Tennis
* Del Potro beats Federer to reach semis in London: Juan Martin del Potro is getting the better of Roger Federer again, in a way that no player had managed in a decade. Using his hard serve and booming forehand, Del Potro earned the last spot in the semifinals of the ATP finals Saturday in London by overcoming the already-qualified Federer 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 in their last round-robin match. Del Potro will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals Sunday, before Federer takes on Andy Murray.
Motor sports
* Capps tops NHRA Funny Car qualifying: Ron Capps rallied to top Funny Car qualifying Saturday in Pomona, Calif., in the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals with a run of 4.007 seconds at 319.29 mph. Capps had the big fourth-round run after failing to qualify Thursday and Friday and ending up 15th in the 16-car field after the third round Saturday morning. Capps trails points leader Jack Beckman by two points, and must win one more round than Beckman in the final eliminations to take the season title.
• Logano wins as Sadler wrecks to hurt Nationwide title chances: Joey Logano picked up his ninth Nationwide Series win of the season in Avondale, Ariz., and a wreck by Elliott Sadler helped Ricky Stenhouse Jr. move a big step closer toward a second championship. Logano was dominant Saturday at Phoenix, but was under pressure late from Brian Vickers and Stenhouse. But as they closed in on the white flag for what should have been the final lap, Sadler imploded. The championship contender was running 12th and racing hard — too hard — with Justin Allgaier and Cole Whitt when he triggered a three-car accident. Stenhouse can clinch the title by finishing 16th or better in the finale.
Football
* Wilson says he has quit Washington State team: Star receiver Marquess Wilson says he has quit the Washington State football team, and blamed the coaching staff for what he called abuse of players. Wilson was suspended this week for an unspecified violation of team rules. He said in a press release Saturday that he has left the program because of the actions of first-year coach Mike Leach and his staff. Wilson said the new staff has “preferred to belittle, intimidate and humiliate us." Team spokesman Bill Stevens could not confirm that Wilson, the team’s career receptions leader, has left. Stevens said Wilson remains suspended.
Hockey
* NHL, union meet for small, informal lunch: Representatives on both sides of the NHL labor fight are meeting in an informal lunch setting, one day after negotiations hit a sour patch. The sides were in contact Saturday before a small group got together, a players’ association spokesman says in an email. It hasn’t been determined if further bargaining will take place on the 56th day of the lockout that has delayed and shortened the hockey season. Negotiations have taken place the previous four days. Talks broke off Friday night a few hours into a bargaining session on the core economic differences that separate the sides.
Skiing
* Hoefl-Riesch wins WCup slalom; Shiffrin of U.S. 3rd: Olympic champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany overcame a hip injury Saturday to win the season’s first World Cup slalom, with 17-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin in third place. In a race 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the northernmost venue on the circuit, Hoefl-Riesch skied an excellent second run to overtake Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen, who finished second. Defending overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn skipped the slalom to prepare for races in Aspen, Colo. Hoefl-Riesch trailed Poutiainen after the first run but had the fastest time in the second for a total time of 1 minute, 55.58 seconds.
Boxing
• Klitschko retains world heavyweight belts: Wladimir Klitschko retained his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, unanimously outpointing Poland’s Mariusz Wach on Saturday night. The 6-foot-7 1⁄2 Wach was the tallest opponent Klitschko has faced in his 16-year professional career, but offered little threat against the faster Ukrainian. The judges scored it 120-107, 120-107 and 119-109 for Klitschko.
— From wire reports
