IN BRIEF

TENNIS

Federer, Djokovic win, reach Cincinnati final

First, Rafael Nadal. Now, Andy Murray.

Roger Federer had lost five consecutive matches to Nadal before a straight-set win in the finals at Madrid in May, and Saturday, the world's No. 1 player snapped a four-match losing streak against the second-ranked Murray to reach the finals of the Cincinnati Masters in Mason, Ohio.

Federer won 6-2, 7-6 (8) and will face fourth-ranked Novak Djokovic in today's final. Djokovic captured his second consecutive appearance in the final and snapped a five-match losing streak against No. 3 Nadal with a 6-1, 6-4 win in the other semifinal.

The top-seeded Federer, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2007, never faced deuce while serving, keeping Murray on his heels in the first match between the tour's top two players in the history of the $3 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.

Djokovic, who lost to Murray in last year's final, came out aggressively against Nadal. The Serb fired five aces and 13 winners in the first set, including a backhand passing shot to break Nadal in the fourth game. Djokovic gained an edge in the second set when Nadal knocked a backhand into the net on break point in the fifth game, but he maintained the pressure, finishing with 21 winners to Nadal's 10.

Also: Maria Sharapova advanced to the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Russian compatriot Alisa Kleybanova.

Sharapova will face fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the tournament's first all-Russian women's final today. Dementieva beat second-seeded Serena Williams 7-6 (2), 6-1 in the first semifinal.

Sharapova, who missed nearly a year with a serious shoulder injury, will be making her first appearance in a final since April 2008.

Dementieva, who lost to Williams in a nearly three-hour semifinal match at Wimbledon, kept her cool while overcoming a 5-3 deficit in the first set.

The second-seeded Williams came into the match as the hottest player in the tournament, but an unreliable serve and a litany of unforced errors were her undoing. The 2001 Rogers Cup champion was broken five times and looked out of rhythm from the start, hitting routine shots long, wide or into the net.

HORSE RACING

Injured jockey Bejarano prepares for comeback

Jockey Rafael Bejarano is exercising horses in preparation for his return from a serious spill last month at Del Mar.

Bejarano showed up to work two horses a day earlier than he was expected to return. The jockey said, "I feel good, and it was good to be back up on horses."

Bejarano had several facial fractures in the spill on July 22 and later underwent surgery. He plans to wear a protective mask while riding in races, but not during morning workouts.

He said, "There's more danger of being hit by stuff while you're riding in a race."

Bejarano plans to ride his first races Friday.

Also: Trainer Bob Baffert's filly Internallyflawless held off long shot Nan by a half length to win the Grade 1 $350,000 Del Mar Oaks in Del Mar, Calif.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Internallyflawless was second in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies in the early stages of the race, took the lead on the final turn and held on for the win, covering 1 1-8 miles on the turf in 1:49.46.

Canada-based Careless Jewel opened a clear lead on the stretch turn and drew away to a decisive 11-length victory in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Jockey Robert Landry rated the grey filly behind the early pace set by Be Fair and entering the stretch turn sent Careless Move to a lead that she extended with every stride. She ran 1 1-4 miles in 2:03.24 to win her fourth straight race.

Chirac scored a wire-to-wire win in the $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., beating You and I Forever by six lengths.

Trained by Jane Cibelli and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, the 4-year-old gelding covered the 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy main track in 1:49.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sky Blue FC captures first WPS championship

Heather O'Reilly scored early and Sky Blue FC from New Jersey hung on to win the first Women's Professional Soccer championship, 1-0 over the 10-woman Los Angeles Sol in Carson, Calif.

In the 16th minute, Natasha Kai's glancing header off Keeley Dowling's right-wing cross fell to O'Reilly, whose 8-yard shot deflected off diving Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc.

Los Angeles was reduced to 10 when defender Allison Falk was sent off for tripping Kai from behind in the 27th minute.

Also: Chula Vista, Calif., hit the most home runs in a Little League World Series game since 2001, belting seven in its 15-0 pool-play rout of Russellville, Ky., in Williamsport, Pa.

Luke Ramirez slugged two long homers, and Chula Vista went deep five more times in a game halted after five innings on the mercy rule.

Running back Quentin Castille has been dismissed from the Nebraska football program for violating unspecified team rules.

Coach Bo Pelini did not elaborate on the violations committed by the junior from La Porte, Texas. Pelini announced the dismissal after the No. 24 Cornhuskers' practice, even though Castille has not worked out with the team for several days.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 235-pound Castille was expected to be a key contributor for Nebraska this season, after rushing for 467 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Donald Clelland shot par 72 to pick up a stroke on Douglas Pool after the second round of scratch play in the Nevada State Seniors at Paiute Golf Resort.

Clelland, who had a first-round 69, remained 3 under for the three-day tournament with a 141 total.

Pool shot 73 and is at 1-under 143.

In net play, Jim Whisman shot 66 to stand at 7-under 137, four strokes ahead of Bryan Anderson (69), Bill Spencer (71) and Justin Garrett (75).

Chad Reed raced to his fifth victory of the season and clinched his first AMA Pro Motocross championship in Mechanicsville, Md.

Reed, from Australia, returned to the outdoor nationals this year for one of the most successful seasons of his career. Before 2009, the two-time AMA Supercross champion never had won an AMA Pro Motocross event.

Reed took home a $5,000 bonus.