AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Jason Dufner grabbed a share of the clubhouse lead in the second round of the Masters on Friday after shooting a two-under-par 70.

The 35-year-old American rolled in six birdies at Augusta National to reach the halfway stage at five-under-par and in contention to win his first major.

A bogey on the last hole cost him the chance to grab the outright lead but he was still satisfied with his work on a windy day when most players struggled to break par.

“The golf course played a little bit tougher today. The winds picked up a little bit, which makes it a little tricky out here,” said Dufner.

“It seems to be bouncing around on the treetops a little bit, so club selection a little bit difficult. It was just a pretty solid round.”

Dufner is competing at the Masters for only the second time after spending most of his professional career playing on the second-tier Nationwide Tour.

He has never won a PGA Tour event but almost snatched last year’s PGA Championship, the final major of the season, only to lose in a playoff to Keegan Bradley.

That performance gave him the confidence he could compete at the highest level and he arrived at Augusta National this week ready to handle the intense pressure of the Masters.

“There’s a lot more going on out there than appears,” he said. “I feel like I have the same emotions and same thought processes as a lot of guys, but I seem to not show it quite as well as some other players.

“It’s just difficult. It’s a test to yourself. You are trying to have the same mentality and confidence out there.”

Dufner had a bit of everything in his second round. He made a flying start with birdies on the second and third holes but gave the shots right back when he double-bogeyed the par-three fourth hole.

He picked up three shots in four holes midway through the back nine before his bogey at the last when he hit his approach into a greenside bunker but still at the top of the leaderboard.

“I don’t really think about it to be honest with you. I’m just playing a round of golf,” he said. “I know the situation and I’m playing a major, I’m playing at Augusta in the Masters.”

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Americans Fred Couples and Jason Dufner grabbed the clubhouse lead at the Masters on Friday with several players just a stroke behind on a tight leaderboard.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia looked set to join the American duo atop the leaderboard but bogeyed the par-four 18th to finish at four-under 68, a shot off the pace along with Lee Westwood (72), Louis Oosthuizen (72), Rory McIlroy (69) and Bubba Watson (71).

The 52-year-old Couples mixed seven birdies with two bogeys for a five-under-par 67, matching the second round score he shot at Augusta National in 1992 when he won the Masters.

“I feel like I know every inch of the course. I’ve played 28 years here and today was really a magical day, a couple of up and downs kept the round going,” said Couples. “I’m going to be right there with everybody Saturday and Sunday, well, Saturday for sure.”

Overnight leader Westwood had parred his first 10 holes and produced two birdies on the back nine but undid a lot of his work on the final hole where he three-putted.

World number two McIlroy started the day four shots off the pace but the Northern Irishman made a solid start with three birdies on his first seven holes, including a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-three fourth.

He briefly had a share of the lead, after a birdie on the 15th, but slipped back after he bogeyed the 17th hole.

South Africa’s Oosthuizen, who began the day tied for second, had a rough start to his round with a double-bogey seven on the second hole before a strong finish that included three birdies on his final five holes.

But the surprise face among the leaders was Couples, who plays mainly on the senior Champions Tour but showed has vast understanding of the course where he won his only major.

The former world number one, who started the day in a share of 29th place, had two bogeys and five birdies on the front nine and was flawless the rest of the way, making birdies at the 15th and 16th to move to five-under.

Dufner has recently made a habit of getting into the lead in the first half of tournaments only to fade at weekends but he will be looking to go one better than at last year’s PGA Championship where he lost in a playoff to Keegan Bradley.

Four-times Masters champion Tiger Woods produced two birdies and two bogeys in his first eight holes.

Australian Jason Day, joint runner-up last year, withdrew from the event with an ankle injury after seven holes of his second round.

Howard, who earlier this week had reportedly called for coach Stan Van Gundy’s ouster, grabbed 11 points in the fourth quarter despite playing with back spasms.

“That’s the best I’ve felt of our team the entire year,” Van Gundy told reporters. “They’ve played some better games . . . but for just fighting for a win and executing down the stretch and doing what we had to do, I haven’t felt better about our team all year.”

Howard’s performance marked a major turnaround for the All-Star center, who scored only eight in a loss to New York on Thursday when Van Gundy told reporters he had been informed Howard wanted him gone.

Howard later denied seeking the coach’s dismissal.

Glen Davis added 23 points and 12 rebounds and J.J. Redick had 19 points, 11 in the fourth, for sixth-place Orlando, who moved three-and-a-half games ahead of Philadelphia in the East.

“I think Glen has played four excellent games in a row,” Van Gundy said. “He’s been able to shut out all of the distractions. He’s not trying to do anything but play the game the best way he can and that’s it.”

