcycle lost control and slid under a sport utility vehicle.
Third-string quarterback Keith Nichol plans to transfer from Oklahoma after just one season. Sooners Coach Bob Stoops announced Friday that Nichol would not be returning. Nichol, of Lowell, Mich., initially committed to Michigan State, but then enrolled at Oklahoma in January to get an early jump on the quarterback competition. Sam Bradford eventually won the starting job and became the nation’s top-rated passer last season. Joey Halzle, a senior-to-be, was the Sooners’ backup and replaced Bradford after he suffered a concussion in the first quarter of a loss at Texas Tech last season. Nichol played in three games last season, completing 2 of 7 passes for 15 yards. He still has three years of eligibility left and has not used his redshirt season. He said “it’s wide-open” where he will transfer. Coming out of high school, Nichol changed his commitment after Michigan State fired Coach John L. Smith.
Central Florida cornerback Johnell Neal was injured during a shooting in his hometown of Baton Rouge. His condition wasn’t immediately clear, the university said. Neal graduated last week and was expected to start work on another bachelor’s degree this summer.
HOCKEY Avalanche coach out Joel Quenneville is out as coach of the Colorado Avalanche after three seasons, a week after they were swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings. Quenneville was 131-92-23 in Denver but just 2-2 in playoff series after inheriting a team that was on the slide after a decade of dominance in the NHL. Quenneville was an assistant with the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run in 1996, then was hired away by the St. Louis Blues. He spent eight seasons with the Blues, becoming the team’s winningest coach with 307 victories. In 2004, Quenneville became the fourth coach in Avalanche history. Before coaching, Quenneville was a defenseman in the NHL for 13 seasons, including a stint with the former Colorado Rockies. He also played for Washington, New Jersey, Toronto and the former Hartford Whalers. Quenneville coached his 800 th game this season, joining Bob Pulford and Jacques Lemaire as the only coaches in NHL history to both play and coach in 800 or more games.
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