Defending champ Weir leads at Nissan
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif., Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Defending champion Mike Weir moved into the lead Friday at the Nissan Open after firing a 7-under-par 64.
The Canadian lefthander's two-day total of 12-under 130 tied the Riviera Country Club record set by Davis Love III.
Briny Baird scorched the course for a 9-under 62 on Friday morning to surge into a tie for second with Scott McCarron (65) at 11-under.
Five days after ending a nine-year victory drought, John Daly is another shot back after a 64.
Players who hit the course in the morning escaped threatening skies, but there was the sound of thunder and some rain in the afternoon.
Tiger Woods fought his way back into contention with a 66 and at 4-under is assured of making his 117th consecutive cut.
Stuart Appleby birdied six of his nine final holes to finish a 64. He is four shots back at 8-under 134.
First round co-leader Shigeki Maruyama dropped into a tie with Appleby through seven holes after opening with three birdies and a double-bogey.
Clijsters, Farina Elia advance; Antwerp
ANTWERP, Belgium, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Kim Clijsters Friday got past No. 9 Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, to advance to the semifinals at the Proximus Diamond Games.
A 20-year-old from Bree, Belgium, Clijsters arrived after winning her first title of the year at Open Gaz de France, defeating local Mary Pierce in the final.
"It is so nice to be playing in your home country and it doesn't often happen that the audience chooses my side with that amount of enthusiasm," Clijsters said.
Clijsters improved to 5-0 lifetime against Maleeva. She rallied from a set down to win their prior encounter at the French Open last year and wasn't surprised at Maleeva's fast start Friday.
The former world No. 1 will try to reach her third straight final Saturday when she takes on No. 8 Silvia Farina Elia of Italy. Clijsters lost the championship match at the Australian Open in January before notching her 19th career title last week.
Farina Elia reached her second semifinal of the season. She took a 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 lead against Patty Schnyder before the fifth-seeded Swiss retired with a right thigh strain.
Henman reaches Rotterdam finals
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Tim Henman continued his mastery of Swiss star Roger Federer on Friday, knocking the world No. 1 out of the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
Henman improved to 6-1 lifetime against the Wimbledon and Australian Open champion with a 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) quarterfinal victory at this indoor event.
The Englishman -- a three-time runner-up here - has not lost a set this week. He rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the second-set tiebreaker, saving five set points.
"In the tiebreak, anything can happen," Federer said. "He fought hard to stay in it, to play a few good points. I didn't make enough returns and he stayed more aggressive."
Federer had his 16-match winning streaked snapped, losing for the first since falling to Henman in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters last fall.
Sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia ousted third-seeded German Rainer Schuettler, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, to raise his season mark to 12-1.
Hewitt started the season by winning his 20th career title at Sydney but lost to Federer in the fourth round at the Australian Open. He has won all six encounters with Henman.
Newman wins Subway 400 pole
ROCKINGHAM, N.C., Feb. 20 (UPI) -- After struggling through a miserable stretch at Daytona, Ryan Newman proved Friday he is still the best qualifier in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
Newman won the pole for Sunday's Subway 400 with a lap of 156.475 miles per hour in a Penske Racing Dodge Intrepid at North Carolina Speedway.
He led a quartet of Dodge drivers who swept the first four spots on the grid. Jamie McMurray was second at 155.379 mph, followed by rookie Kasey Kahne at 154.814 mph and teammate Rusty Wallace at 154.644 mph.
Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five at 154.318 mph in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
"It's been a big drought and it feels good to be back," the three-year veteran from Indiana said. "(Crew chief) Matt Borland and the guys did an awesome job tuning the race car. We've got a great package and great horsepower."
Newman has won the pole in 11 of the last 33 qualifying sessions -- and three of the last five at this track. His other two Rockingham starts were 21st and 23rd.
Radek Dvorak on injured reserve
EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Edmonton Oilers placed right wing Radek Dvorak on injured reserve Friday and recalled left wing Tony Salmelainen from the American Hockey League.
Dvorak, who turns 27 next month, suffered a groin injury in Sunday's 2-2 tie with Nashville. He is tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 25 assists in 58 games.
Salmelainen, a 22-year-old Finn, had one assist in 10 games during a stint with Edmonton earlier this season. He had 16 goals and 18 assists in 43 games with Toronto of the AHL.
