• World's No. 1 tennis player Roger Federer defeated Serbian teenager Novak D-jok-ovic 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 Thursday to reach the Dubai Open semifinals.

Roger Federer notched his 39th straight win -- the fifth-longest streak of the Open era. The world's No. 1 player defeated Serbian teenager Novak D-jok-ovic 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 Thursday to reach the Dubai Open semifinals.

Federer's biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, did not fare as well, losing to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (5), 6-3.

This was the second time in three matches Federer dropped a set. Not a cause for alarm in most players. Then again, this is Federer and he's better-er than the rest.

"I definitely think my forehand is not working like the way it usually works," he says.

Fed I hear you, I was trying to colour with my crayons this morning, I was just all over the page. Couldn't even draw the roof on my super cool fort that I'm making pictures of.

Back to fed though, the Federering world number one also dropped a set to Denmark's Kristian Pless in the first round Monday. On that day he broke Jimmy Connors' record with his 161st consecutive week atop the ATP rankings.

On Thursday, the Swiss star committed 52 unforced errors and needed more than two hours to advance to a semifinal against Germany's Tommy Haas, who Fed has beaten in seven of their nine meetings.

Haas, seeded fifth and a winner last week in Memphis, Tenn., extended his winning streak to 11 matches as he overwhelmed Belgium's Olivier Rochus 6-0, 6-2. Robin Soderling held off 2002 champion Fabrice Santoro to win 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-0.

Mikhail Youzhny, in beating the second-seeded Nadal, capitalized on an apparent incorrect call by the Hawk-Eye electronic line-judging system. He advanced to the semifinals along with Haas and Soderling.

• European soccer champion Barcelona will play a friendly in Beijing in August as part of the city's plan to mark the one-year countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games.

European soccer/football champion Barcelona will play a friendly in Beijing in August as part of the Chinese capital's plan to mark the one-year countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games, a municipal sports official says.

The match, set for either Aug. 3 or Aug. 5 in Beijing, was announced by Sun Kanglin, the head of the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau.

Sun says he has been assured that Barcelona will be bringing its strongest squad on the Spanish club's first visit to China.

The game is tentatively set to take place at Workers Stadium, which is a venue for soccer competition during the 2008 Olympics. But alternatives might have to be considered as it is under renovation added Sun.

Although, he does say they are negotiating with the constructors to make sure the renovations will be completed on time.

Plans mark the start of the countdown for the Olympics on Aug. 8 also include, as we told you yesterday, the NFL's inaugural China Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

The Beijing Olympics take place from Aug. 8-24, 2008.

• Shenzhen-based beer brewery Kingway agreed to sponsor the Chinese Football Super League on Thursday, just two days before the 2007 season kicks off.

Shenzhen-based beer brewery Kingway agreed to sponsor the Chinese Football Super League on Thursday, just two days before the 2007 season kicks off.
 
Sina.com reports the Hong Kong listed state-owned enterprise promises to pay some 36 million yuan (4.5 US million) to have its name on the title of China's premier football competition.

The one-year contract between Kingway and the Chinese Football Association is expected to be officially signed on this afternoon. The brewery will have the option of extending the contract when the current one expires next year.

Kingway sponsored Chinese Football Super League side Shenzhen last year for 12.5 million yuan (more than 1.5 million USD dollars). But the contract expired unexpectedly after conflict between the brewery and the team led Kingway to cut 4 million yuan (US$500,000) from the original amount given.

The company is the third to sponsor the Chinese Football Super League, after German electronics giant Siemens and internet phone maker iPhox.

Siemens paid 8 million Euro to sponsor the Chinese Football Super League when it debuted in 2004, but the fee has plummeted as the league has become associated with scandals.