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Federer and Nadal lose in Madrid

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From Times Wire Reports

Rafael Nadal will end the year at No. 1 after he and Roger Federer both lost in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters on Saturday.

Andy Murray and Gilles Simon will meet in the final. The resilient Simon upset Nadal, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6), after the fourth-ranked Murray beat Federer, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, to prevent what would have been the fifth Nadal-Federer final this season.

Once Federer lost, Nadal clinched becoming the first Spanish player in the Open era to end the year with the No. 1 ranking.

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Simon saved 17 break point chances -- including seven in the third set -- in a match that lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours. Nadal lost for only the second time in 73 matches after taking the first set.

The first semifinal was a rematch of the U.S. Open championship, which Federer won. This time, Murray broke the second-ranked Federer in the final set on his seventh break point chance to reach his second Masters Series final this season. The Briton won at Cincinnati.

Venus Williams rallied from a set down to beat second-seeded Ana Ivanovic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the Zurich Open semifinals.

Williams will face Flavia Pennetta in today’s final after the Italian beat Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 7-6 (6), in an earlier match.

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MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Bisping defeats Leben at UFC 89

Michael Bisping beat Chris Leben at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England, moving one step closer to a shot at Anderson Silva’s middleweight title.

Both fighters failed to land a knockout blow, but Bisping’s strikes left Leben with a swollen face and a cut under his right eye. That was enough to give the Englishman a win via unanimous decision.

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“I was pretty comfortable, and as long as I didn’t make any silly mistakes, I knew I’d get the fight,” Bisping said.

In the co-main event, Keith Jardine and Brandon Vera tiptoed around each other, striking and moving away, much to the disdain of the Birmingham crowd. After 15 minutes, the judges separated the two fighters and Jardine was declared the split-decision winner.

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SOCCER

Chelsea, Liverpool get victories

Chelsea won, 5-0, at Middlesbrough and Liverpool twice came from behind to edge Wigan, 3-2, to keep the Blues and Reds neck and neck at the top of the Premier League title race.

Wayne Rooney took his scoring streak to eight in six games -- including four in two for England -- and Manchester United brushed aside West Bromwich Albion, 4-0.

Ramon Maradiaga has been fired as coach of Guatemala after the loss to Cuba this week dashed its hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Guatemala has never qualified for the Cup, and Maradiaga was also fired after leading its last unsuccessful bid for the 2006 finals. He returned to lead the Ticos last March.

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MISCELLANY

Yankees’ Chamberlain arrested

New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, speeding and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle in Lincoln, Neb.

The county attorney will probably would file formal charges Monday, according to a spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol.

Apolo Anton Ohno crashed in the opener of the short-track speedskating World Cup season and world champion Wang Meng of China got off to a fast start with a victory in the women’s 1,000 meters at Kearns, Utah.

Ohno, the five-time Olympic medalist and defending overall world champion, lost an edge during a turn in the men’s 1,000 meters and tumbled into the new pads around the rink at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai will miss the Colts’ game at Green Bay because of a hamstring injury.

The Colts downgraded Addai from doubtful to out Saturday.

A man authorities say was seeking revenge has been arrested in the Sept. 2 shooting of Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier, who was left paralyzed below the waist. Police say 32-year-old Tyrone Romaro Hartsfield wanted revenge after he and Collier fought in April outside a nightclub.

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PASSINGS

Nick Weatherspoon; played in NBA

Nick Weatherspoon, a former University of Illinois basketball star who played seven seasons in the NBA, has died. He was 58. The cause of death wasn’t immediately known.

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