Continued: Sports briefs

TENNIS

Federer, Murray win at Masters Cup

Roger Federer kept his hopes alive for a fifth Masters Cup title Wednesday by beating Radek Stepanek 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Federer, who pulled out of the Paris Masters less than two weeks ago because of a sore back, still showed some of the rust that plagued his opening loss to Gilles Simon.

"It's been a tough week for me from the start," said Federer, adding his back was fine but that he had a stomach ailment after his match Monday night against Simon. "It would have been impossible to play yesterday," he said, looking drained at his post-match news conference.

Stepanek was playing in the place of Andy Roddick, who withdrew from the tournament earlier Wednesday because of a sprained ankle.

Earlier, Andy Murray of Britain reached the semifinals by beating Simon 6-4, 6-2 in the other Red Group match.

COLLEGES

Marinatto will head Big East Conference

John Marinatto, the senior associate commissioner of the Big East, was unanimously promoted to the top job Wednesday by the league's presidents and chancellors.

He replaces Mike Tranghese, who announced his retirement in June and presided over a major restructuring of the league during 18 years as commissioner. Marinatto will begin his new job July 1 and becomes the league's third commissioner after Tranghese and Dave Gavitt.

GOLF

Ochoa is leader in the schoolhouse

You don't get to be the No. 1 women's golfer in the world by backing down from challenges.

So when a fledgling Mexican pro named Lorena Ochoa was approached with the idea of saving an unconventional elementary school in one of Guadalajara's poorest neighborhoods, she didn't flinch.

Three years later, the school, named La Barranca after the steep ravine it overlooks, has 245 students and a waiting list of dozens. Ground is about to be broken on a high school complex next door, a $650,000 project funded by Ochoa's foundation.

Not bad -- for a start.

"This is something I want to do nationwide," Ochoa says. "You change the life [of] one girl, one guy and you change the life around them with their family. It's something amazing. I play golf and my motivation is to help. The more I win the more I can help."

SOCCER

Spain still tops soccer rankings; U.S. is 24th

European champion Spain remained No. 1 in FIFA's rankings, followed by Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The United States dropped to No. 24, tops in its regional group.

England advanced to No. 10 among the world's soccer elite, moving up four places. Coach Fabio Capello's team fell from the top 10 in July after failing to qualify for the European Championship.

AROUND THE HORN

Swimming: American Peter Marshall set a world record for the second day in a row, breaking the short-course record in the 50-meter backstroke at a World Cup meet in Stockholm. Marshall's time of 23.05 seconds beat Australian Robert Hurley's mark of 23.24. Marshall won the 50 backstroke in a record 23.05 seconds on Wednesday. Therese Alshammar of Sweden also set a record in the women's 50-meter butterfly in 25.31 seconds.

ASSOCIATED PRESS