Top-ranked Roger Federer lost to Julien Benneteau of France, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, in the second round of the Paris Masters yesterday, continuing his miserable run at the indoor event in Paris.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion has never been further than the quarterfinals in seven appearances.

"He played incredible at the end. Julien went out and got the victory," said Federer, who refused to give excuses. "I definitely had chances. I missed them. I feel fine physically, and mentally I was fresh to do really well here."

Federer's exit capped a dramatic day at the Bercy arena, where Rafael Nadal saved five match points to beat Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro, and former three-time champion Marat Safin bid farewell to the tennis circuit.

Nadal, who has never won the Paris Masters, edged Almagro, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5, saving all the match points at the end of the second set.

"I am very lucky to be in (the next) round," Nadal said. "I played bad. I won. That's one positive thing that I had all my career, and it's important (I) don't lose this ability to win matches when you are not playing really well."

Playing his last ATP event before retiring, Safin lost to U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

AUTO RACING

BUSCH LOSES POINTS; HIS CREW CHIEF FINED

NASCAR has docked Kyle Busch 25 Nationwide points and fined crew chief Jason Ratcliff $5,000 after Busch's No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed inspection before last week's race at Texas.

NASCAR also placed Ratcliff on probation through the end of the year for actions detrimental to stock car racing, using improper equipment and use of an improperly attached weight.

The penalty means Busch now leads Carl Edwards by 247 points with two races remaining. The infraction was discovered last Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch won the Nationwide race at the 1.5-mile track on Saturday.

NASCAR also fined crew chief Brad Parrott $5,000 and placed him on probation until the end of the year for rules violations on the No. 09 Ford driven by John Wes Townley.

HOCKEY

FORBES LISTS LEAFS AS NHL'S MOST VALUABLE

For the fourth straight year, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL's most valuable team, according to Forbes magazine's annual survey.

The Leafs are worth $470 million, an increase of 5 percent over last year. They easily are worth more than the next franchise, the New York Rangers at $416 million, up just 1 percent.

The original six franchises are in the top seven, with only Philadelphia at No. 5 breaking that monopoly. Montreal is third ($339 million), followed by Detroit ($337 million), Philadelphia ($273 million), Boston ($271 million) and Chicago ($258 million).

The Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins rank 11th at $222 million.

The average value of the 30 teams is $223 million, a slight increase over the $220 million of 2008.

Not surprisingly, the Phoenix Coyotes, with all their ownership issues, have the lowest worth, $138 million.

The Leafs are tops in revenues, too, at $168 million, followed by the Rangers at $139 million.

SWIMMING

SHORT RECORDS FALL, BUT NONE BY PHELPS

Michael Phelps finished second in the 200-meter medley final at the short-course World Cup yesterday in Stockholm, struggling in the old-style swimsuit that will become standard next year.

Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, clocked 1 minute, 53.93 seconds. He was more than two seconds behind South Africa's Darian Townsend, who won in 1:51.79.

"I'm swimming OK," Phelps said, adding his time "wasn't bad."

"I haven't practiced regularly."

Phelps is competing for the first time since the world championships in August.

A total of nine world records were set in the World Cup, three by Jing Zhao of China.

Jessica Hardy and Peter Marshall of the United States broke their own previous records. Hardy clocked 28.96 seconds in qualifying for the women's 50 breaststroke, while Marshall won the 50 backstroke final with a new mark for 22.53 seconds,

Jing improved the women's 100-meter individual medley record set last month by Sweden's Therese Alshammar (58.51) with a 58.40-second effort, a day after Jing twice broke the 50 backstroke mark.

Alshammar responded with another record, beating her own mark (24.75) in the 50 butterfly with a time of 24.46 seconds.

SOCCER

GERMANY STUNNED BY GOALIE'S SUICIDE

The suicide death of Robert Enke left Germany stunned yesterday, sending the soccer-obsessed country into mourning and leaving the national team without its top goalkeeper for next year's World Cup.

Enke's widow appeared at a news conference, broadcast live throughout the country, saying her husband battled depression for years before he stepped onto the tracks and got hit by an express train Tuesday evening not far from his home in Hannover, Germany.

"I tried to be there for him," Teresa Enke said, choking back tears. "When he was acutely depressive, it was a difficult time. We thought we'd manage everything. We thought with love, we could do it. But you can't."