Sports briefs

Nadal to face Roddick next

Associated Press

LONDON — Rafael Nadal overcame Ivo Karlovic's powerful serve to reach the Queen's Club semifinals, where he will face defending champion Andy Roddick.

The top-seeded Nadal defeated Karlovic 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) on Friday. Roddick, seeded third, advanced without picking up a racket when Andy Murray withdrew with a thumb injury.

Also reaching Saturday's semifinals was No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who won 6-2, 6-2 over four-time tournament champion Lleyton Hewitt. Djokovic next will play fourth-seeded David Nalbandian, who defeated Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3). Neither Nadal nor Karlovic managed a service break in their match. Nadal didn't even bother reaching for many of the 35 aces hit by the 6-foot-10 Croat. Nadal had just two break points in the match.

BARCELONA SEMIS: At Barcelona, Spain, second-seeded Maria Kirilenko defeated last year's runner-up, Edina Gallovits, 7-6 (3), 6-1, to reach the semifinals of the Torneo Barcelona on Friday. Kirilenko will face Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, who defeated Ekaterina Ivanova 6-2, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Lucia Safarova quit with a right hamstring injury while trailing 6-4, 4-1 against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. No. 6 Sara Erani was eliminated by Nuria Llagostera Vives, who rallied to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

2 NASCAR officials put on leave

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Two officials named in a $225 million racial discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against NASCAR have been placed on administrative leave for violating company policy, The Associated Press has learned.

The officials, who were not identified, were sent home from Kentucky Speedway on Friday, a person familiar with the NASCAR investigation told the AP. Mauricia Grant filed her suit Tuesday, alleging 23 specific incidents of sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of racial and gender discrimination during her time as a technical inspector for NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series.

Injury ends Harris' BMX quest

Bubba Harris' quest to make the U.S. Olympic BMX racing team is over. Harris, whose Olympic hopes were derailed by a grotesque, career-threatening dislocation of his left foot and ankle 10 months ago, broke his right foot in a training crash Thursday. The injury was diagnosed Friday, meaning he won't race in Saturday's first-ever Olympic BMX trials in Chula Vista, Calif. The Americans will send three men to the BMX field in Beijing.

NFL suspends Bengals' Henry