Kenny Perry kept his wits in 35-mph wind gusts at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and made only one bogey in a solid round of two-under-par 70 that gave him a one-shot lead at six-under 138 after the second round of the Players Championship.
Bernhard Langer, who shot a five-under 67, Paul Goydos (71) and first-round leader Sergio Garcia (73) are tied for second. Garcia hit all 14 fairways, missed only three greens and took 33 putts on his way to a 73.
Annika Sorenstam shot a five-under 66 to take a three-shot lead over Lorena Ochoa and Jeong Jang after two rounds of the Michelob Ultra Open at Williamsburg, Va. Sorenstam is at 12-under 130. Ochoa shot a 68. Jang shot 66.
TENNIS
Federer loses for sixth time this year
Top-ranked Roger Federer lost again, this time to 27th-ranked Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7), in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters. Federer was beaten for the sixth time this year. He lost only nine matches in 2007.
Stepanek will play third-seeded Novak Djokovic in today's semifinals. Djokovic advanced when Nicolas Almagro retired while trailing, 6-1, 1-0.
Stanislas Wawrinka upset eighth-seeded James Blake, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-1. He will play sixth-seeded Andy Roddick, who beat 14th-seeded Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4).
Serena Williams' 17-match winning streak ended with a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) loss to Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals of the German Open at Berlin. Safina will play Victoria Azarenka in today's semifinals. Azarenka beat 15th-seeded Alona Bondarenko, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Top-ranked Justine Henin has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open, citing fatigue, and the WTA Tour said she will be fined $20,000 for the late withdrawal.
The Spanish tennis federation chose Madrid's bullring as the venue for the Sept. 19-21 Davis Cup semifinal against the United States.
MOTOR RACING
Biffle leads record pace at Darlington
Greg Biffle turned a fast lap of 179.442 mph at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina to win the pole for tonight's NASCAR Sprint Cup Dodge Challenger 500.
Biffle broke the previous qualifying record of 173.797 mph set by Ward Burton in 1996.
He beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who qualified second and third in Chevrolets.
Earnhardt ran a lap at 179.357, and Johnson clocked in at 179.206.
Tony Stewart made it through nine cautions and a green-white-checkered finish to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington. Driving a Toyota, he took the lead for good with 27 laps to go.
