TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Nadal beats Federer to reach Aussie final
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-7
(5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in an Australian Open semifinal on Thursday
night, the longtime rivals playing with the intensity they normally
display when they meet in Grand Slam finals
Though the stars who have met in eight Grand Slam finals were on
the same side of the draw for the first time at a major since 2005,
they played as if the title were at stake.
This time, though, only Nadal will have the opportunity to win
another championship -- on Sunday night when the Spanish left-hander
plays the winner of Friday's semifinal between defending champion
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

The women's final on Saturday night will feature Maria Sharapova
against Victoria Azarenka (ah-zah-REN'-kuh).
Sharapova defeated Petra Kvitova 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 while the
third-seeded Azarenka beat defending champion Kim Clijsters
(KLY'-sturz) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The women's final will decide the No. 1
ranking.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-PATERNO MEMORIAL
Thousands expected at Paterno memorial
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A capacity crowd of more than 12,000 is
expected to pack a Penn State arena for one more tribute to Joe
Paterno, the Hall of Fame football coach who died Sunday at age 85
from lung cancer.
The event called "A Memorial for Joe" will cap three days of
public mourning for a figure beloved for his success on the
sideline as well as his generosity off the field.

NFL-EAGLES-DUI CRASH
Eagles Celek unhurt in crash
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- State police say Philadelphia Eagles tight
end Brent Celek (SEHL'-ihk) was a passenger in a car involved in an
early-morning DUI crash.
No one was hurt in this morning's crash on a highway off-ramp
near the team's stadium in South Philadelphia.
Police say the car's driver was driving too fast when he spun
out and hit a concrete barrier around 2:30 a.m. The driver failed
field sobriety testing and was arrested on DUI charges.
Celek turned 27 on Wednesday. He caught 62 passes for the Eagles
last season, including five touchdown catches.
Celek released a statement through the team saying he exhibited
"extremely poor judgment." He says he didn't know the driver was
drunk but that's not an excuse. He promises to never let it happen
again.

NBA-SCHEDULE
Grizzlies meet Clippers, Magic host Celts
UNDATED (AP) -- Boston held Orlando to a franchise-record low 56
points in Monday's home victory and tonight the Celtics will try to
make it two in a row over the Magic. Despite missing injured stars
Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics also held Orlando to a
franchise record low 24.6 field goal percentage.
Allen is expected to miss tonight's game with a left ankle
injury. Rondo has a sore right wrist but could return.
The Magic bounced back from that ugly loss to the Celtics on
Tuesday by winning at Indiana 102-83.
The Celtics enter 7-9, four games behind Atlantic
division-leading Philadelphia. The Magic come in 12-5, one game
behind Southeast-leading Miami.

The only other game on a light night in the NBA features Memphis
visiting the Los Angeles Clippers. The Grizzlies had a seven-game
winning streak snapped Tuesday night in Portland and the Clippers
are playing the second leg of a back-to-back that started with last
night's 96-91 loss to the rival Lakers.
Memphis enters 10-7, trailing first-place San Antonio by a game
in the Southwest division. The Clippers are 9-6 and lead the
Pacific by percentage points over the Lakers.

T25 BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
UNC hosts NC State
UNDATED (AP) -- No. 7 North Carolina takes the court for the
first time since losing Dexter Strickland when it hosts ACC rival
NC State tonight.
Strickland, a starting guard for the 16-3 Tar Heels, suffered a
season-ending knee injury in last Thursday's win at Virginia Tech.
UNC has won 10 straight over the Wolfpack and the last eight in a
row in the series in games played at Chapel Hill.
Another ACC matchup including a ranked team has 19th-ranked
Virginia hosting Boston College.

No. 14 Florida is on the road in an SEC clash with Ole Miss. The
Rebels have been tough at home going 8-0 in Oxford. Billy Donovan's
Gators are 1-4 away from home this season.
In a Big 10 matchup, No. 16 Indiana travels to 25th-ranked
Wisconsin. The Hoosiers have lost 10 straight in Madison. The
Badgers have been hot of late, winning their last four.
No. 21 St. Mary's rounds out tonight's Top-25 schedule with a
game at Loyola Marymount. The Gaels are rolling having won nine
straight to push their record to 19-2. LMU's Lions have lost 10
straight in the series.

GOLF-ABU DHABI
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Rory McIlroy shot a
5-under 67 in the opening round Thursday at the Abu Dhabi Golf
Championship for a share of the early clubhouse lead, three strokes
in front of playing partner Tiger Woods.
McIlroy, the U.S. Open champion who has had three top-five
finishes at this tournament, made three birdies in his first four
holes but bogeyed two of the next four. He steadied with three
birdies on his back nine, including a chip-in on No. 8 from just
off the green.
Robert Karlsson of Sweden also had a 67. The pair were a shot
ahead of Gareth Maybin of Northern Ireland.
Woods holed two birdies in a bogey-free 70, but struggled on the
greens, missing several putts. Top-ranked Luke Donald shot a 71.

PGA-FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
PGA Tour stops at Torrey Pines
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Phil Mickelson heads the field for the PGA
Tour's Farmers Insurance Open which begins today at Torrey Pines.
Most of the top golfers are halfway around the world in Abu Dhabi,
including Tiger Woods so just one player in the top 10 is in the
field at San Diego and that's No. 9 Dustin Johnson. Mickelson comes
in ranked 15th.
Among the PGA Tour players who waited until the fourth week to
make their 2012 debut are Hunter Mahan (MAY'-han), Geoff Ogilvy and
Rickie Fowler, who starts his third full year still looking for his
first tour win.

OLYMPICS-LONDON 2012-SIX MONTHS TO GO
London's unemployed strive for Olympic jobs
LONDON (AP) -- The first sprint of the Olympic Games has begun:
Unemployed Londoners are converging on a center taking applications
for those wanting to be Olympic security guards.
With only six months to go before the opening of the 2012 Summer
Games, organizers are finalizing plans for security, ticketing and
transport despite a series of setbacks that have pushed costs
higher.
Hiring the new Olympic work force is the most visible signal yet
that planners' focus has shifted from building stadiums to
delivering the sports events.
Organizing committee chief executive Paul Deighton said Thursday
that officials are "switching from planning stuff to really doing
it."
Some 10,000 security guards are needed -- and organizers have
already received three times that number of applications.