IN BRIEF
TENNIS
Federer, Djokovic reach Rome Masters semis
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic posted straight-set wins Friday to set up a semifinal meeting today in the Rome Masters, and three-time champion Rafael Nadal advanced in the other half of the draw.
Nadal cruised past eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3, improving to 8-0 against his fellow Spaniard. He will play 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, who struggled past Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Federer overcame net-charging German qualifier Mischa Zverev, advancing 7-6 (3), 6-2. Djokovic stayed on course to retain his title in the clay-court warm-up for the French Open with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.
Also: Flavia Pennetta rallied to upset defending champion Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, lining up a semifinal today with top-ranked Dinara Safina.
Safina, playing her first tournament since becoming No. 1, beat eighth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-2.
Second-seeded Elena Dementieva defeated Marion Bartoli, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. She will play four-time semifinalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, who defeated Gisela Dulko, 6-3, 6-2.
Ekaterina Makarova reached the final of the Grand Prix SAR in Fez, Morocco, after beating Russian compatriot Alisa Kleybanova, 6-2, 6-1.
Makarova will meet top-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues today.
Medina Garrigues advanced when Melinda Czink retired after losing the first set 6-0 in the other semifinal.
LOCAL COLLEGES
UNLV men's golf climbs in MWC tournament
The 22nd-ranked UNLV men's golf team shot a 13-under-par 271 to move into second place after two rounds of the 54-hole Mountain West Conference championships in Tucson, Ariz.
The round was the lowest of the tournament and allowed the Rebels (8-under 560) to close to within four strokes of leader Texas Christian (12-under 556) with the final round to be played today.
Defending tournament medalist Eddie Olson turned in UNLV's low individual score of the day with a 6-under 65 to improve to sixth place (4-under 138). Rebels teammate Derek Ernst shot a 3-under 68 to move into a tie for ninth (1-under 141).
New Mexico State's Steve Saunders tied a conference record for low round with a 7-under 64 to take the individual lead at 9-under 133.
Also: The UNLV baseball team surrendered five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and fell to New Mexico 8-4 in a Mountain West Conference game in Albuquerque, N.M.
Rance Roundy went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and Anthony Morel had three hits for the Rebels (23-23, 7-9 MWC).
The UNLV softball team pounded 16 hits to support the pitching of Stephanie Bregante and post a 14-4 rout of Utah in a Mountain West Conference game at Eller Media Stadium.
Brittany Bolinger and Ashli Holland had three hits apiece, and Holland, Kendall Fearn and Chey Farley drove in three runs apiece to pace the Rebels (30-18, 6-7 MWC).
College of Southern Nevada's baseball team dropped a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader to Salt Lake Community College 9-0 and 11-4 at Morse Stadium.
Felix Segovia, a Las Vegas High School graduate, drove in four runs for SLCC in the opener.
Remington Wilson and Trevor Kirk each went 2-for-3 in the first game for the Coyotes (35-18, 27-10 SWAC), and Ryan Scott had a two-run homer in the second game.
College of Southern Nevada's softball team was swept by 10th-ranked College of Southern Idaho 6-3 and 8-7 at Russell Road Recreation Complex.
The Coyotes fell to 31-12 overall and 26-17 in league.
MISCELLANEOUS
PETA withdraws offer to do PSAs with Vick
An animal-rights group said it has no plans to do public-service advertisements with Michael Vick after the disgraced quarterback is released from prison.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it withdrew any offer about doing the ads after a U.S. Department of Agriculture report on Vick's dogfighting operation found "he enjoyed placing family pets in the ring with fighting pit bulls and that he laughed as dogs ripped each other apart," according to Dan Shannon, the group's assistant director of youth outreach and campaigns.
Shannon issued a statement in response to an Advertising Age report that Vick was set to do public-service ads for PETA after he is released from federal prison. The one-time Atlanta Falcons star is scheduled to begin home confinement this month, having served the bulk of a nearly two-year sentence for financing and participating in a major dogfighting ring.
Also: The Utah Jazz canceled this year's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz said fewer teams have been signing on for the Revue since the NBA started a summer league in Las Vegas.
Former Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur was convicted of giving contradictory evidence at his son's bail hearing and could spend time in jail.
Lafleur agreed in September 2007 to ensure his son Mark abided by a court-ordered curfew if he were granted bail pending trial.
But at a hearing the following month, it was revealed the elder Lafleur had driven his son to a hotel so he could spend time with a girlfriend on two occasions.
The United States feasted on the French defense, as six players scored, in a 6-2 victory to begin its second-round campaign at the ice hockey world championship in Bern, Switzerland.
The win set the stage for a game against Russia today, with the leadership of Group E and a likely top quarterfinal seeding on the line.
Michael Cooper will leave the Los Angeles Sparks to coach Southern California's women's basketball team, the school announced.
Cooper will leave the Sparks, who begin play on June 6, after their WNBA season ends in late September or early October.
