UPI NewsTrack Sports

Prep coach arraigned in player death

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- A Kentucky high school football coach was arraigned Monday in the heat exhaustion-related death of one of his players.

Pleasure Ridge Park Coach Jason Stinson is charged with reckless homicide in the heat-related death of 15-year-old player Max Gilpin last August.

CNN affiliate WLKY-TV reported Stinson pleaded not guilty at Monday's arraignment and a spokesman for the Commonwealth's Attorney Office said he was released without bail.

Gilpin collapsed Aug. 20 during a summer practice and died three days later.

"It's a sad day," Stinson told supporters Saturday. "My heart is broken. Part of my life has been taken away. I no longer teach, and I no longer coach at the school that I love."

Cyclist Piepoli banned for 2 years

ROME, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Italian authorities said cyclist Leonardo Piepoli has been banned from the sport for two years after using drugs during last year's Tour de France.

The country's anti-doping tribunal said blood samples taken July 4 and 15 established that Piepoli, 37, had been using Mircera, a banned drug that boosts production of red blood cells, during the July 5-27 race, ANSA reported Monday.

Piepoli was fired by his cycling team, Saunier Duval, July 18, and his former team leader, Riccardo Ricco, 25, received a two-year ban after he was ejected from the Tour de France July 17 for using Mircera.

Ricco could face criminal charges in France, ANSA reported.

Serena Williams reaches women's Australian Open quarters

MELBOURNE, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Three-time champion Serena Williams reached the Australian Open quarterfinals Monday when 13th-seeded Victoria Azarenka retired due to illness.

Azarenka had won the first set 6-3 but trailed 2-4 in the second when it appeared she was going to faint while serving. She took a medical timeout after the fifth game and tried to walk it off, but decided to retire.

"I feel so bad. She was playing so well," said Williams, the second seed who will face eighth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarters.

Kuznetsova advanced when her opponent, 22nd-seeded Zheng Jie, retired with a wrist injury while trailing 4-1.

Fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva reached the quarterfinals by defeating 18th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2. She will meet unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro Wednesday.

Navarro ousted Anabel Medina Garrigues, the 21st seed, 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round.

The Serena-Kuznetsova and Dementieva-Suarez Navarro matches will be played Wednesday.

Nadal, Tsonga in men's Australian Open quarters

MELBOURNE, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open Monday.

Nadal meets sixth-seeded Gilles Simon in the quarterfinals.

Andy Murray, seeded fourth, fell to 14th-seeded Fernando Verdasco 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Tsonga, seeded fifth, eliminated ninth-seeded American James Blake 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Tsonga and Verdasco now face off in the quarterfinals.

Simon gained his quarterfinal berth by beating the 12th seed, Gael Monfils, who retired with a right wrist injury while trailing 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

The Nadal-Simon and Tsonga-Verdasco matches will be Wednesday.