Federer tops

The Cherokee County Clemson Club will be holding its fall kickoff meeting today at 7 p.m. at the Clemson Extension Office on Floyd Baker Blvd. in Gaffney.

Clemson Hall of Fame member and NFL All Pro Levon Kirkland will be one of the guest speakers. Ron Bradley, assistant head men’s basketball coach, will appear at the event. The club will also introduce Christy McKinney, the new head coach of the Lady Tigers basketball team.

A hamburger supper will be served for $7 per person. For reservations, call David Parker at 489-3141 (office), 489-6338 (home) or email dprkr@clemson.edu; Charles Banks at 489-4223; or Roy

Mathis at 487-0933.

No matter what he tries, Andy Roddick can’t figure out a way to beat the world’s top player.

Unflappable Roger Federer won his 22nd straight final on Sunday, beating the exasperated American 6-3, 7-5 for the Cincinnati Masters championship and his ninth overall title this season.

Federer improved to 10-1 against Roddick, who tried every tactic but still came up short. Federer has won the last six times they’ve met, including the last two Wimbledon finals.

The world’s top-ranked player for the last 81 weeks, Federer heads into the U.S. Open fit, relaxed and on a roll. Roddick has a new worry.

His right foot started bothering him late in the final set, and he needed a timeout before the last game to get treatment. Roddick winced, groaned and covered his face with a towel while a trainer stretched and rubbed the bottom of the foot.

He returned and moved gingerly, getting only two points while Federer broke his serve to close it out. Federer got $400,000 for the win, Roddick $200,000 for finishing second.

Clemson Club

meets today

Post 109 banquet

slated for Tuesday

The American Legion Post 109 awards banquet will be held

Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Ryan’s

Steakhouse at 6:30 p.m.

Booster Club packets

at Copies Now

Cards Rolen

to undergo surgery

Gaffney High Booster Club members can pick up their membership packages at Copies Now.

All-Star third baseman Scott Rolen will have surgery on his left shoulder and miss the rest of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals said Sunday.

Rolen, 30, has a torn labrum and was told he will need at least six months to rehabilitate it after surgery. He is expected to return sometime during spring training. Had he waited on surgery, he could have missed considerable time in 2006.

Cardinals team medical consultant Dr. George Paletta will perform the surgery with assistance from Cincinnati Reds medical supervisor Dr. Timothy Kremchek. A date has not been set, but the surgery is expected to take place this week.

Palmetto Gators

to hold tryouts

Tryouts for the Palmetto Gators, a girls’ softball team, will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Bryant Road Sports complex in Boiling Springs.

Tryouts will be held for both the 12 and under and 14 and under teams beginning at 9 a.m.

The first session will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The second session will be from noon to 3 p.m.

For more information, call David Parris at 839-7183.