TennisITF ADMITS MISTAKE: The International Tennis Federation admitted its appeals committee was wrong in not suspending Australian Open champion Petr Korda after he failed a drug test.
After complaints from some top players, the ITF said it would seek to overturn the Dec. 22 ruling and impose a one-year suspension on Korda, the Czech player who tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone at Wimbledon.
RAFTER FALLS: Pat Rafter, the two-time U.S. Open champion, tumbled out of the Australian Men's Hardcourt Championship today, dropping a 7-5, 6-4 decision to Slava Dosedel.
Rafter, the Australian star ranked No. 4 in the world, will play in the Adidas International next week in Sydney in his final tune-up event for the Australian Open.
Defending champion Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the semifinals, beating Dosedel 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Earlier, the 17-year-old Australian beat Czech Jiri Novak 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-4 in the completion of a suspended match.
Hewitt will face countryman Jason Stoltenberg, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Zimbabwe's Byron Black.
In the other quarterfinals, second-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden beat Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-4, and Australia's Scott Draper defeated countryman Michael Tebbutt 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.
SWEDEN TO MEET AUSTRALIA: Jonas Bjorkman carried Sweden to its first Hopman Cup final today, routing Ivo Heuberger and teaming with Asa Carlsson to win the decisive doubles match in a 2-1 victory over Switzerland.
Bjorkman and Carlsson will face Australia's Mark Philippoussis and Jelena Dokic in Saturday's championship in the Australian Open tune-up event. The Australians advanced Thursday with a 2-1 victory over France.
Martina Hingis beat Carlsson 6-2, 6-2 for the Swiss star's 10th straight singles victory in the competition, but Bjorkman tied it with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Ivo Heuberger, and the Swedes took the doubles 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the other match, Lindsay Davenport and Jan-Michael Gambill beat Slovakia's Karina Habsudova and Karol Kucera 3-0.
Davenport, ranked No. 1 in the world, beat Habsudova 6-4, 6-2, Gambill edged Karol Kucera 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, and the Americans won the doubles 7-5, 6-3.
PIERCE, SCHNYDER ADVANCE: Mary Pierce, the French star preparing for the Australian Open, beat Romania's Irina Spirlea 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 today to advance to the final of the Australian Women's Hardcourt Championship.
Pierce, the 1995 Australian Open winner, will face Switzerland's Patty Schnyder in Saturday's championship match. Schnyder beat 1998 winner Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).
CHARGERS HIRE RILEY: Mike Riley, 8-14 in two seasons at Oregon State, signed a five-year contract with the San Diego Chargers, becoming the team's fourth head coach in as many seasons. He replaces June Jones, who left for the University of Hawaii.
Golf
MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS: Steve Pate, Billy Mayfair, Joe Durant, Fred Funk shot 7-under-par 66s to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes Championships.
David Duval and Billy Andrade opened with 67s, and Jim Furyk, John Cook and Justin Leonard shot 68s in surprisingly calm conditions on Kapalua's Plantation Course. Tiger Woods, the 1997 winner, shot a 69, and defending champion Phil Mickelson had a 72.
Skiing
ROOKIE WINS SLALOM: Benjamin Raich, a 20-year-old Austrian rookie on the World Cup tour, startled his experienced rivals by coming from 23rd place after the first run to win a night slalom.
Raich's comeback broke a slalom record set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark, who in 1974 won a slalom after finishing 22nd in the first run. France's Pierrick Bourgeat finished second.
Basketball
POINT-SHAVING ARREST: The son of a reputed Chicago mob associate has become the seventh person charged in a 1994 Arizona State basketball point-shaving scheme.
Vincent Basso of Buffalo Grove, Ill., was charged with sports bribery, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and a money laundering-related count in an indictment unsealed Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Basso was arraigned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and released on $50,000 bond; he is to appear in federal court in Phoenix on Jan. 20. Basso is the son of Dominick Basso, who was convicted in 1988 on syndicated gambling charges.
Prosecutors did not reveal what role Basso played in the point-shaving scheme. The six others charged have reached plea agreements with federal prosecutors, including Chicago bookmaker Benny Silman.
Silman, said to be the mastermind behind the scheme, is serving a 46-month sentence for getting Arizona State guards Stevin "Hedake" Smith and Isaac Burton to shave points in certain games so the team wouldn't beat gamblers' point spread.
Smith, the Sun Devils' No. 2 all-time leading scorer, agreed to fix four games for $20,000 a game, in part to erase a reported $10,000 gambling debt to Silman, authorities said. Burton was paid $4,300 for helping fix two games.
The 1994 games in question were those with Oregon State on Jan. 27, Oregon on Jan. 29, Southern California on Feb. 19 and Washington on March 5.
Smith, Burton, Phoenix investment adviser Joseph Gagliano Jr., Chicago trucking company executive Dominic Mangiamele and his son, Joseph, are awaiting sentencing.
Hockey
NEW GRIZZ PLAYERS: The Utah Grizzlies have completed a four player deal with the Long Beach Ice Dogs, acquiring All-Star defenseman Andy Roach and veteran winger John Byce. In return, Utah sends defenseman Rene Chapdelaine and forward Chris Kenady to the Ice Dogs. It is anticipated that the new Utah players will be in Winnipeg for Friday night's game against the Manitoba Moose.
Roach is in his second year as a pro. He played last season with the now defunct San Antonio Dragos where he talled 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 67 games. This season he already has 26 points (five goals, 21 assists). Byce is a nine year pro who was one of three remaining original members of the Ice Dogs. This season he has 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 37 games.