In a match that was a repeat of last year's final, Roger Federer battled past Serbian Novak Djokovic to reach the final of the US Open for the fifth successive year. Federer won 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

The 23-year-old Briton will start Sunday's race with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, his main title rival, alongside on the front row.

Kenyan Pamela Jelimo claimed the Golden League's $1 million jackpot on Friday, while fellow Olympic champion Usain Bolt beat Asafa Powell to win the 100 metres at the Memorial Van Damme meeting.

European countries begin their campaigns to reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa on Saturday.

Serena Williams applied some coaching tips from older sister Venus in her 6-3 6-2 thumping of sixth-seeded Dinara Safina on Friday that put the American into the finals of the US Open.

Russian Dinara Safina said she let herself down by acting like a "spoilt girl" during her semi-final defeat by Serena Williams at the U.S. Open on Friday.

Central defender Rio Ferdinand will miss the start of England's World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra on Saturday, manager Fabio Capello said on Friday.

Ferrari's on-form Felipe Massa set the pace in Belgian Grand Prix free practice on Friday while world champion team mate Kimi Raikkonen again looked out of sorts.

Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has been banned for 12 games, six of them suspended, for attacking a team mate while at former club Manchester City.

American twins Mike and Bob Bryan dashed Leander Paes's bid for a grand double at the US Open as they won the men's doubles championship with a straight sets victory on Friday. The Bryans, seeded second, beat Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (5), 7-6 in the final for a second triumph at their home Grand Slam, the first coming in 2005.