Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia ó For two sets it looked as if Roger Federer’s run at a record 14th Grand Slam title was going to be derailed by Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open.
Then the 6-foot-5 Czech had a meltdown, and Federer swooped, recovering for a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory Sunday ó only his fourth career comeback from two sets down ó to reach the quarterfinals.
“You’ve got to hang in there, there’s no other solution,” Federer said. “… Tried to weather the storm. He was hitting the ball so heavy and so hard. He pushed me to the limit.”
Defending champion Novak Djokovic wasn’t pushed while taking a 5-0 lead, then had to work hard for a 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-7 (5), 6-2 victory over 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
GOLF
LA QUINTA, Calif. ó Pat Perez won the Bob Hope Classic for his first PGA Tour title, taking advantage of Steve Stricker’s collapse and holding off John Merrick by three strokes Sunday in the wind-swept final round.
Perez finished at 33-under 327. Merrick, who began the day eight shots behind Stricker but moved in front briefly on the back nine, shot a 67.
ROLEX 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ó David Donohue has won the Rolex 24 to end Chip Ganassi Racing’s Daytona winning streak at three races and match his late father’s victory here 40 years ago.
Donohue held on for the victory Sunday after passing Juan Pablo Montoya for the lead just 41 minutes from the finish.
– Three-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson sliced his left middle finger with a knife, but said the injury will not affect his driving.
Johnson cut himself while in Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Rolex 24 sports car race. He had just woken up from a nap Sunday when a team assistant came to tell him it was his turn to drive in the endurance race.
In a hurry to make a hole in his uniform to insert a cooling tube, Johnson grabbed a knife and tried to cut an opening into the fabric. He said the knife pierced through the uniform and sliced his finger.
“It got me pretty good,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “Cut right through the fabric to where my finger was on the other side.”
NASCAR
IRWINDALE, Calif. ó Matt Kobyluck emerged from a wild three-way battle with Joey Logano and Peyton Sellers on Saturday night to become the first two-time in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.
Logano, set to begin his first full season in NASCAR’s elite Cup series, slid up into Sellers while going for the lead in Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag. Kobyluck, running third, came across the finish line a nose behind Logano, but Logano was penalized for rough driving, giving Kobyluck the victory.
Kobyluck also won the 2006 event on the half-mile Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
Trevor Bayne was second, followed by Jason Bowles.