Howard’s free throw and two jumpers by Redick put Orlando in command for keeps after Philadelphia had gone ahead 73-72 with 6:26 to play.

Thaddeus Young came off the bench to score 20 for the 76ers, who have lost three in a row.

Philadelphia are still hot on the heels of Atlantic leaders Boston, who had an 86-72 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Paul Pierce scored 24 points for the Celtics to cool off the Pacers, who had knocked Oklahoma City out of first place in the Western Conference the previous night.

Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined for 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Danny Granger had 20 for Indiana, which had won four in a row.

The Los Angeles Lakers, playing without Kobe Bryant for the first time in two seasons, were blown out by the Phoenix Suns 125-105.

Bryant was forced to watch with an injured left shin. He was kicked in the shin last week against New Orleans and the pain in the area has increased, the Lakers said.

Shannon Brown had 24 points, 20 of them in the third period, for surprising Phoenix.

Pau Gasol carried Los Angeles with 30 points and 13 rebounds.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Last year’s runner-up Jason Day withdrew from the Masters midway through his second round on Friday because of an ankle injury.

The Australian, who quit after completing just seven holes Friday at Augusta National, was one-over-par for the day, five-over for the championship and in danger of missing the cut.

The world number 11 had been battling the injury for over a week and needed treatment and painkillers just to start the year’s first major.

Day finished tied with compatriot Adam Scott at last year’s Masters when he made his first appearance at the tournament, highlighted by a second round 64.

He followed up his powerful showing by finishing outright second at the U.S. Open two months later.

The 24-year-old is the third player to withdraw from this year’s Masters because of injury, joining former champion Mark O’Meara and Dustin Johnson.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Vijender Singh ran a finger over his brow, mopped away a bead of sweat and calmly flicked it aside.

It is with the same nonchalance that the trailblazing Indian boxer dismissed talk of pressure and explained why it was imperative to do well at the London Olympics.

In Singh, Indian boxing has found the face to match the fists that were so essential in raising the sport’s profile in a country obsessed with both cricket and celebrity.

The middleweight bronze he won in Beijing four years ago has completely changed the nation’s perception of boxing and Singh is all too aware of how important it is for India’s pugilists to build on that success.

“Beijing did change a lot of things for us,” the pin-up boy of Indian boxing told Reuters in an interview at the sauna-like boxing hall of Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium.

“More sponsors stepped in and money started coming in. If we win more medals in London, I know things would become even better,” he said before flying to Kazakhstan this week for an Olympic qualifier.

“I’m one hundred percent sure it will be better than Beijing. Sumit (Sangwan), Vikas (Krishan Yadav) and Devendro (Singh)… they all are medal prospects. These are the best crop we have and I know we’ll do well in London.”

While Yadav (welterweight) and Devendro Singh (light flyweight) are among the four Indians to have already qualified for London, Sangwan (light heavyweight), Vijender Singh and four more team mates will hope to secure their passage through the April 4-13 qualifiers in Astana.

NO CHANGE

Singh’s Beijing success has made him Indian boxing’s first real celebrity but he insists he remains the same person he was before the last Olympics.

“Of course, I could go and take a walk around Connaught Place (Delhi’s business district) without being mobbed which I cannot now.

“But honestly speaking, Beijing has not changed my life as much as some people think,” he said, sipping a sports drink.

His claim, however, is rather contradicted by the 26-year-old’s occasional appearances on television shows and catwalks, to go along with frequent sightings of him hobnobbing with Bollywood celebrities.

However, Singh has now set aside such distractions to focus on a second Olympic medal, knowing it will be a considerably tougher assignment than Beijing, where he rose from obscurity.

“We all study opponents but I suspect we forget most of it once we enter the ring,” he said.

“People have studied me before as well but that does not mean I have not won since Beijing,” said Singh, who also claimed a bronze at the 2009 world championship and was ranked world number one in the same year.

“Also, it’s not that I sit idle. I too, watch the bouts of my opponents, study them and plan with my coach.

“I don’t want to share my preparation details but I can assure all that I would not let my country down.”

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Luke Donald was left clinging to the hope that his luck will take a turn for the better after a frustrating second round at the Masters on Friday.

The world number one shot a one-over-par 73 to reach the halfway stage at four-over, nine behind the leaders.

The Englishman will need a dramatic turnaround over the weekend to have any chance of winning his first major but said he had not given up hope.

“I’m going to have to go low tomorrow. I’m nine shots back, which is a long way, but I’m out early and will hopefully get some good fresh greens,” he told reporters.

“I need to post something in the 60s – 67 or 66 – and get into red numbers and see where that puts me.”

Donald, who topped the money lists both on the U.S. PGA and European Tours last year, started the day at three-over but made a bright start when he birdied the par-5 second.

