UPI NewsTrack Sports

Amputee sprinter eligible for Olympics

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 16 (UPI) -- Oscar Pistorius, the 21-year-old South African sprinter who runs on prosthetic limbs, was declared eligible Friday for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport, meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, upheld Pistorius' appeal of an IAAF Council ruling that he would be unfair competition.

A double amputee, Pistorius has walked on prosthetics for years and uses Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetic feet for running.

In January, following a series of tests, the IAAF Council declared the "Cheetah" prosthetics constitute a "technical device" which, under IAAF rules, gives the user an advantage and therefore Pistorius was ineligible to compete.

The runner appealed and the court of arbitration ruled in his favor, deciding it was not proven that Pistorius got an advantage from the equipment and immediately restored his eligibility.

Nadal-Djokovic face off comes to pass

HAMBURG, Germany, May 16 (UPI) -- No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and third-seeded Novak Djokovic won Friday, setting up a semifinal showdown at the $2.95 million Masters Series Hamburg.

Whoever wins between Nadal and Djokovic in the tournament semifinals Saturday will be ranked No. 2 in the world when the new ratings are released Monday. Nadal owns a 6-3 advantage over Djokovic in their head-to-head matches, including a 3-0 record on clay courts.

Nadal played Friday as though he intended to keep that No. 2 spot, dropping just three points during his serve in the first set in blitzing 11th-seeded Carlos Moya, 6-1, 6-3.

Djokovic was nearly as sharp, dispatching Albert Montanes, 6-2, 6-3, in his quarterfinal match.

Saturday's other semifinal has world No. 1 Roger Federer against Andreas Seppi. Federer improved to 28-3 all-time in Italian Open play -- he won the event in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007 -- with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Fernando Verdasco. Seppi was a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 winner over Nicolas Kiefer in his Friday match.

Federer beat Seppi the only time the two have met in tournament play. While it was a straight-set win, both sets went to tie-breakers.

Behindatthebar scratched from Preakness

BALTIMORE, May 16 (UPI) -- Behindatthebar, the early line No. 3 favorite, has been scratched from Saturday's Preakness Stakes due to injury.

Trainer Todd Pletcher withdrew the horse after it was determined the colt bruised its left front foot during a workout Friday.

Behindatthebar won its last two races, including the Lexington Stakes, and has won $277,100 in five races this year.

Behindatthebar was set at 10-1 odds for the Preakness, the second leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown, and had drawn the fifth post position in the 13-horse field. Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown is the heavy Preakness favorite at 1-2 odds with Gayego second at 8-1.

Barkley facing bad debt charges

LAS VEGAS, May 16 (UPI) -- Prosecutors say former NBA star Charles Barkley, now a television sports analyst, faces possible felony charges as a Las Vegas casino sues him for bad debts.

Barkley's troubles stem from a legal action taken by casino owner Wynn Las Vegas, which is suing in Nevada district court to force Barkley to pay back $400,000 in gambling markers, the Las Vegas Sun reported Friday. It added that Clark County prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into a bad check allegation involving Barkley and the casino.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the newspaper Barkley will be given a chance to make restitution to Wynn Las Vegas before being charged with a felony.

"We prosecute cases like this every day," Roger said. "Mr. Barkley will be treated the same as everybody else."

Barkley, considered one the NBA's all-time great players, has been serving as an analyst during this year's league playoffs for the TNT cable television network. He once said during an interview that his total gambling losses have been more than $10 million, the Sun reported.