Roddick wins, Nadal upset at Cincinnati
Tennis: Spraying balls all over the place, an erratic Rafael Nadal was upset Friday by unseeded Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters at Mason, Ohio.
The top-ranked and top-seeded Nadal committed 30 unforced errors in the first two sets and double-faulted on break point in the ninth game of the third set, allowing the 20th-ranked Cypriot to serve for the match. He clinched his first win in seven matches against Nadal when the Spaniard fired a forehand into the net for his 35th unforced error of the match.
Earlier, fourth-seeded Andy Murray, playing his eighth afternoon match in 10 days, lost to unseeded Mardy Fish 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-6 (5) in a match that lasted 2 hours, 56 minutes – the tournament’s longest – on a court where the temperature reached an even 100 degrees.
Fish will meet Andy Roddick in the tournament’s first all-American semifinal since Roddick lost 7-5, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2) to Andre Agassi in 2004. The ninth-seeded Roddick eliminated No. 2 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5.
Cash scores 13 points, Storm drop Mercury
WNBA: Swin Cash scored 13 points to help the Seattle Storm beat the Phoenix Mercury 78-73 on the road.
The Mercury sat Diana Taurasi with the playoff seeding set for both teams. Seattle, with the best record in the WNBA at 27-6, is the top seed from the West while Phoenix will be No. 2.
Seattle plays the still-to-be-determined No. 4 seed beginning Wednesday in the best-of-3 conference semifinals while defending champion Phoenix (15-18) opens the postseason the following night against the third seed.
Balmer says he hasn’t talked to NCAA
Football: Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer said he hasn’t spoken with the NCAA about its investigation of North Carolina and that questions about his relationship with two of his former college teammates are “really not fair.”
As the NCAA investigates whether defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from agents, questions have arisen about a cross-country trip taken by Austin and former Tar Heel Cam Thomas last summer.
Thomas – now a rookie with the San Diego Chargers – said Balmer paid for them to travel to California and train, though Balmer declined to say whether he did so in an interview with the Associated Press. Balmer, clearly bothered by the investigation, said the NCAA has yet to contact him and said both Austin and Thomas were like family to him.
Balmer played two seasons with Thomas and was a senior during Austin’s freshman year in 2007. Balmer was traded from San Francisco to Seattle on Monday.
Snedeker, Atwal share Wyndham lead
Golf: Brandt Snedeker shot a 65 Friday and shared the lead with Arjun Atwal at 12-under 128 after two rounds of the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, N.C.
Snedeker had an eagle and three birdies to move into familiar territory atop the leaderboard of golf’s final pre-playoff event. He won this tournament in 2007 and shared the lead after a rainy first day last year.
He again has company in the lead: Atwal, who lost his tour card last month and is bidding to become the first Monday qualifier to win an ensuing tournament in 24 years. He followed his tournament record-tying first round with a 67.
Since the Wyndham returned to the par-70 Sedgefield Country Club in 2008, both winners – Carl Pettersson in 2008 and Ryan Moore last year – either held or shared the lead after two rounds.
Ferris graduate Alex Prugh shot a 64 Friday, and is five shots back overall.
• Miyazato has one-stroke lead: Japan’s Ai Miyazato shot a 6-under 66 for the first-round lead at the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore.
Miyazato had a one-stroke lead on Teresa Lu of Taiwan and Jee Young Lee of South Korea.
Miyazato is in a five-way battle for the world’s top ranking. American Cristie Kerr is currently No. 1, followed by Miyazato, Jiyai Shin of South Korea, Suzann Pettersen of Norway and Yani Tseng of Taiwan.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a first-round 76 and is tied for 94th.
• Weibring leads Tradition: D.A. Weibring shot his second straight 5-under par 67 at the Jeld-Wen Tradition at Crosswater Club in Sunriver, Ore., to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Lehman.
The Tradition is the fourth of five majors on the Champions Tour.
Weibring, who has struggled the past two years with a bone spur on his left shoulder, hasn’t won a tournament since the 2008 Senior Players Championship.
Phelps snaps up 100 fly win at Pan Pacific
Swimming: Michael Phelps led all the way in winning the 100-meter butterfly at the Pan Pacific championships at Irvine, Calif., earning his third gold medal of the meet.
The world and Olympic champion touched in 50.86 seconds, erasing American Ian Crocker’s meet record of 51.47 set four years ago. Phelps posted the year’s fastest time of 50.65 in winning the title at U.S. nationals earlier this month.
Ryan Lochte, an Olympic champion, won his fourth gold medal, taking the 200-meter backstroke in 1 minute, 54.12 seconds, the world’s fastest time this year.