He played the next four holes in par before coming unstuck approaching the turn, making a bogey at seven then a double at the par-5 eighth, which he had birdied in the first round.

“I didn’t get a lot out of that round. I actually hit a lot of quality shots today and came unstuck a little on seven and eight,” he said.

“I thought I hit a good shot on seven and came up a foot short and made a bogey there. And eight I hit a pretty good third shot and pitched a foot from the hole.”

Donald picked up two shots when he birdied the 13th and 15th holes, both par-5s, but gave one back at the 17th to compound his frustration.

“I didn’t hit too many bad shots but I wasn’t able to make up much ground today,” he said.

“I was trying to make a little run on the back nine and make some birdies and get up towards the leader. I made some birdies but unfortunately some of my good shots didn’t get much.”

MADRID (Reuters) – Holders Spain set up a heavyweight Davis Cup semi-final clash against the United States when David Ferrer cruised to a 7-5 6-3 6-3 victory over Austria’s Juergen Melzer to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead on Sunday.

All four ties were still open on the third day of the World Group quarter-finals and John Isner wrapped up victory for the U.S. when he fought past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-3 to inflict the first French home defeat in six years.

Czech Republic went through on the other side of the draw after Tomas Berdych edged Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 7-6 7-6 in Prague as the home side gained revenge for their last-four defeat to Serbia in 2010.

Their opponents in September’s semi-final will be Argentina, who are seeking to go one better than their runner-up finishes to Spain in 2008 and 2011.

Juan Martin Del Potro was far too strong for Marin Cilic in the opening reverse singles in Buenos Aires, the world number 10 crushing the Croat 6-1 6-2 6-1 for a decisive 3-1 lead and sealing victory with an ace.

In a blustery Marina d’Or on the Spanish coast, the tenacious Ferrer was far more consistent than an error-prone Melzer and was rarely under pressure as he secured his second point of the best-of-five tie after thrashing Andreas Haider-Maurer on Friday.

“It was quite an uncomfortable match but David was very focused and very disciplined,” Spain captain Alex Corretja said in an interview with Spanish television after both players struggled with swirling winds and uneven bounce.

“It’s great news that we are playing at home in front of our own fans in the semis,” Corretja added.

Spain missed a chance to wrap up the tie on Saturday when doubles pair Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez surrendered a one-set lead and were beaten by Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya.

Undefeated in 23 home ties, they remain favourites to win a fourth title in five years despite the absence of talismanic world number two Rafa Nadal.

The French Open champion has opted out of the competition this year citing the packed calendar in an Olympic year and is also nursing a knee injury aggravated in Miami last week.

TOUGH TASK

However, with world number five Ferrer in the side – who has won all 14 of his Davis Cup singles matches on clay – and 12th-ranked Nicolas Almagro playing some of the best tennis of his career, the U.S. face a tough task to beat the Spanish at home on their favored red dirt in the September 14-16 tie.

Almagro beat Peya 7-5 7-5 to secure a 4-1 success for Spain.

Against the French, the Americans shrugged off the absence of world number nine Mardy Fish and relied on an in-form Isner to lead the charge at the glamorous Monte Carlo Country Club.

The towering 26-year-old, who humbled Gilles Simon on Friday before the Bryan brothers won Saturday’s doubles, has been in fine form this year as he has chalked up victories over Roger Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic.

Now ranked number 11, he was instrumental in putting his country through to the semi-finals for the first time since 2008, serving 16 aces against Tsonga and losing his serve to the Frenchman just once.

“I like playing on clay,” said Isner, whose four wins in four matches on the surface this year suggest he could be a challenger for titles during the clay season, which moves into top gear at this month’s Monte Carlo Masters.

“I played three of my best matches this year, my best wins have come on clay,” he added. “It’s a surface I enjoy playing on and a surface I feel I can do very well on.”

GREAT LEADER

U.S. captain Jim Courier heaped praise on Isner and said he was “shocked” his team were still alive in the competition.

“Spain, we’ll probably lose it on paper but we don’t play them on paper,” the former world number one told a news conference.

“We’ve got players who are capable, passionate and hungry. We’ll definitely be the underdog but we’ll be ready.”

The 3-2 defeat for France signaled the end of Guy Forget’s stint as captain and he was gracious in defeat in Roquebrune.

“You have to congratulate him, John Isner was huge today,” said Forget, who won the Davis Cup as a player with France in 1991 and 1996.

“He played very well and he has a lot of talent,” Forget added. “Courier is a great leader and he has a lot of class.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Nicolas Batum has achieved one dream by establishing himself in the National Basketball Association and figures he has a good chance to accomplish another with France looming as a medals contender at the London Olympics.

“I’ve got two dreams,” Batum told Reuters after a recent game against the New York Knicks. “To play in the NBA and to play in the Olympics. So if I get a medal in the Olympics that will be huge for me.”

