Sports News in Brief
Aussie victory
MUMBAI, India - Australia have capped a successful build-up to the Women's World Cup cricket tournament with a five-wicket win over India in their second and final practice match in Mumbai. India got off to a powerful start with openers Poonam Raut (31) and Thirush Kamini (30) putting on a 42-run stand for the first wicket at the Cricket Club of India on Tuesday. Reema Malhotra and Nagarajan Niranjana (35) also provided some resistance at the crease as they led their side to a total of 8-222 in their 50 overs.
Doping trial
MADRID - A Spanish doctor on trial over a major blood doping racket involving top professional cyclists says he worked for athletes in "all kinds" of sports. "I worked on a private basis with individual sportspeople of all kinds," Eufemanio Fuetnes, 57, who is charged with public health offences, told the court in Madrid. Police detained Fuentes in 2006 when they seized 200 bags of blood and other evidence of performance-enhancing transfusions, in an investigation dubbed "Operation Puerto". Fuentes, who is on trial along with his sister and three other defendants, told the court on Tuesday that "most" of the sportspeople he was working for in 2006 were cyclists.
Players named
MIAMI, Florida - New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and other Major League Baseball players have been named in a report detailing the records of a Miami clinic that allegedly supplied them performance-enhancing drugs. Miami New Times published the report on Tuesday based on records obtained from an employee at Biogenesis, a clinic run by Anthony Bosch, who was connected to Manny Ramirez when he was suspended for 50 games for doping in 2009. Rodriguez, who in 2009 admitted taking performance-enhancing substances while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003, also said he had never taken such drugs since then or with the Yankees, but his name appears 16 times in Biogenesis records from 2009 through 2012.
Lazio through
ROME - Lazio edged Juventus 2-1 after a dramatic finish to a pulsating Italian Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday to seal their place in the final against either Inter Milan or city rivals AS Roma. With the tie level at 1-1 after last week's first leg in Turin, Lazio took the lead on the night at the Stadio Olimpico when Alvaro Gonzalez headed in a measured Cristian Ledesma cross. It looked as if that goal would be enough to take Vladimir Petkovic's side through to their first national Cup final since 2009, but then Juve hit back a minute into injury time when Arturo Vidal reacted quickest inside the penalty box to stab the ball home.
Media day
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - The circus came to the Superdome on Tuesday as the Super Bowl showed its wild and wacky side during media day. It was all on display at the stadium as about 800 fans paid $US25 each to see the players and media in a lighthearted environment that was often comical and serious at times. Some of the media came dressed for the part. They wore wigs, fake tattoos, miner hats, gladiator suits, superhero costumes and there was one hack with a referee costume who kept throwing his yellow flag.