NYT > Sports Federer Keeps Alive His Half of Dream Final Second-seeded Roger Federer beat Robin Soderling to advance to the semifinals against No. 3 Novak Djokovic, while top-seeded Rafael Nadal plays his quarterfinal Thursday. At Main Court, Wind Is Common Opponent Wind remains a signature feature of Ashe Stadium, considered the hardest environment among the Grand Slam center courts. What to Watch on Thursday at the Open Rafael Nadal will face Fernando Verdasco in one quarterfinal, while Stanislas Wawrinka will face Mikhail Youzhny in the other. Mets 3, Nationals 2: Trip to Army Hospital Turns Into Mets Controversy Carlos Beltran’s sacrifice fly helped the Mets beat the Nationals on Wednesday, but on Tuesday, Beltran, Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo skipped an optional team appearance. Yankees 3, Orioles 2: Swisher’s Homer and Posada’s Test Results Brighten Yanks’ Afternoon The Yankees were two outs from being swept by the Orioles when Nick Swisher slammed a 2-0 pitch into the Baltimore bullpen. Bryant’s Life and Death Cast a Shadow Over Paterno Penn State will play at Alabama on Saturday, which is sure to remind Coach Joe Paterno about his friend and rival Bear Bryant, who died in 1983. Nets to Make Stop in Russia to Help Boost N.B.A. Ties With the N.B.A. set to announce the opening of an office in Moscow, the Nets have made plans for a stopover in the Russian capital. News Analysis: The Saints Have Taken Steps to Avoid a Letdown The New Orleans Saints will open defense of their Super Bowl title Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings. Even in 20th Season, Journeyman Doesn’t Like Shortcuts Tom Gillis, an obscure journeyman with a rare chance to cash in, says he thinks some of the FedEx Cup perks may be a little too much. N.C.A.A. Penalizes Princeton for a Major Rule Violation An alumnus and former member of the men’s tennis team paid $33,000 toward the educational expenses of a female tennis player. Roundup: Serbia Eliminates Spain in Basketball World Championships With wins Wednesday, Serbia and Turkey advanced to the semifinals of the basketball world championships. N.F.L. Roundup: Issue of Backup Status Stirs Jacobs’s Displeasure Running back Brandon Jacobs had a contentious exchange with reporters over losing his starting job to Ahmad Bradshaw. Saints and Vikings Together Again for N.F.L. Opener Brett Favre is back as the Vikings and the Saints open the N.F.L. season Thursday night. Zvonareva and Wozniacki Adjust and Advance Vera Zvonareva defeated Kaia Kanepi, 6-3, 7-5, while top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki beat Dominika Cibulkova by 6-2, 7-5 on the same court — but in a worse wind. Indian-Pakistani Team Reaches Doubles Final Rohan Bopanna, of India, and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, of Pakistan, are trying to promote peace between their nations with their doubles play. Lawyers for Clemens Seek to Quash Defamation Suit Lawyers for Roger Clemens defended him in a lawsuit in Brooklyn, less than a week after he appeared in a Washington courtroom to deny perjury charges. Baseball Roundup: With Help of Homers, Wakefield Wins at 44 Jeremy Bonderman pitched eight strong innings and the Detroit Tigers beat the sloppy Chicago White Sox, 5-1, on Wednesday at Comerica Park. Georgia Receiver Is Suspended The N.C.A.A. suspended A. J. Green, a star receiver for Georgia, for four games for selling a jersey. Former N.B.A. Player Rumeal Robinson Guilty of Fraud Former N.B.A. player Rumeal Robinson, who led the Wolverines to the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball championship in 1989, was convicted of borrowing more than $700,000 for a sham business deal. Groups Competing to Make Cheer a Recognized Sport USA Cheer has announced plans to create a sport out of competitive cheerleading in an effort to get competitions recognized by the N.C.A.A. Homestead-Miami off 2011 IndyCar Schedule Homestead-Miami Speedway is off the 2011 Indy Racing League schedule, a decision that displeased some of the top drivers in the series. Sports of The Times: Underfunded and Over the Top As city employees in Camden, N.J., take a cut in pay and its residents face the padlocking of libraries, the Jets and the Giants can afford a new palace. TV Sports: ‘Hard Knocks’ Ends, but Not Makeover by the Jets The Jets’ long search for an extreme makeover has accelerated with their starring role in the HBO series “Hard Knocks.” Bringing It Big Can Rex Ryan lead the Jets back to the Super Bowl? Global Soccer: A Night to Purge Memories of South