Briefs | Federer beats Canas this time around

Tennis

Federer beats Canas to reach quarterfinals: Roger Federer finally got a win against Guillermo Canas, beating the 14th-ranked Argentine 6-0, 6-3 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters in Spain. Canas beat Federer in consecutive tournaments in March.

No. 2 Rafael Nadal edged Andy Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in a match marked by long rallies from the baseline.

Nadal has a quarterfinal match against David Nalbandian, who beat Juan Martin Del Potro 6-2, 6-4.

Federer next will play Feliciano Lopez after the Spanish wild card beat Austrian qualifier Stefan Koubek 7-6 (11-9), 6-1.

Henin advances: Justine Henin eased into the quarterfinals of the Zurich Open in Switzerland with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

Second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia also advanced, surviving a first-set scare before defeating Austrian Sybille Bammer 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Henin next will face Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who upset seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-3.

Horse racing

Trainer reaches settlement: Patrick Biancone, a prominent Thoroughbred trainer accused of medication violations, has reached a settlement with Kentucky authorities that will bar him from racing anywhere for six months.

Biancone has agreed not to appear at the Breeders' Cup Championships on Oct. 26-27 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., though the suspension doesn't go into effect until Nov. 1. Seven horses are pre-entered in his name for eight races, but Biancone will withdraw as trainer of record under the agreement. Biancone can still receive prize money.

Auto racing

Stretch drive is here: NASCAR has reached the halfway point of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, leaving drivers and crews with just five races left to win a championship. This week's race is the Subway 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Sunday.

Formula One is down to its final race of the season Sunday in Brazil with three drivers vying for the title.

NASCAR: Halfway through the Chase schedule, the championship picture is getting a little clearer. Three drivers have separated themselves from the field. Jeff Gordon, with two wins in the Chase, is 68 points ahead of teammate and defending champion Jimmie Johnson. Surprising Clint Bowyer remains in the hunt, just 78 points behind Gordon after finishing second to him last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

Formula One: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, the 22-year-old rookie, leads the standings. He's been on top since the sixth race of the season and is trying to become the first rookie to win the title since 1950. His teammate, Fernando Alonso, is four points behind. If Alonso wins the title, he'll be the first driver to win consecutive championships with different teams since Juan Miguel Fangio in 1955. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is third in the standings but has more wins — five — than any other driver this season.

NHL

Thrashers get first victory: One day after coach Bob Hartley was fired, the Atlanta Thrashers scored two goals in the first 6 ½ minutes, overcame an injury to goalie Kari Lehtonen and finally picked up their first victory of the season, beating the New York Rangers 5-3. The Thrashers lost their first six games.

Cycling

UCI Pro Tour dumps Di Luca: Danilo Di Luca was excluded from the UCI Pro Tour, two days after he was banned for three months by the Italian Olympic Committee after a doping investigation. The International Cycling Union decision means Di Luca can't win the overall title. He led second-place Cadel Evans of Australia by 15 points for the overall title going into Saturday's season-ending Giro di Lombardia.

Track and field

French hurdler suspended: French hurdler and Olympic bronze medalist Naman Keita was suspended or two years after testing positive for testosterone before the world championships.

Seattle Times news services