Spain takes 2-0 Davis Cup lead over US

Andy Roddick lost to David Ferrer in five sets, giving Spain a commanding 2-0 lead yesterday over the defending champion United States in their Davis Cup semifinal in Madrid. The fifth-ranked Ferrer defeated No. 8 Roddick, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 8-6. Earlier, top-ranked Rafael Nadal gave the hosts the early advantage with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Sam Querrey. Spain could secure its sixth Davis Cup final appearance today when Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez play Americans Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish in doubles. Reverse singles will be played tomorrow. In a semifinal in Buenos Aires, Juan Martin del Potro dispatched Nikolay Davydenko, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to put Argentina one win from avenging its loss to Russia in the 2006 final. In a playoff in Lausanne, Roger Federer showed some rare frustration, requesting a change of line judges before going on to beat Belgium's Kristof Vliegen, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2, to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead . . . Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated top-seeded Jelena Jankovic, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, in the Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals in Tokyo. Next up is qualifier Katarina Srebotnik, who upset third-seeded Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 6-4. Nadia Petrova and Dinara Safina also advanced.

Brewers righthander Ben Sheets rested his sore pitching elbow, hoping the pain subsides enough to let him start a game in Milwaukee's final regular-season series next weekend. An MRI found no ligament damage . . . Blue Jays righthander Shaun Marcum needs ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow, and is expected to miss the entire 2009 season . . . The New York Mets won a coin flip with the Brewers and would host a tiebreaker for the NL wild card Sept. 29 if a game is needed to decide a postseason berth . . . Lawyers for Alex and Cynthia Rodriguez confirmed that a settlement was reached less than three months after she filed for divorce from the New York Yankees star. Terms were not disclosed.

Michelle Wie breezed through the final round of an LPGA Tour sectional qualifying tournament in Rancho Mirage, Calif., shooting a steady 1-under-par 71 to tie for fourth. Completing the first step toward earning her Tour card, she was 8 under after 72 holes. She needed only to finish in the top 30 to advance to the final qualifying tournament in Florida in December. Stacy Lewis, who tied for third at the US Women's Open this summer, shot a closing 69 in the qualifying tournament to tie Wie, eight shots behind first-place finisher Sun-Ju Ahn of South Korea (68). Two New Englanders also advanced. Alison Walshe of Westford finished with a 69 and Briana Vega of Andover a 71 as both finished at 288, tied for 12th . . . Marc Turnesa shook off a slow start with a 55-foot putt for birdie on the par-4 13th and held onto a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the PGA Viking Classic in Madison, Miss.

Jeff Gordon won the pole at Dover International Speedway with a lap of 157.061 miles per hour, a sorely needed lift as he tries to snap his season-long winless drought and make a move up NASCAR's Chase for the Championship standings. Seven Chase drivers will start in the top 11 tomorrow. Denny Hamlin starts third, Greg Biffle fifth, Clint Bowyer sixth, Matt Kenseth eighth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10th, and Kyle Busch 11th . . . Deanna Nolan scored 22 points to lead the Detroit Shock to an 81-72 victory over the Fever in the opener of the best-of-three WNBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series in Indianapolis. In a Western Conference first-round opener, Lisa Leslie led a balanced attack with 10 points and 11 rebounds and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the visiting Seattle Storm, 77-69 . . . The Fever's Ebony Hoffman was honored as the WNBA's Most Improved Player . . . Ned Harkness, who coached NCAA champion hockey teams at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Clarkson, died at his home in Rochester, N.Y. He was 89. Harkness also coached half a season with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and later was the team's general manager. Obituary, B7 . . . Kansas State running back Leon Patton was dismissed from the team a day after he was charged with child abuse.