Sports

Ex-Blue admits role in murder scheme

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - Former St. Louis Blues player Mike Danton admitted in court Friday he tried to hire a hit man, likely ending his NHL career. Danton, 23, pleaded guilty to a federal murder-for-hire conspiracy charge. He faces seven to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 22. The plot unraveled when the would-be hit man turned out to be a police informant. Danton was to have been tried in September with co-defendant Katie Wolfmeyer, 19. The two were charged with trying to hire the would-be killer of Danton's agent, David Frost. ● Atlanta Thrashers star Dany Heatley was indicted Friday on vehicular homicide and five other charges in the 2003 wreck that claimed the life of a teammate. Dan Snyder, 25, died after several days in a coma, and Heatley broke his jaw and tore two ligaments in his knee. Heatley returned to action in January. TENNIS

Davenport advances to semifinals STANFORD, Calif. - Second-seeded Lindsay Davenport beat Mashona Washington 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Bank of the West Classic on Friday. Davenport will meet eighth-seeded Maria Vento-Kabchi in the semifinals. ● In Stuttgart, Germany, French Open champion Gaston Gaudio defeated fifth-seeded Jiri Novak 6-4, 6-3 Friday to reach the Mercedes Cup semifinals. Gaudio will play 11th-seeded David Ferrer, who beat 14th-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5 in the clay-court tourney. Guillermo Canas ousted Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4. Nikolay Davydenko, seeded 15th, beat No. 12 Albert Costa 6-3, 6-4 and will meet Canas in the semis. ● In Santiago, Chile, former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios, 28, retired from tennis Friday because of a recurring back injury, ending a career that included 18 singles titles. COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No degree: Coach fired at ULL LAFAYETTE, La. - Glynn Cyprien was fired Friday two months after becoming basketball coach at Louisiana-Lafayette because he did not have a degree from a university listed on his résumé. Robert Lee, an assistant coach for the past nine years, was tentatively appointed as Cyprien's replacement. Athletic director Nelson Schexnayder said the school received an anonymous call earlier in the week saying there may be questions about Cyprien's résumé. Cyprien had indicated he received a bachelor's degree from Texas-San Antonio. Cyprien replaced former UA assistant coach Jessie Evans, who was hired by the University of San Francisco.