Puerta Gets Eight-Year Tennis Ban

Mariano Puerta was a longshot when he reached the French Open final in June. Now, the Argentine is facing the longest doping ban in tennis history.

Puerta, 27, was banned for eight years Wednesday for his second doping offense, effectively ending his career. He is the first tennis player to receive a ban of more than two years.

“I find it extraordinary that it could ever be thought satisfactory that a person’s livelihood can be terminated in circumstances such as these,� Puerta said in a statement.

Puerta tested positive for the cardiac stimulant etilefrine after losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final on June 5.

The three-man International Tennis Federation tribunal said in London that the drug apparently came from effortil, a medication Puerta’s wife takes for hypertension.

The ITF said Puerta will be disqualified from the French Open and his results nullified, but he will keep his place in the record books as a finalist.

Puerta was banned for nine months in 2003 for using clenbuterol, an asthma medication with some steroid-like properties, and faced a possible lifetime ban for a second infraction. But an ITF tribunal said he was given a lighter penalty because the positive result in Paris was inadvertent.

The ban is retroactive to June 5. Puerta has three weeks to appeal. The ITF panel said it expected the case to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Besides forfeiting his winnings from the French Open, Puerta will give up his titles, prize money and ranking points won afterward. He is ranked No. 12 on the ATP Tour and has earned about $330,000 in prize money since the French Open.

BASEBALL

Recovering Ponson,

Cardinals Reach Deal

Pitcher Sidney Ponson agreed to a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, three months after the Baltimore Orioles voided his contract and released him after an arrest.

Ponson’s deal calls for a $1-million base salary and lets him earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses. Ponson, 7-11 with a 6.21 earned-run average last season, will compete for a spot in the rotation.

Ponson had a $7.5-million salary last year under a $22.5-million, three-year contract. He was arrested Aug. 25 and charged with driving under the influence and driving while impaired. He served a five-day jail sentence last week for driving while impaired. Under a plea agreement, the driving under the influence charge was dropped.

Baltimore released him Sept. 6 and voided his contract, prompting a grievance from the players’ association seeking he be paid the remaining $11 million of the contract. The case is scheduled to be heard in March.

Ponson went to an alcohol rehabilitation facility in September and has been seeing a psychiatrist weekly.

Ponson was also charged in January with driving under the influence in Florida, and he spent 11 days in an Aruban jail after he hit a judge during a Christmas Day fight at a beach in his home country.

The San Diego Padres agreed to a one-year, $500,000 deal with former Dodger David Ross to be the backup catcher after lettting Miguel Olivo become a free agent.

Reliever Lance Carter agreed to a $550,000, one-year contract to stay with the Tampa Devil Rays. He was 1-2 with one save and a 4.89 ERA last season.

WINTER SPORTS

Raich Takes Slalom

as Miller, Maier Fall

Benjamin Raich of Austria easily won a World Cup giant slalom after rivals Bode Miller and Hermann Maier took spills in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

Raich got his first victory of the season and 17th of his World Cup career. His time was 2 minutes 22.46 seconds. Massimiliano Blardone of Italy was second in 2:23.46, followed by Thomas Grandi of Canada in 2:23.61.

Blardone leads Miller in the giant slalom standings, 240 points to 180, after the reigning World Cup overall champion lost control at the top of the slope and fell sideways on the second run. Miller fell to third, six points behind Raich, in the discipline.

Raich also is making a charge at Miller in the overall, with 430 points to the leader’s 442. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway is second with 437 points.

Erik Schlopy led the American contingent with a sixth-place finish. James Cochran was seventh and Dane Spencer 20th. Darron Rahlves failed to score after he also was unable to complete the second run.

Janica Kostelic of Croatia rallied on the second run and got the first World Cup giant slalom victory of her career in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.

Kostelic, third after the opening leg, covered the Cerna course in a combined time of 2:21.30 to win the first World Cup Alpine race held in the Czech Republic.

Kathrin Zettel of Austria was second in 2:21.38, followed by teammate Marlies Schild in 2:21.40. Kostelic leads the giant slalom standings with 230 points, 40 more than Zettel.

Kostelic is third in the overall standings. Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria leads with 502 points, 80 more than teammate Alexandra Meissnitzer. Kostelic is another 10 back.

The top American was Julia Mancuso, who finished 14th, 1:19 off the pace. Teammate Kristina Koznick, fourth after the opening leg, fell to 16th after making a mistake on the second run.

Preston Griffall and Dan Joye won a close race-off in Lake Placid, N.Y., for the final doubles spot on the U.S. Olympic luge team.

Griffall and Joye edged Christian Niccum and Patrick Quinn by 0.12 of a second in a two-run competition that decided which team will join two-time Olympic medalists Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin as the U.S. doubles representatives.

Also decided was the final men’s singles spot, with Jonathan Myles beating Chris Mazdzer by 0.161 of a second.

SOCCER

Lilly, Milbrett and Scurry

Invited to Training Camp

World Cup veterans Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett and Briana Scurry were among 28 players invited to the U.S. national team’s training camp Jan. 3-9 in Carson in preparation for the Jan. 18-22 Four Nations tournament.

MISCELLANY

Sparks Will Open

May 21 at Seattle

The WNBA will begin its 10th season May 20, with the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs playing host to the Phoenix Mercury in one of four games. The Sparks will open the next day at Seattle.

Former Penn State basketball player Jennifer Harris filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Coach Rene Portland in Harrisburg, Pa., accusing Portland of discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation.

Elrod Hendricks, who spent 12 years as a player mostly with the Orioles and 28 as a coach with the team, died in Glen Burnie, Md. He was 64. The cause of death was not known.