Second seed Federer eases past Beck

Tennis: Roger Federer is one cool customer.

The temperature climbed into the 90s again Thursday at Flushing Meadows in New York, and the guy showed up for work wearing a warmup jacket. Then he put in his 1 hour, 41 minutes on court, dismissing 104th-ranked Andreas Beck of Germany 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 with the help of 15 aces, to ease into the third round of the U.S. Open.

“It’s about just saving your energy for the really big match coming up, maybe the next one,” the second-seeded Federer said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kei Nishikori, the 147th-ranked qualifier from Japan, fought cramps in his racket-holding right hand and elsewhere while taking a minute shy of five hours to wrap up a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over 11th-seeded Marin Cilic.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, like Federer, didn’t waste any time on court, blanking 84th-ranked Chang Kai-chen 6-0, 6-0.

Meanwhile, No. 371 Beatrice Capra, an 18-year-old from Ellicott City, Md., earned an upset on the women’s side by ousting No. 18-seeded Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

Maria Sharapova awaits Capra in the third round. Sharapova beat Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 under the lights.

Sharapova was followed into Arthur Ashe Stadium by 2008 Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic, whose 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over 52nd-ranked Philipp Petzschner of Germany was interrupted briefly in the eighth game while police escorted out three spectators after a fight in the upper deck.

Women’s basketball: Lauren Jackson had 23 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Seattle Storm to an 82-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in Seattle.

Jackson, who won her third WNBA MVP award before the game, set a team playoff record for rebounds.

Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is Sunday at Phoenix.

Svetlana Abrosimova added 16 points for the Storm, Le’Coe Willingham had 10, and Sue Bird handed out 10 assists in Seattle’s 19th straight home win.

Diana Taurasi, who averaged 22.6 points during the regular season, scored nine on 2-of-15 shooting for Phoenix.

Seattle held the Mercury 25 points below their postseason scoring average. Phoenix averaged 93.8 points during the regular season.

U.S. easily handles winless Tunisia

Basketball: Eric Gordon scored 21 points and the United States pulled away after a sluggish first half to beat Tunisia 92-57 in its final game of pool play at the world championship in Istanbul.

The U.S. (5-0), seeded first in Group B, next plays Monday against Angola, the No. 4 seed from Group A.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each scored 14 points for the U.S. team and Stephen Curry had 13.

• Olynyk leads team Canada: Despite the best efforts of Gonzaga standout Kelly Olynyk, Canada (0-5) was dealt an 89-76 loss by Spain (3-2) in the final round of group play at the world basketball championships in Turkey.

Olynyk came off the bench to lead Canada with 14 points and four rebounds.

Bulldogs big man Robert Sacre also made his contribution for team Canada, adding eight points in 14 minutes.

• Australia (3-2) also earned a win, 76-55, over Angola (2-3) to advance to the round of 16.

Former Washington State Cougar Aron Baynes made an appearance with four points and three rebounds in five minutes.

Cause of youth ailments unknown

Miscellany: A team of state epidemiologists doubts that 24 McMinnville (Ore.) High School players who were hospitalized with swelling to their upper arms took a creatine supplement, but the investigators were unable to determine a single cause of their ailment.

The players fell ill last month following workouts in a sweltering weight room during first-year football coach Jeff Kearin’s “total immersion” football camp. Three players required emergency surgery to their triceps to relieve pain caused by high pressure that impeded blood flow.

Five other players had muscle pain and creatine kinase levels 100 times the normal levels. The enzyme creatine kinase is released by muscles when they are injured and is not to be confused with the creatine supplement.

Dr. Katrina Hedberg, lead investigator in the incident, said the intensity of the workout likely played a part in the injuries, and advised in the report that “intense, short-duration, repetitive resistance exercise involving a single muscle compartment can lead to serious health complications.”

• Competitive cheerleading takes a leap: The national governing body for gymnastics agreed to sanction college cheer competitions, a step aimed at getting competitive cheer- leading recognized as a sport.

USA Gymnastics will sanction events held by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association, a group formed last year by six schools with varsity competitive cheerleading teams, the organizations said.

The college group is changing its name from the National Collegiate Stunts and Tumbling Association, and will now call what its athletes do “team acrobatics and tumbling” rather than “competitive cheerleading.”