Tennis Pro Federico Luzzi Dies, 28

Former world number 92 Federico Luzzi has died of leukemia aged 28. The Italian Tennis Federation said he died in hospital in his hometown of Arezzo.

Luzzi's death came as a shock. Just last Sunday he participated in a club match on the Italian island of Sardinia, when he retired because of a strong fever. Although initially believed to be a form of bronchopneumonia, tests at the San Donato hospital in Luzzi's home town revealed that he had leukaemia.

The Italian reached a career high ranking of 92 in February 2002, but his name hit the headlines six years later when he was one of several players punished by the Association of Tennis Professionals for betting on the outcome of matches at the beginning of a prolonged campaign by the ATP to crack down on such activities.

In February 2002 Luzzi was fined $50,000 by the ATP and banned for 200 days after being found guilty of wagering on the outcome of matches from May 2004 to April 2007.

In a statement on their website, ATP Chairman Etienne de Villiers said, "Losing a young man so tragically in the prime of his life, a son to a loving family and a great sportsman is a terrible blow. Federico was hugely respected by his fellow professionals and was one of the most popular players on the ATP Tour. Federico will be much missed by all who knew him and the thoughts and the prayers of everyone at the ATP are with Federico's family on this very sad day for tennis."