IN BRIEF

TRACK AND FIELD

Montgomery admits doping in effort to beat rival Greene

Tim Montgomery says he started taking performance-enhancing drugs because he wanted to beat American sprint rival Maurice Greene and become the fastest man in the world.

The former world-record holder in the 100 meters, who also said he and former partner Marion Jones stored their steroids in the refrigerator "next to the vegetables," spoke to The Times newspaper of London from a federal prison in Alabama where he is serving time for bank fraud and drug dealing.

"Maurice got in my head real bad," Montgomery said in the interview, which was published Friday. "I wanted everything that he had."

Montgomery criticizes Greene for "clowning the other athletes." After the 1999 world championships in Seville, Spain, Montgomery decided to do something.

"I would give anything to be the world's fastest," said Montgomery, who left coach Steve Riddick and joined doping-tainted coach Trevor Graham.

Montgomery never tested positive for drugs, but he was linked to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative doping investigation and has admitted that he doped before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He retired after being banned in 2005.

TENNIS

Davydenko reaches semifinals at Tour Finals, ousts Djokovic

Nikolay Davydenko grabbed the last semifinal spot at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, beating Robin Soderling 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3 to knock defending champion Novak Djokovic out of the tournament.

Davydenko, Djokovic and Soderling all finished with two wins in the round-robin phase, but the third-ranked Serb was eliminated on sets. Soderling had secured advancement and finished at the top of Group B.

Davydenko will face top-ranked Roger Federer in today's first semifinal match. Soderling, who entered the tournament as an alternate after Andy Roddick pulled out because of injury, will take on U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro later in the day.

GOLF

Ireland keeps three-shot lead over Sweden in World Cup

Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy held onto Ireland's three-stroke lead in the World Cup of Golf in Shenzhen, China, shooting 4-under-par 68 in the second round.

The Irishmen were at 18-under 126 for 36 holes after the alternate-shot second day of the $5.5 million tournament. Defending champion Sweden was second after Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson shot the day's best round -- a 65 -- at the Mission Hills Golf Club. Italy (66) was four strokes off the lead in third.

The American duo of Nick Watney and John Merrick was tied for 20th at 5 under.

MISCELLANEOUS

Lawyer: Match-fixing suspects tried to have players drugged

The international gang suspected in Europe's biggest soccer match-fixing scandal supplied sedatives to team doctors and hotel cooks to drug players in matches to be manipulated, a lawyer for one of the arrested suspects said.

Prosecutors claim the gang did not shy away from "locking up people in basements" or "sedating players," Frankfurt, Germany-based lawyer Burkhard Benecken said. "According to prosecutors, they were extremely violent," he said.

Benecken said he has seen the files of Bochum prosecutors leading the investigation in what soccer officials say is the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit Europe, with 200 games suspected of being fixed to benefit the gang of bettors. The games included some qualifying matches in the Champions League, the continent's top club competition.

About 200 people are suspected of being involved, and the ring leaders are thought to have made at least $15 million. Fifteen people have been arrested in Germany and two in Switzerland as part of the ongoing investigation.

Also: New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur became the NHL's all-time minutes leader in the Devils' 2-1 shootout win at Boston.

Brodeur surpassed Hall of Famer Patrick Roy for the most minutes played after the puck was dropped to open the third period. The 37-year-old Brodeur has 60,280. Roy played 60,235.

The Wranglers lost 4-1 despite outshooting the Bakersfield Condors 32-21 in an ECHL game in Bakersfield, Calif.

Matt Kang's goal with 12 seconds left spoiled the shutout bid of Condors goalie Timo Pielmeier, who made 31 saves.

Michael Ouzas stopped 17 of 21 shots for Las Vegas, winless in its last six games.

The UNLV women's volleyball team lost 25-19, 25-21, 25-27, 25-23 at Long Beach State to fall to 8-18.

Kelsey Keeler and Cursty Jackson had 14 kills apiece for the Rebels.