Nadal Moves Up to No. 2 in World

Rafael Nadal moved up to No. 2 in the world rankings Saturday after defeating Jarkko Nieminen, 6-2, 7-5, to extend his winning streak on clay to 33 matches.

Nadal was challenged only once, when the 67th-ranked Nieminen broke his serve to tie it at 5-5 in the second set. But he immediately broke back.

The victory put the 19-year-old into the final of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany, where he will play third-seeded Gaston Gaudio, who advanced when Nikolay Davydenko pulled out of their semifinal because of flu while trailing, 6-3, 2-1.

“It’s unbelievable for me, but now I will have to play my best tennis to win tomorrow,” Nadal said.

“Gaudio and I are among the best players in the world on clay, so it will be a good match.”

Win or lose, Nadal will pass Lleyton Hewitt in the rankings when they are updated Monday.

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Unseeded Robby Ginepri, who upset top-seeded Andy Roddick in Friday’s quarterfinals, defeated 10th-seeded Karol Beck, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to the finals of the RCA Championships at Indianapolis.

“I was really pleased with my will to fight today,” Ginepri said. “After a big win last night and being down a set, I was just trying to stay positive.

“Good things happen when I stay positive.”

It’s the first time Ginepri has reached an ATP final since winning at Newport, R.I., in 2003. To earn another title, he must beat fourth-seeded Taylor Dent, who beat seventh-seeded Greg Rusedski, 6-4, 6-4.

No unseeded player has ever won the title in Indianapolis.

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Top-seeded Patty Schnyder beat qualifier Bethanie Mattek, 6-4, 6-1, to advance to the finals of the Cincinnati Women’s Open.

She will play Akiko Morigami, who upset fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 6-4.

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Second-seeded Fernando Gonzalez beat David Sanchez, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the finals of the Priority Telecom Open at Amersfoort, Netherlands.

He will play Agustin Calleri, who beat Ivo Minar, 6-4, 6-4.

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Roger Federer, the world’s No. 1 player, pulled out of next month’s Rogers Cup because of a foot injury that has bothered him for several months, Tennis Canada said.

Federer was advised by doctors to rest for another three weeks, forcing him to skip the Aug. 6-14 tournament.

Soccer

Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan accused Inter Milan of being “weak and pathetic” after the Italian soccer power canceled its English tour in the wake of terrorist attacks on London.

The Serie A team was scheduled to play four preseason games, one of them in south London against Crystal Palace. The others were at Leicester, Norwich and Portsmouth, well away from the capital.

But Inter issued a statement Saturday saying it had canceled the tour “because of increasing serious events which touch the sensitivity of everyone.”

Hamburger SV said it had signed American under-20 midfielder Benny Feilhaber to a three-year contract.

Feilhaber, who is from Irvine and played for UCLA, competed for the U.S. team that reached the final 16 at the recent world youth championships in the Netherlands.

Boxing

Bernard Hopkins’ appeal of the split decision that cost him his undisputed middleweight championship to Jermain Taylor was denied, Taylor’s promoter said.

Taylor defeated Hopkins in Las Vegas on July 16 with two judges awarding the fight to him and one to Hopkins.

Hopkins appealed the decision to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but David Itskowitch said that the panel had denied Hopkins’ plea.

Pro Basketball

Laker draft choice Ronny Turiaf will undergo open-heart surgery Tuesday at Stanford University Medical Center.

Turiaf, 22, a second-round pick from Gonzaga, was diagnosed last week with an enlarged aortic root, a potentially life-threatening situation. He will sit out next season.

Mark Madsen, a reserve for the Minnesota Timberwolves the last two seasons, agreed to a five-year contract to remain with the team. Madsen, a 6-foot-9 forward, had surgery in March to repair a ruptured ligament in his right wrist.

College Basketball

Point guard Carl Krauser has decided to return to Pittsburgh for his senior season. He had considered playing in Europe after he removed his name from the NBA draft when it became evident during a pre-draft camp in Chicago that he would not be a first-round pick.