Federer loses again -- this time to wild card

After losing to Guillermo Canas twice and Rafael Nadal in his previous three tournaments, Roger Federer was defeated by an Italian wild card on Thursday in Rome.

Filippo Volandri beat the top-ranked Swiss, 6-2, 6-4, in the third round of the Rome Masters, extending Federer’s title drought to four tournaments.

It’s the worst stretch of Federer’s career since ascending to No. 1 in February 2004.

“I don’t know what’s wrong. I have to analyze it myself,” Federer said. “I just couldn’t get my teeth into the match at all.”

Earlier, American Andy Roddick’s run at the tournament also came to a halt when he lost to Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-0, 6-4 in a third-round match.

Fourth-seeded Martina Hingis couldn’t overcome a hip injury, losing, 6-4, 6-0, to Patty Schnyder in the third round of the German Open in Berlin. It’s uncertain if Hingis will defend her title next week at Rome or play in the French Open.

Victoria Azarenka, who last week reached the first final of her career, upset fifth-seeded Nathalie Dechy, 7-6 (3), 6-1, in the second round of the Prague Open in the Czech Republic.

JURISPRUDENCE

McNair charged with

DUI as a passenger

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair was charged with driving under the influence even though Nashville police said his brother-in-law was behind the wheel of the pickup registered to the former Tennessee Titan.

McNair was charged with a misdemeanor under a Tennessee law that prohibits a vehicle owner from letting it be driven by someone who is inebriated.

Police said officer Harold Taylor pulled over McNair’s 2003 Dodge pickup just before midnight Wednesday because it was speeding.

Olympian Steve Riddick was convicted of conspiracy, bank fraud and money laundering in a scheme with others to steal money from banks by cashing counterfeit checks for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Riddick, who won gold in a relay race in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, later became an elite professional coach, training Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones, among others.

SOCCER

Wizards’ Conrad has a

broken jaw -- again

U.S. national team defender Jimmy Conrad has a broken jaw -- his second in two years -- and hopes to be back for the CONCACAF Gold Cup next month. He is practicing with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer but is out for their next game.

The Columbus Crew will play a July 28 game against Aston Villa, the English soccer club owned by Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner.

HOCKEY

U.S. loses to Finland

at world championships

The United States lost in the world hockey championships in Moscow when Dallas Stars winger Jere Lehtinen scored the lone goal in a penalty shootout to give Finland a 5-4 victory and a berth in the semifinals.

Earlier, Matthew Lombardi scored two goals to lead Canada into the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Switzerland.

COLLEGES

Theus gets new deal

from New Mexico State

Reggie Theus and New Mexico State have agreed to a new contract that will give the third-year coach the highest salary in the Western Athletic Conference. The new contract provides a financial package worth $466,000 a season and includes bonus opportunities.

Courtney Kupets of Georgia won the Honda Award as the nation’s top college gymnast. The 5-foot-3 sophomore was the NCAA All-Around champion again this year, leading the Lady Bulldogs to their third consecutive NCAA title.

Temple University was put on two years’ probation by the NCAA for violations that involved fired men’s tennis coach Bill Hoehne. Hoehne, who was fired on April 12, 2005, went to great lengths to hide the fact that he was using an ineligible athlete, telling a student to compete under someone else’s name, the NCAA said.

MISCELLANY

Jones will appeal his

season suspension today

Adam “Pacman” Jones and his attorneys were scheduled to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at an undisclosed location today in New York to appeal the length of his season-long suspension for conduct detrimental to the NFL.

Jones has been arrested five times and talked to police 10 times since being drafted in 2005.

Goodell will also meet with Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson on Wednesday about his off-field problems. Johnson will be released from jail Sunday after serving 60 days of a 120-day sentence for violating parole in a 2005 case.

Marta Fernandez scored 14 points and Christi Thomas had 12 as the Sparks won their second WNBA exhibition game in a row, an 81-76 decision over the Indiana Fever at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

A memorial service for boxer Diego “Chico” Corrales will be held Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Corrales, a former lightweight and super featherweight champion, died Monday in a high-speed motorcycle crash near his Las Vegas home. He was 29.

Steve Asmussen, the trainer of third-place Kentucky Derby finisher Curlin, said his colt will be entered in the Preakness Stakes. With the addition of Curlin, the morning-line favorite in the Derby, the Preakness expects to have the top three finishers from the first leg of the Triple Crown.

-- Robyn Norwood

PASSINGS

Pariani, 79, helped U.S.

to soccer upset in 1950

Gino Pariani, who played for the United States on the 1950 team that produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, has died. He was 79.

He died Wednesday night in St. Louis after having bone cancer for two years, his family said.

Pariani, the son of Italian immigrants, grew up playing soccer in St. Louis’ famed Italian neighborhood “The Hill” and was part of the mostly amateur team that jolted the soccer world with its 1-0 defeat of powerful England in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.