Nadal Extends His Win Streak on Clay to 50

Rafael Nadal won his 50th consecutive match on clay Thursday, staying on track for another showdown with Roger Federer.

The second-seeded Nadal defeated Tim Henman, 6-2, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters and top-ranked Federer beat 14th-seeded Radek Stepanek, 6-1, 6-4.

Nadal has handed Federer his only two losses this year, in finals at Dubai and the Monte Carlo Masters last month.

Nadal can match Guillermo Vilas’ record 53-match winning streak on clay if he successfully defends his title.

“Fifty is a lot of matches. But I’m just happy to be in the quarterfinals. Tomorrow I have a very difficult match,” Nadal said of his next match, against 10th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, who beat Tomas Berdych, 6-2, 6-4.

Gonzalez won both of his previous meetings with Nadal, in 2003 and 2004.

Fourth-seeded David Nalbandian and fifth-seeded Andy Roddick also advanced. Nalbandian beat Alberto Martin, 7-5, 6-4, and Roddick beat Greg Rusedski, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

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Top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo defeated Anna Chakvetadze, 6-4, 6-2, and will play Martina Hingis in a quarterfinal of the German Open at Berlin.

Hingis beat fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 6-2, and joined third-seeded Justine Henin Hardenne and second-seeded Nadia Petrova in the next round.

Henin-Hardenne beat 15th-seeded Maria Kirilenko, 6-1, 6-0, and Petrova beat Zheng Jie, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4.

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Martina Navratilova got a standing ovation from thousands of Czech fans despite losing her doubles match in her former homeland at the Prague Open. Navratilova and Barbora Strycova, the top-seeded doubles team, lost to Ashley Harkleroad and Bethanie Mattek, 6-4, 6-2.

MOTOR RACING

Bourdais Wins Pole for Grand Prix of Houston

Sebastien Bourdais, coming off a dominant season-opening victory at Long Beach, won the pole for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Houston.

Bourdais had a lap of 102.927 mph around the 1.69-mile course at Reliant Park. He’ll start Saturday on the front row for the seventh time in eight races.

Bruno Junqueira, Bourdais’ Newman/Haas teammate, was second, turning a lap in 102.051 mph. Paul Tracy was third, reaching 101.346 mph.

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Sam Hornish Jr. picked an unlikely day to provide a challenge for other drivers entered in the 90th Indianapolis 500.

On a cold, damp day with gusty winds, Hornish turned the fastest laps since practice for the May 28 race opened Tuesday. His 226.789 mph was easily the fastest of the day and came during a simulated four-lap qualifying run in which all four laps were above 226.

PRO FOOTBALL

Jaguar Receiver Smith Retires After 13 Years

Jimmy Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history, has decided to retire.

Smith, 37, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who overcame several health problems and drug addiction during his 13 seasons, abruptly retired to “move on to the next phase of my life.”

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Receiver Donald Driver has signed a two-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA Puts St. John’s on Two Years’ Probation

St. John’s was put on two years’ probation and will lose one scholarship next season for making improper payments to a former men’s player.

The NCAA’s committee on infractions accepted all of the school’s self-imposed penalties, which included a postseason tournament ban in 2004-05, a reduction of one scholarship in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and vacating all wins in which former player Abe Keita participated.

Keita alleged he was given $300 each month by a member of the basketball staff, and an investigation by the school found evidence to support the claim, violating the NCAA’s “extra-benefit” rules.

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Gonzaga and North Carolina, which both finished in the Associated Press’ final top 10 last season, headline the field for next season’s newly formatted National Invitation Tournament Season Tip-Off.

The field for the 16-team tournament was announced, and the 22nd annual event will be played at four “common sites” before the semifinals and final are again held at Madison Square Garden.

The tournament will begin in four regions: East (Charlotte, N.C.); South (Nashville); Midwest (Indianapolis); and West (Spokane, Wash.).

At Indianapolis, Indiana will play Lafayette and Notre Dame will play Butler. At Nashville, Tennessee plays Fordham and N.C. Wilmington meets Belmont.

At Charlotte, North Carolina will play Sacred Heart and Winthrop will play Iona. At Spokane, Gonzaga will play Rice and Baylor will play Colorado State.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Artesia Coach Pera Decides to Resign

Scott Pera, who coached Lakewood Artesia to the Division III boys’ basketball state title two months ago, has resigned to pursue other coaching opportunities.

Before the start of the season, Pera was on paid leave for 11 weeks while an investigator hired by the ABC Unified School District looked into allegations of rule violations.

Pera was reinstated as coach but did not resume his duties as athletic director.

Pera was named Southern Section Division III-AA coach of the year after leading the Pioneers to a 33-1 record. In six seasons, he compiled a record of 158-33.

-- Dan Arritt

MISCELLANY

Ford Pleads Guilty to Las Vegas Shooting

Cole Ford, a former NFL kicker who has been hospitalized for mental illness, pleaded guilty to shooting at the Las Vegas home of entertainers Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn in 2004.

Ford, who last kicked for the Oakland Raiders in 1997, agreed to a felony plea that could result in a suspended sentence of one to six years in a Nevada prison if he continues mental-health treatment at a center near his family’s home in Tucson.

Ford pleaded guilty to one charge of shooting at a structure. Several felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, were dismissed.

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Inter Milan defeated AS Roma, 3-1, at Milan in the second leg of the Italian Cup final, claiming its second consecutive title and fifth overall.

Inter, which won on 4-2 aggregate, also beat Roma for the crown last year.

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Maxim Sushinsky had two power-plays goals and an assist to help Russia rout Ukraine, 6-0, and stay unbeaten in the world hockey championships at Riga, Latvia. Russia leads the Group F standings with six points.

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UCLA seniors Chris Jensen and Andrea Duran have earned CoSIDA District 8 first-team Academic All-America honors for baseball and softball, respectively, and advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America national ballot. The All-America selections for baseball will be announced on May 30, and on May 31 for softball.