Sports round-up

Boxing: Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez defended himself as doping clouds arose after his strength coach was revealed to be among those involved in a major doping scandal that stung US athletics. Ten days before his third showdown against Manny Pacquiao, Marquez said his larger and stronger form at age 38 compared to a 2004 draw and narrow 2008 loss to the Filipino came from hard work and not banned substances. “Whatever doping they want to do – blood, Olympian – whatever they want to do, I’ll do it, as long as he does it too,” Marquez said.

Tennis: World number two Rafael Nadal said he will not be playing in the Paris Masters at the Bercy stadium next week. With the London ATP World Tour Finals season-ender and also the Davis Cup final coming up Nadal said he would be skipping Paris with regret. “I won’t be playing this upcoming week the tournament in Paris Bercy. It’s been a difficult decision to take but I understand that it is what I need to do right now to prepare well for the end of this season and also for 2012,” said Nadal.

Rugby union: Welsh rugby side Ospreys have banned players from having spray tans and wearing coloured boots as the club attempts to shed its tag of being “Galacticos”. The Daily Telegraph said Ospreys’ management were seeking to use the departure of high-profile players Gavin Henson and James Hook to mark the start of a new era at the Swansea-based side. The sober approach appears to have reaped dividends for Ospreys so far this season – the club have won six of their first seven Celtic League fixtures.

Squash: World champion Nicol David earned a chance of potential revenge when she reached the quarter-finals of the World Open yesterday. David’s 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 win over Nour El Sherbini, the 16-year-old world junior champion, brings a repeat encounter with Kasey Brown, the sixth-seeded Australian who beat her at the US Open in Philadelphia in August. The Malaysian won with an impressively creative display, showing how she has added stroke-playing ability, especially with volleys and tight drops, to her supremely athletic game.