Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson has been ruled out of the Vikings game today in Atlanta because of a sprained left ankle. The Vikings yesterday announced Peterson had been downgraded from doubtful to out and would not travel with the team. This will be only the fourth game in Peterson’s five-year NFL career that he will miss. Toby Gerhart will be the featured runner in Peterson’s place . . . The Giants placed wide receiver Michael Clayton on injured reserve and he will have surgery tomorrow for a torn meniscus in his knee . . . Carolina tight end Jeremy Shockey, who sat out last week with injured ribs, is probable for today’s game in Indianapolis, but Panthers linebacker Omar Gaither will miss the game with a knee injury and linebacker Jason Phillips is out with a calf injury . . . The Colts waived rookie linebacker Adrian Moten, who played in 10 games this season.

Tennis

Federer to play Tsonga in ATP final

Roger Federer seized another milestone, reaching his 100th career final by beating David Ferrer, 7-5, 6-3, in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London. Federer is in position to win his 70th title, and a record sixth at the season-ending tournament for the world’s top eight players. Sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 7-5, in the late match. The victory over Ferrer sent Federer past Andy Murray to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, trailing No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who were eliminated after losing two of their round-robin matches. In doubles, Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor reached the final by beating twins Bob and Mike Bryan, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. They will play Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, who beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.

Winter sports

Cuche wins World Cup downhill opener

Didier Cuche won the downhill season opener, giving Switzerland a 1-2 finish in a World Cup race at Lake Louise, Alberta. The 37-year-old skier was timed in 1 minute 47.28 seconds, matching his downhill victory at Lake Louise from two years ago . . . Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany made up nearly a second on the final run to hold off Elisabeth Goergl of Austria to win a World Cup giant slalom in Aspen, Colo. Julia Mancuso finished third to become the first American to wind up on the podium at the venue since 2004. Lindsey Vonn wound up 12th, 1.74 seconds behind Rebensburg . . . Japanese skaters Yuzuru Hanyu and Mao Asada overcame errors in their free skates in Moscow to win Rostelecom Cup titles. First-day leader Jeremy Abbott of the United States finished third overall. Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany won the pairs. In ice dance, Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States won their fifth straight competition.

Golf

Ireland has two-shot lead in World Cup

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell head into the final round of the World Cup with a two-stroke lead after a convincing performance for Ireland in the fourball in Hainan, China. The Irish duo made eight birdies to finish the at 8-under-par 64 for a three-round total of 21-under 195. Germany (Alex Cejka-Martin Kaymer), South Africa (Charl Schwartzel-Louis Oosthuizen), and the United States (Gary Woodland-Matt Kuchar) were all tied for second at 197. . . . K.T. Kim played steadily over the back nine, shooting a bogey-free 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Bubba Watson into the final round of the Australian PGA. . . . South Africa’s Hennie Otto had seven birdies and an eagle in shooting a 7-under 65 to take a three-shot lead after three rounds of the South African Open in Johannesburg.

Miscellany

Ex-heavyweight contender Lyle dies

Former boxer Ron Lyle, who fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in 1975 and later battled George Foreman, died in Denver at age 70 from complications from a sudden stomach ailment, said Ron McKinney, a Salvation Army official. Obituary, Page B9 . . . Super heavyweight lifter Vasily Alekseyev, who dominated throughout the 1970s and set 80 world records for the Soviet Union, died in a clinic in Munich, where he was being treated for heart problems. He was 69. Alekseyev was unbeaten from 1970 to 1978, winning two Olympic gold medals and eight consecutive world titles . . . Hometown fighter Adrien Broner won the vacant WBO junior lightweight title, stopping Argentina’s Vicente Rodriguez in the third round at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati . . . Togo’s government said at least six top flight soccer players were killed and another 28 people were critically injured after a bus carrying them plunged into a ravine and caught fire near Atakpame, 99 miles north of Lome.