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Torre walks away from the Yankees

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Joe Torre Thursday rejected a one-year offer to continue as manager of the New York Yankees.

The development came after there was no decision during several meetings by the team’s executives this week about Torre's future.

MLB.com reported the contract would have paid Torre a base salary of $5 million, with $1 million bonuses for each level of the post-season the Yankees reached.

Club President Randy Levine said in a conference call with reporters the bonuses would have meant Torre could have earned as much as $8 million next season.

"It is now time for the New York Yankees to move forward," Levine said. "We felt we needed to go to a performance-based mode.

"We thought the offer was very fair and it clearly was at the top of the market."

Torre, 67, led the Yankees to four World Series titles and 12 consecutive playoff appearances, and won more post-season games than any skipper in major league history.

Big names reach Madrid quarterfinals

MADRID, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The current superstars of tennis, Roger Federer chief among them, advanced past the third round Thursday at the Madrid Masters.

Federer -- ranked No. 1 in the world and the reigning U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open champion -- gained some revenge with a 6-0, 6-3, victory over Guillermo Canas. The match lasted only 53 minutes.

Canas defeated Federer in two straight tournaments early this year.

Second-seeded Rafael Nadal advanced by defeating Andy Murray, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; and Novak Djokovic, the third seed, fought off Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Nadal lost to Federer in the title match at Wimbledon, and Djokovic fell to Federer in the U.S. Open final.

Other third-round winners included Fernando Gonzalez, Nicolas Kiefer, Mario Ancic and David Nalbandian, who was the runner-up in this event three years ago.

The quarterfinal match-ups will be Gonzalez vs. Kiefer; Djokovic vs. Ancic; Nadal vs. Nalbandian and Federer vs. Feliciano Lopez.

Michael Allen leads on PGA Tour

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Michael Allen, who narrowly missed his first PGA Tour title last month, took the first-round lead Thursday at the Fry's Electronics Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

By finishing second in the Turning Stone Resort Championship, Allen ensured he will be exempt on the tour next year. He continued his solid play Thursday with a 7-under 63 at the Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course.

Allen had a two-shot advantage over Nick Watney, Rich Beem and Frank Lickliter.

This tournament has the best field thus far in what the tour refers to as its Fall Finish -- the events played after the Tour Championship. Seven of the 30 players who competed in the final tournament of the FedEx Cup are in the field this week.

Among them is Phil Mickelson, who shot a 1-over 71 Thursday to finish the day tied for 80th place.

Tied for fifth place at 66 were Chris Couch, Tom Pernice, Ryan Moore, Ben Crane and Pat Perez.

Broncos put Stephen Alexander on IR

DENVER, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The Denver Broncos Thursday placed tight end Stephen Alexander on the injured reserve list with a recurring left-calf injury.

The injury has kept the 6-foot-4 inch, 250-pound Alexander, a 10-year veteran, from playing a down this season.

Alexander, a second-round pick by Washington out of Oklahoma in the 1998 NFL Draft, has 14 career touchdowns on 247 receptions for 2,519 yards.

His roster spot was filled by tight end Chad Mustard, who has been released twice by the Broncos this season, but played in games against Buffalo Sept. 8, and Oakland Sept. 15.

The 6-foot-6 inch, 288-pound Mustard also can play offensive tackle, and has played in both Denver victories this season.

In 31 career regular-season games with Cleveland and Denver, Mustard has seven receptions for 61 yards and four kickoff returns for 21 yards.

In college at North Dakota, Mustard played basketball.

Jake Delhomme has elbow surgery

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme had his right elbow surgically repaired Thursday and doctors indicated he should have a full recovery.

"Jake underwent a medial ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of his right elbow, and the surgery went well," said Dr. Pat Connor, the Panthers' team physician. "His post-operative rehabilitation will start soon. He has an excellent prognosis."

Delhomme was injured Sept. 23 in a game against Atlanta and was placed on injured reserve two weeks later, ending his season.

He completed 55-of-86 for 626 yards with eight touchdowns in his brief 2007 season.