Greek tennis player KONSTANTINOS MIKOS has been "banned for life after breaching betting rules," after the Tennis Integrity Unit found him guilty at a hearing on Thursday (BBC, 5/4). ... MARIA SHARAPOVA set up an "intriguing second-round clash with outspoken critic" EUGENIE BOUCHARD in the Madrid Open by seeing off Croatian MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI 4-6 6-4 6-0 on Sunday. A "sparse crowd" turned out to see the five-time grand slam winner "begin her second tournament after completing a 15-month suspension." Bouchard, 23, labeled Sharapova a "cheater" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/7). ... Two senior New Zealand rugby league internationals have been "stood down" by their National Rugby League clubs after "allegations of purchasing and taking an illicit drug." New Zealand captain JESSE BROMWICH and KEVIN PROCTOR were "stood down by their respective clubs on Sunday after local media reported they had been involved in purchasing and consuming cocaine in Canberra early on Saturday" (REUTERS, 5/7). ... Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG insisted claims forward HULK punched a Guizhou Zhicheng assistant coach during Saturday's 3-0 win because the Brazilian "despises Chinese people" are "untrue" and intended to "provoke hostility between the foreign players and Chinese people." Hulk is accused of knocking YU MING to the ground in the tunnel at halftime at Shanghai Stadium (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 5/7).
'WINNING SPARK': Tennis player NOVAK DJOKOVIC has "taken drastic action by performing a complete clear-out of his support staff: coach, fitness trainer and physiotherapist." The move -- which Djokovic himself described as "shock therapy" -- is "particularly significant because of the deep bond he shared" with his sacked coach, MARIAN VAJDA, who had been his mentor and father figure since the age of 19 (London TELEGRAPH, 5/5).
