The Malaysian Insider

BETHESDA (Maryland), July 4 — Tiger Woods played the role of inhospitable host by soaring to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the AT&T National yesterday.

The world number one, who is hosting the US$6 million (RM21 million) event at Congressional Country Club, fired a four-under-par 66 to finish on 10-under 130, one stroke ahead of Australian Rod Pampling (64).

"I didn't drive the ball as well as I did yesterday or hit my irons as crisp," said Woods, who returned a 64 in Thursday's opening round.

LONDON, July 4 — American Andy Roddick ended Andy Murray's dream of becoming the first British man to play in a Wimbledon final since 1938 by winning their semi-final 6-4 4-6 7-6 7-6 yesterday.

Sixth seed Roddick, a former world number one and the 2003 US Open champion, served magnificently and matched Murray's vaunted ground strokes after breaking the third-seeded Briton in the final game of the first set.

Murray reacted by breaking at the start of the second set and held serve to level the contest. However, he failed to take advantage of three break points in the first game of the third and a set point in the tiebreak, allowing the American to take a two-sets-to-one lead.

OSLO, July 4 — Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva won the women's pole vault at the Bislett Games yesterday, claiming her second Golden League win in as many meetings this season.

The Russian, below par at an event hit by bad weather, won by clearing 4.71 metres on her second attempt, beating Monica Pyrek into second place after the Pole cleared the height on her third attempt.

Svetlana Feofanova, another Russian, was third, clearing 4.66.

MANCHESTER, July 3 — Former England international striker Michael Owen has been given the all-clear by Manchester United’s medical staff  following an assessment of his troublesome knee. This opens the door for Owen to join Alex Ferguson’s men as soon as next week on a free transfer.

United’s interest in Owen has taken many by surprise. His Newcastle contract lapsed on July 1, but although the former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker apparently remained eager to stay in the Premier League, it appeared only the likes of Stoke and Hull were ready to make a concrete offer.

However, they have now been joined by reigning champions United, who are desperate to fill the void left by the exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

LONDON, July 3 — Roger Federer stood one match away from a record 15th grand slam title after he snuffed out the challenge of Germany’s Tommy Haas 7-6 7-5 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon final today.

The five-times champion edged his 31-year-old rival in a display of sheer brilliance before a mesmerised Center Court crowd, ending the match with a brilliant slam-dunk smash.

By downing Haas in just over two hours, the Swiss became the first man to reach seven successive Wimbledon finals since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1922.