Roddick stuns Federer to reach semifinals

Andy Roddick ended a streak of 11 consecutive losses to Roger Federer on Thursday at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.

Dominating with his serve, Roddick took advantage of Federer’s suddenly shaky play down the stretch to win, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. Roddick improved to 2-15 against his nemesis.

“I came in knowing that nobody has beaten me 12 times in a row,” Roddick told the capacity crowd afterward. “So I had that on my side.”

In the women’s semifinals, Serena Williams overcame a slow start to outlast Svetlana Kuznetsova, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Williams needs one more win for her fifth Key Biscayne title and second in a row.

“I haven’t won anything five times, except I win all the time in Uno,” Williams said. “I don’t think that counts.”

Williams will play Jelena Jankovic in Saturday’s final after the Serbian overpowered Vera Zvonareva, 6-1 6-4.

Roddick’s opponent in the semifinals tonight will be No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who beat unseeded Janko Tipsarevic, 6-2, 6-1.

Roddick was at his best against the top-ranked Federer down the stretch. Roddick fell behind love-30 serving at 3-3 in the final set, then won the next 11 points, five of them thanks to unforced errors by Federer.

Federer was broken for the only time at love to fall behind 5-3, losing the only break point he faced in the match. Roddick closed out the victory with a 140-mph service winner.

Federer, off to his worst start since 2000, still hasn’t reached a final this year.

PRO FOOTBALL

Henry is cut by Bengals after another arrest

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry lost his job while in jail awaiting arraignment on assault charges.

The Bengals cut him after his fifth arrest since 2005.

An attorney for Henry, 24, entered not guilty pleas for him after Henry was accused of punching an 18-year-old man in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle.

Municipal Judge Bernie Bouchard set bond at $51,000 on charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal damaging. Noting Henry’s previous arrests involving drugs, guns and alcohol, the judge called Henry “a one-man crime wave.” He ordered electronic monitoring if Henry makes bail.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said it was premature to speculate on Henry’s future in the league.

Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio signed a five-year contract extension.

Del Rio’s salary was not disclosed, but it was believed to be a significant jump from the original five-year, $6.5-million contract he signed in 2003.

The Jaguars were 11-5 last season, beat Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs and then ended the season with a 31-20 loss at New England.

Jacksonville is 45-35 in five years under Del Rio and has two playoff appearances.

Buffalo will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in an exhibition Aug. 14 in Toronto to kick off the Bills’ five-year bid to expand their market north of the border.

The game against the Steelers, unveiled as part of the Bills’ exhibition schedule, will be one of Buffalo’s three exhibitions played at Toronto’s Rogers Center -- one every other year through 2012.

Buffalo also will play a regular season game in Toronto for the next five years, beginning this season.

Domestic violence charges were dropped against Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who was arrested in March after hitting his girlfriend.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Rodriguez wins evidence ruling

Rich Rodriguez may present evidence to try to prove his claim he was fraudulently induced to sign a coaching contract with West Virginia that included a $4-million buyout clause he now refuses to pay.

Monongalia County Circuit Judge Robert Stone granted the request made by Rodriguez’s attorneys during a two-hour pretrial hearing. Rodriguez was not present at the hearing.

Clemson running back James Davis had shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of spring practice. Davis, second on Clemson’s career list with 3,130 yards rushing, is expected to be ready for off-season conditioning and fall practice.

MISCELLANY

Auletta is elected arbitration president

Italian lawyer Mino Auletta was elected president of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, defeating former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound.

Auletta, who will oversee the appointment of arbitrators for the sports world’s top appeals body, also defeated Swiss lawyer Robert Briner and Sweden’s Gunnar Werner to get the job.

Athletes around the world will be subjected to out-of-competition tests for human growth hormone in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics.

David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said that newly produced HGH testing kits soon will be distributed to accredited doping laboratories around the globe to screen blood samples for the banned performance-enhancing hormone.

NASCAR Nationwide qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth was canceled because of rain.

After a late-afternoon thunderstorm soaked the track, the field for Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 was set by owners’ points.

Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, both in Chevrolets, will start on the front row.