Paul Casey advances to quarterfinal at Dove Mountain

Paul Casey has yet to play the final four holes at Dove Mountain after three days of the Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz.

That’s because the Englishman has won all three of his matches 5 and 4, the latest over Brian Gay in the third round Friday. Casey lost to Geoff Ogilvy in the final last year and won the European World Match Play Championship in 2006.

“I don’t think there’s any one particular part of my game that’s jumping out that is fantastic right now,” he said. “It’s just all very, very solid.”

Casey, the highest-seeded remaining player, at No. 6, and one of three English players still in it, advanced to a Saturday morning quarterfinal against Stewart Cink, the lone surviving American and a semifinalist in 2008 and 2009.

Cink beat South African Charl Schwartzel in 19 holes, rolling in a 29-foot putt on the 16th and an 18-footer on the 18th to avoid elimination.

Joe Durant shot a five-under-par 66 to increase his lead to two strokes in the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Golf Classic at Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Durant, 45, a four-time Tour winner, finished the round in rain on the Mayakoba Resort’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course. He had a 12-under 130 total after opening with a 64. J.P. Hayes (67) was second, and Cameron Beckman (68) was another stroke back at nine under.

Tom Jenkins and Jay Haas shot eight-under 64s to share the lead after the first round of the Allianz Championship, a Champions Tour event at Boca Raton, Fla. Corey Pavin was one shot back.

Suzann Pettersen of Norway took a three-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Thailand tournament, shooting an eight-under 64 at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course.

TENNIS

Venus Williams is in Dubai final

Venus Williams ended the stirring run of Israel’s Shahar Peer, 6-1, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Dubai Championships in the United Arab Emirates.

Victoria Azarenka ousted Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-3, 6-4, in the other semifinal at Aviation Club and will face Williams, who is going for her second straight Dubai title.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will team with retired stars Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in a charity exhibition to raise money for Haiti.

The “Hit For Haiti” match will be played March 12 during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Federer and Sampras will team for the doubles match against Nadal and Agassi.

ETC.

Gasol, Felix are honored

The Lakers’ Pau Gasol was named sportsman of the year and sprinter Allyson Felix sportswoman of the year in voting by a media panel for the Los Angeles Sports Council’s L.A. Sports Awards.

The Lakers’ NBA championship was voted the top sports moment of 2009.

Longtime umpire John Kibler, seen emphatically pointing fair on the ground ball Bill Buckner missed in the 1986 World Series, has died. He was 81.

Kibler died of a heart attack Thursday, his family said.