Sporting Digest: Tennis

JIM PIERCE, the father of America's Mary Pierce, who is ranked No 14 in the world, was stabbed in the arm during a scuffle with his daughter's bodyguard yesterday, according to an Italian news agency. The confrontation took place at a hotel in Latina, near Rome, where the player was staying following her defeat in the final of a tournament in Palermo, Sicily. The Women's Tennis Association has barred Mr Pierce from tournaments after a series of disturbances.

GREG RUSEDSKI, ranked No 151 in the world, became the first Canadian man to win a Tour event in the Open tennis era when he overcame the third seed, Javier Frana of Argentina, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, on Sunday.

LEADING MEN'S ATP RANKINGS: 1 P Sampras (US) 4,197pts; 2 J Courier (US) 3,842; 3 S Edberg (Swe) 3,230; 4 B Becker (Ger) 2,786; 5 S Bruguera (Sp) 2,551; 6 I Lendl (US) 2,249; 7 M Stich (Ger) 2,117; 8 A Medvedev (Ukr) 2,020; 9 P Korda (Cz Rep) 1,983; 10 G Ivanisevic (Croa) 1,943. GB: 122 J Bates; 125 C Wilkinson; 199 C Bailey; 214 A Foster.