Africa The World Cup, in all its sound and fury, is now consigned to history. Tennis in 3D: Professional Tool or Expensive Toy? Watching tennis in three dimensions has arrived. Courtside: The Wind Factor How the wind has and will continue to play a role at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the U.S. Open, and a look ahead to the semifinals match between Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters. Following the Action at the Open Follow the Open on Twitter, with Gerry Marzorati and other tennis fans. Orientation Week Is Over for Penn State Freshman The No. 18 Nittany Lions (1-0) play at No. 1 Alabama (1-0) on Saturday. Will Boise State Reach the B.C.S. Final? Boise State's win makes the possibility of Boise State reaching the national championship much more of a reality. Five and Five: No. 1, Alabama Alabama was No. 1 at the end of last season and has the talent to stay there. Guide to N.F.L. Defenses, Part 4: The 3-4 Front In this installment, we leave the 4-3 front behind and move on to the 3-4 front, which has quickly become the league's favored defensive front again after falling out of favor almost entirely during the 1990s. Thursday's Matchup: Vikings at Saints The N.F.L. season kicks off with a rematch of the N.F.C. title game: Brett Favre and the Vikings visit the Saints at the Superdome on Thursday night. Era of Clean Corporate Football Will the pure violence of football become something that -- like the Soviet Union and the joys of driving a gas guzzler -- will be hard to explain to future generations? Season Could Be Over for Marlins' Josh Johnson The Florida Marlins' Josh Johnson, once a leading Cy Young candidate, has shoulder inflammation and a back strain. Phillies Take Back First Place in N.L. East The Phillies take over first place by a half-game in the N.L. East with a win over the Marlins and the Braves’ loss in Pittsburgh. Rays' Baldelli Is Back in Swing of Things Rocco Baldelli began the season as a special instructor in the Tampa Bay Rays' system, and will end it in the thick of a pennant race. Golfers Welcome President Obama's Participation President Obama's interest in golf has obviously gone from casual to intense. Five rounds in 10 family vacation days? The pros of the PGA Tour are not surprised. When Picking Up a Ball May Mean a Penalty It's the final hole of the club championship. Four balls are in play. Only three come to rest in the cup. How many players are penalized? Double Eagle Lifts Singh Into Contention For the second time in two years, a player has scored a double-eagle on the second hole at T.P.C. Boston during the Deutsche Bank Championship. This time it was Vijay Singh. Liberty to Move to Newark During 3-Year Garden Renovation The Liberty is moving to Newark for the next three seasons while Madison Square Garden is being renovated. For Rubio and N.B.A., Nothing Is Certain The Spanish star Ricky Rubio could come to the United States in 2011, but a looming N.B.A. lockout complicates the situation. Rethinking the System as N.B.A. Stars Move The N.B.A. has tried to encourage stars to stay with their teams, a strategy that was upset this off-season. Patriots' Brady Heads to Stadium After Crash BOSTON (Reuters) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who led his team to three NFL championships, was expected to report to Gillette Stadium on Thursday after an early-morning auto accident in Boston, the team said. Patriots: Brady Expected at Practice After Wreck BOSTON (AP) -- The New England Patriots have confirmed on Twitter and Facebook that quarterback Tom Brady was involved in a car accident but is expected to show up at practice. Pakistan Want Suspended Trio to Be Allowed Home KARACHI (Reuters) - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Scotland Yard and the International Cricket Council to allow suspended trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir to return home from the tour of England. Tottenham's Defoe Out For Six Weeks With Ankle Injury LONDON (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Jermain Defoe will be out for at least six weeks with an ankle injury, manager Harry Redknapp said on Thursday. Disappointed Toshack Resigns as Wales Coach LONDON (Reuters) - A weary-sounding John Toshack resigned, somewhat reluctantly, as Wales coach Thursday after almost six years in the job. Mongolian Teenager In Coma After Collapsing TOKYO (Reuters) - An 18-year-old Mongolian wrestler who collapsed after complaining of neck pain remains unconscious following brain surgery, sumo officials said on Thursday.