PARIS, Oct 12, 2008 (AFP) - Gene detectives on Sunday said they had netted two genetic variants that, together, boost the risk of male baldness sevenfold.

The two variants are located on a stretch of DNA on Chromosome 20, according to a study carried out on 1,125 men of European descent.

TOKYO, Sept 21, 2008 (AFP) - Indonesian ace Sony Dwi Kuncoro upset world number-one and defending champion Lee Chong Wei 21-17, 21-11 to win the Japan Open here Sunday, avenging his quarter-final defeat to the Malaysian at the Beijing Olympics.

NEW YORK, September 9, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer won his 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title on Monday, defeating British sixth seed Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to move one Slam title shy of the all-time record.

NEW YORK, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - List of past 15 men's singles champions at the US Open:

2008 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2007 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2006 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2005 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2004 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2003 - Andy Roddick (USA)

2002 - Pete Sampras (USA)

2001 - Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)

NEW YORK, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer's paths to the US Open men's championship (x denotes seed):

Roger Federer (SUI x2)

1st rd: bt Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3

2nd rd: bt Thiago Alves (BRA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

3rd rd: bt Radek Stepanek (Czech x28) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

NEW YORK, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer won his 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title on Monday, defeating British sixth seed Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to move one Slam title shy of the all-time record.

NEW YORK, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - Tennis history will be made Monday in the US Open men's final, but whether a familiar face or shocking upstart claim's the 1.5 million-dollar champion's prize remains to be seen.

NEW YORK, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Penpics of finalists for the men's singles title at the US Open:

ROGER FEDERER (SUI) - 27 - second seed

NEW YORK, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Paths to the US Open men's finals (x denotes seed):

Roger Federer (SUI x2) vs Andy Murray (Britain x6)

1st rd: bt Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4, 6-0

2nd rd: bt Michael Llorda (France) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9/7)

3rd rd: bt Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-3

NEW YORK, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Britain's Andy Murray advanced to his first Grand Slam final by stunning world number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer on Monday.

NEW YORK, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Head-to-head results between the US Open men's finalists ahead of Monday's scheduled match with Year, Tournament, Surface, Round, Winner and Result (x denotes seed):

Roger Federer (SUI x2 vs Andy Murray (Britain x6)

2008 Dubai Hard R32 Murray 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-4

2006 Cincinnati Hard R32 Murray 7-5, 6-4

NEW YORK, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Britain's Andy Murray advanced to his first Grand Slam final by upsetting world number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer on Monday.

NEW YORK, September 6, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer moved within one victory of his fifth consecutive US Open title Saturday, firing 20 aces to overpower Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

But the Swiss superstar will have to wait until Monday to try and capture his 13th Grand Slam title and move within one of the all-time record total of Pete Sampras.

NEW YORK, September 6, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer moved within one victory of his fifth consecutive US Open title, firing 20 aces to overpower Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday.

NEW YORK, September 6, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer fired 20 aces and advanced to the US Open final with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic on Saturday.

NEW YORK, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - Paths to the US Open men's semi-finals (x denotes seed):

Rafael Nadal (Spain x1) vs Andy Murray (Britain x6)

1st rd: bt Bjorn Phau (German) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

2nd rd: bt Ryler DeHeart (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

3rd rd: bt Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-4, 6-3, 6-0

4th rd: bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7/2) 6-3

NEW YORK, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - Head-to-head results between the US Open men's semi-finalists ahead of Saturday's scheduled matches with Year, Tournament, Surface, Round, Winner and Result (x denotes seed):

Rafael Nadal (Spain x1) vs Andy Murray (Britain x6)

2008 Toronto Hard SF Nadal 7-6 (7/2), 6-3

2008 Wimbledon Grass QF Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

NEW YORK, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are on the verge of a third consecutive Grand Slam title showdown but the world's other two top tennis players are intent on changing the plot for the US Open final.

NEW YORK, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - For Roger Federer to win his fifth US Open title in a row, the Swiss second seed must prove he still has what it takes to beat Novak Djokovic, this time in a semi-final rematch of last year's final.

NEW YORK, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer advanced to his 18th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final on Thursday, stretching his US Open win streak to 32 matches and moving closer to a 13th Slam crown.

NEW YORK, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer advanced to the US Open semi-finals on Thursday by defeating 130th-ranked qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

NEW YORK, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal advanced to his first US Open semi-final by battling back to defeat 35th-ranked American Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 early Thursday morning.

NEW YORK, September 3, 2008 (AFP) - British sixth seed Andy Murray advanced to the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 7-5 victory over 17th-seeded Argentine teen titan Juan Martin Del Potro.

NEW YORK, September 3, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer and 2007 runner-up Novak Djokovic survived five-set scares from stubborn fourth-round opponents Tuesday at the 20.6 million dollar US Open.

NEW YORK, September 3, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer and 2007 runner-up Novak Djokovic survived five-set scares from stubborn fourth-round opponents Tuesday at the 20.6 million dollar US Open.

STOCKHOLM, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - Swedish researchers said Tuesday what women have suspected all along: that marital woes can often be attributed to men's genetic make-up, according to a study linking a common male gene to relationship problems.

STOCKHOLM, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - Swedish researchers said Tuesday what women have suspected all along: that marital woes can often be attributed to men's genetic make-up, according to a study linking a common male gene to relationship problems.

STOCKHOLM, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - Children born to an older father run a greater risk of developing a bipolar disorder than other kids, a Swedish study showed on Tuesday.

STOCKHOLM, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - Children born to an older father run a greater risk of developing a bipolar disorder than other kids, a Swedish study showed on Tuesday.

STOCKHOLM, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - Children born to an older father run a greater risk of developing a bipolar disorder than other kids, a Swedish study showed on Tuesday.

NEW YORK, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal battled his way into the US Open quarter-finals Monday, outlasting 55th-ranked Sam Querrey 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to match his best career showing at the Grand Slam event.

NEW YORK, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - American Mardy Fish matched his deepest run in any Grand Slam tournament by reaching the US Open quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory Monday over France's Gael Monfils.

NEW YORK, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday while Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic struggled to send off a stubborn teen challenger.

NEW YORK, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday while Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic was pressed to send off a stubborn teen challenger.

NEW YORK, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Federer is looking to regain the aura of invincibility he once owned and says a fifth consecutive US Open victory would be just the thing to put him back atop the tennis world.

NEW YORK, August 31, 2008 (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer seeks a 30th consecutive US Open victory Sunday against Czech Radek Stepanek with Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic also looking for a spot in the last 16.

BEIJING, August 24, 2008 (AFP) - Iceland's men's handball team fell just short of winning their nation's first Olympic gold medal in any sport Sunday but will still receive a heroes' welcome back home in Reykjavik.

The underdogs lost 28-23 to France in the gold medal decider but equalled their nation's highest Olympic achievement in claiming silver.

BEIJING, August 24, 2008 (AFP) - Result from the final of the men's basketball at the Olympics on Sunday:-

Spain 107 United States 118

Spain 31-30-21-25 - 107

United States 38-31-22-27 - 118

Fernandez (22), Gasol (21), Navarro (18), Jimenez (12), Gasol (11), Reyes (10), Rubio (6), Garbajosa (3), Rodriguez (2), Mumbru (2).