Other sports news

Unseeded Argentine David Nalbandian inflicted a shock 6-1 6-2 defeat on world number two Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Masters yesterday to earn a semi-final showdown against Serbian youngster Novak Djokovic.

An out-of-sorts Nadal still looked to be suffering from the after-effects of Thursday night's gruelling victory over Andy Murray as he surrendered his serve on five occasions and failed to find the range on his ground strokes.

For Nalbandian, a runner-up in Madrid in 2004, the victory put him into the last four of a tournament for the first time this year and will have come as a welcome boost at the end of a disappointing season that saw him drop out of the top 10 to 25th in the world.

Earlier world number three Djokovic powered his way to a 7-6 6-2 win over unseeded Croat Mario Ancic to book his place in the last four.

Cycling - Di Luca set for CAS appeal

Danilo Di Luca is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a three-month suspension issued by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for doping offences.

The 31-year-old Italian is also threatening to take legal action following his subsequent exclusion from the season-long ProTour competition.

Leading the standings with only today's Tour of Lombardy remaining, Di Luca was thrown out of the ProTour series by the Unione Cycliste International (UCI) on Thursday, after CONI suspended him for links to a previously banned sports doctor.

Motorcycling - Suzuki drop Biaggi

Max Biaggi may return to MotoGP next season after the struggling Alstare Suzuki Superbike team announced they had to drop the Italian rider.

"With reference to the current situation Team Alstare is facing regarding sponsorship, it is with regret and sadness that the team announces it will not renew its contract with Max Biaggi for 2008," Alstare said on its website.

Fausto Gresini, the chief of the Gresini Honda MotoGP team, said earlier he had held talks by telephone with Biaggi about ending the 36-year-old's two-year absence from the sport's premier championship.

Boxing - Kameda apologises for outburst

Disgraced Japanese boxer Daiki Kameda, his head shaved in a sign of contrition, visited the home of rival Daisuke Naito on Thursday to apologise for his violent outburst during last week's world title bout.

The 18-year-old Kameda was banned for a year after punching Naito while he was down, picking the champion up and slamming him to the canvas in a furious rage. "I was a bit surprised he suddenly turned up at my house," acknowledged Naito. "His father also called to apologise."

Kameda's father Shiro had his licence as a ringside trainer suspended indefinitely for abusing the referee during his son's failed bid for the WBC flyweight title.