Tyson Gay has beaten Asafa Powell easily in two 100m races on the Grand Prix circuit this year, but this is their biggest clash of the year.

Earlier yesterday, Powell received a slight scare when he took things much too casually and pulled up too soon in his first-round heat and ended up third in 10.38 - beaten by Martial Mbandjock of France (10.26) and Obinna Metu (10.38) of Nigeria.

He blamed it on running "too easy".

"I underestimated the guys and they were coming on very fast. In the second round, I really wanted to get the first 50 metres, so that was what I was working on, but it's kind of scary running in Lane One," added Powell, who said he was having no problems with an ankle injury that had been bothering him since the start of the season.

Jamaica's third entrant in the 100m, Michael Frater (10.09), will also be in Semi-final Two, after he was second to Gay, who won second-round heat four in 9.98. Gay complained of a sore groin and said he was saving everything for the final.

non-existent dangers

Bolt, who shouted that he was "tired" after gracing the track for a second time, clocked 10.03 for second, after winning his first-round heat in 10.20. He virtually jogged the race while looking around for non-existent dangers.

His training partner, Daniel Bailey of Antigua and Barbuda, took the opportunity to pip the world record holder, winning by a hundredth of a second in 10.02.

The two will clash again in Semi-Final One, which also includes Americans Darvis Patton and Michael Rodgers. Rodgers looked fairly impressive in winning his second-round heat in 10.01.

The first semi-final is set for 12:10 p.m., with the second eight minutes later. The big showdown for the medals will be run at 2:35 p.m. in Jamaica., 9:35 p.m. in Berlin.

Today will also feature the first and second rounds of the women's 100m where Jamaica will parade the Olympic champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, defending champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, and the 2009 world leader in the event, Kerron Stewart.

A fourth Jamaican, Aleen Bailey, will run in place of the qualifier from the National Senior Championships, Sheri-Ann Brooks.

Brooks is still awaiting clearance by the International Association of Athletics Federation for a recent adverse analytical finding, following a doping test at the June 26-28 National Senior Championships.

The Jamaican has, however, already been cleared by the disciplinary panel of the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission.