Federer nears grass court record

Roger Federer moved into the final of the Gerry Weber Open with a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3 victory over sixth-seeded Tommy Haas on Saturday in Halle, Germany.

It was the third consecutive three-set match for the top-ranked Swiss star, who moved within a win of equaling Bjorn Borg’s grass-court record of 41 wins from 1976-81.

Federer will play Tomas Berdych in the final. Berdych beat Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

•In London, James Blake beat defending champion Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-4 in an all-American semifinal and advanced to the Queen’s Club final against Lleyton Hewitt.

Hewitt won his semifinal match earlier, beating Britain’s Tim Henman 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

•Maria Sharapova was upset by 81st-ranked Jamea Jackson 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals of the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England.

Jackson will play Vera Zvonareva in today’s final.

Zvonareva, a Russian, beat American qualifier Meilen Tu 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

Football

Williams debuts

After gaining 8 yards in the first half, former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams finished with 97 yards on 18 carries in his CFL debut as his Toronto Argonauts beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27-17 in the regular-season opener for both teams in Toronto.

Miscellany

Afflalo will return

UCLA guard Arron Afflalo withdrew from the NBA draft, allowing him to return for his junior season.

•Colorado guard Richard Roby will return to the team next season instead of testing the NBA draft.

•Milan will not bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, clearing the way for Rome to be Italy’s candidate for the games, Italian news reports said.

•Seek Gold, a 6-year-old gelding, edged Perfect Drift by a nose in the Grade 1, $844,500 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.