■ TENNIS
Luzzi banned for betting
Italy's world No. 139 Federico Luzzi on Friday became the latest player to be banned for betting on matches after being found guilty of gambling on 836 matches, the ATP announced. The 28-year-old, who plays mostly on the Challenger circuit, was suspended for 200 days and fined US$50,000, a huge amount for a journeyman competitor who has earned just over US$500,000 during his nine years on tour. The ATP found no evidence of any attempt by Luzzi to affect the outcome of any tennis match. Luzzi is the fifth Italian player to be hit with a betting suspension. In December, Potito Starace was suspended for six weeks and fined US$30,000 while Daniele Bracciali was banned for three months and fined US$20,000. Alessio Di Mauro was banned for nine months in November for betting on matches while last month Giorgio Galimberti, the world 1010, was banned for 100 days.
■ TENNIS
Nalbandian makes final
Top-seeded David Nalbandian defeated former champion Luis Horna 7-5, 6-1 at the Abierto Mexicano to reach his second final in as many weeks on Friday. In the final, Nalbandian will play sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro, who prevented a repeat of last Sunday's Buenos Aires final by edging unseeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Also, women's top seed Flavia Pennetta advanced to her fifth consecutive final in Acapulco, where she'll meet No. 2-seed Alize Cornet. Nalbandian, who won in Buenos Aires before home fans last weekend, has won 10 straight matches.
■ TENNIS
Lucky loser eyes title
Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic took seven match points to beat fellow Croatian Mario Ancic 7-6 (2), 6-4 and reach his third consecutive Zagreb Indoors final on Friday. In the other semi-final, 209th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-4, 6-4 to became the first lucky loser from qualifying to make an ATP final since Sweden's Nicklas Kulti at 1999 Halle. Stakhovsky slotted into the main draw after Michael Llodra, last week's Rotterdam winner, withdrew. "It's like a dream," Stakhovsky said, adding he will send a text message to Llodra to thank him for withdrawing. Ljubicic, ranked 25th, will be playing for his ninth career title. Stakhovsky will play in his first final. The last time a lucky loser won an ATP title was 1991 in Sao Paulo by Christian Miniussi of Argentina.
■ Golf
Ochoa extends lead
World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa stretched her lead to eight shots with a three-under-par 69 in the third round of the US$2 million HSBC Women's Champions tournament in Singapore yesterday. The Mexican delivered her least convincing performance of the week with a clutch of wayward tee shots and an embarrassing two-foot putt for par at the 17th that rolled four feet past, but her supreme scrambling skills kept her rivals at bay. With Ochoa the runaway leader on 16 under par, American Paula Creamer and Swede Annika Sorenstam are a distant second on eight under, with Australian Karrie Webb a shot further back and America's Laura Diaz on five under. Ochoa was one of just four players who shot under 70 on a day when blustery winds and sporadic rain made for testing conditions at the Tanah Merah Country Club. She is also the only player to shoot sub-70 scores for the first three rounds of the event.
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