Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open in Spain yesterday and are on pace for a clay-court showdown in the final.

Federer beat Andy Roddick, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-1, while Nadal defeated Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 7-5.

Defending champion Andy Murray lost to fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (4), 6-3, for the first time in four meetings. Novak Djokovic will get a fourth shot at beating Nadal this year after dispatching Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-4.

Top-ranked Dinara Safina advanced to the women's last four with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alona Bondarenko, and will play Patty Schnyder, who beat fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, 7-6 (6), 6-3. Amelie Mauresmo will face Caroline Wozniacki in the other semifinal.

AUTO RACING

JOHNSON WINS POLE

Jimmie Johnson won an unusual qualifying format last night and will start on the pole for today's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Teams had to go three laps and make a four-tire pit stop without speeding down pit road or leaving loose lug nuts.

Time penalties for those infractions cost several drivers, but not Johnson as he finished in 2 minutes, 1.416 seconds. Kurt Busch will start second in the 100-lap non-points shootout that pays the winner $1 million.

SWIMMING

PHELPS STILL FASTEST

Michael Phelps picked up right where he left off in Beijing. Two races and two wins at the Charlotte UltraSwim in Charlotte, N.C.

The world's greatest swimmer left everyone in his wake last night at his first meet since a triumphant Olympics. That nine-month layoff? No problem. That embarrassing photo of him using a marijuana pipe? Time to let that one go, too.

He started with a victory in the 200-meter freestyle and came right back to touch first in the 100 butterfly, both with times that easily broke the meet records he set three years ago.