The 23-year-old Frenchman is averaging 14.2 points a game with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2011-12 NBA campaign and has improved his contribution each season since being a first-round draft choice in 2008.

The small forward helped France take a key step toward the London podium when they claimed the silver medal behind Spain at Eurobasket 2011 to book their ticket for the Olympics, where he expects his team to be in the thick of the medal hunt.

“We all know that the USA Team is going to have like a Dream Team but we know we have a chance to do something great for our country so we’re going to try everything to do it,” the slender, 6-foot-8 Batum said.

“We’ve got a good top five with us, USA, Spain, Argentina and Brazil … That’s the top five teams. Between those five teams, we’ll see.”

The U.S. team will be loaded with top-flight NBA talent that could include All-Stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.

France featured five NBA players on their silver medal team in the 2011 European championship, including point guard Tony Parker, center Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls and Boris Diaw, who has joined Parker in San Antonio.

“We’re a pretty good team, we have a lot of NBA players. And we know we can do something special this year,” said Batum.

“We got a great point guard, one of the greatest point guards in the world right now,” small forward Batum added about veteran Parker, who has won three NBA championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs.

TASTED SUCCESS

Batum said France was one of Europe’s top defensive teams.

“We got Noah, and a guy like (Ronny) Turiaf behind you in the paint and Boris Diaw, and Tony (Parker) in the front so we got a good team. We’ve also got good guys that play in Europe that can complete the squad, so we’ll see.”

France have tasted Olympic success in the past, but have waited to cash in on their latest wave of talent that has placed eight players on current NBA rosters.

Perhaps a trip to England will revive them, since France won Olympic silver at the 1948 Games in London before placing second again at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, both times finishing behind the United States.

The French team is so deep that 7-foot NBA center Johan Petro could well find himself on the outside looking in when competition begins in London.

“The decision has to be made by the coach,” the New Jersey Nets back-up center told Reuters. “Personally, I would be more than happy to be a part of the team.”

Batum empathized when asked about Petro.

“We have so many guys that can play and the coach can only take 12 players,” he said. “Like I say, I wouldn’t want to be the coach right now because it’s a tough job. There could be 20 guys that can be on the team.”

Kershaw, battling stomach flu, retired the first eight batters he faced before escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third inning. The left-hander, who had a 21-5 record last season and won the National League’s Cy Young award for the top pitcher, struck out three and walked one while giving up two hits.

He also had the game’s first hit, a third-inning single.

Josh Lindblom replaced Kershaw in the fourth and pitched two innings to take the win.

Matt Kemp homered and drove in three runs for the Dodgers as outgoing and incoming owners Frank McCourt and former National Basketball Association great Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson sat side by side for the game in San Diego.

The Dodgers are being sold to a group that includes Johnson for $2 billion.

Los Angeles scored twice on walks in the fourth inning, added a run in the fifth and put up two more on Kemp’s two-run homer in the eighth to pull ahead 5-1.

Padres starter Edinson Volquez took the loss, giving up three hits and three runs while striking out seven and walking four in five innings.

(Reuters) – Louis Oosthuizen is already a proven major winner and he steadily moved into a good position to clinch this week’s Masters title without getting the very best out of his game in Saturday’s third round.

The gap-toothed South African, who romped to a seven-stroke victory in the 2010 British Open, fired a three-under-par 69 at Augusta National to end a gorgeous day of sunshine two shots behind leader Peter Hanson of Sweden.

“I just played nicely today,” Oosthuizen told reporters after mixing five birdies with two bogeys. “I made a good score, swung the club really well. It was just nice having a good round.

“I felt I probably left quite a few birdies out there the way I was hitting it. I’m happy to be two behind going into Sunday.”

Though Oosthuizen bogeyed the final hole after pushing his approach to the right of the green and failing to get up and down, he can take comfort in the way he has played the testing back nine this week.

In each of the first two rounds, the 29-year-old covered the last nine holes in three-under 33. On Saturday, he came home in one under, having birdied the 12th and 17th.

“You have got to take it shot for shot,” Oosthuizen said of his strategy for Sunday’s final round when the year’s first major will be on the line.

“You know it’s going to take a few birdies (to win), so I’ll probably do the same as today, just pick my holes where I feel like I can take the pin on.

“It’s what we play for, … to have a chance at winning a major going into Sunday. I put myself in a position for this week and it’ll just be fun to go out there and try to play the best I can.”

Oosthuizen, who showed good form at last week’s Houston Open where he finished third, relished the electric atmosphere at Augusta National on Saturday afternoon as players continually sank birdie putts across the course.

“It was great today,” he said. “You could hear the roars all over the place. So it was really nice to be out there and I think it’s going to be the same tomorrow.”