Tennis player Luzzi dies of leukemia at 28

Updated: October 25, 2008, 2:39 PM ET
Associated Press

ROME -- Federico Luzzi, a former top-100 tennis player, has died of leukemia. He was 28.

Luzzi died at a hospital in Arezzo, the Italian Tennis Federation said Saturday. He had been there for a few days after retiring last weekend from an Italian league match citing a high fever.

Luzzi reached a career-high ranking of No. 92 in 2002 before a shoulder injury that affected him the rest of his career.

He had a 2-2 record with Italy's Davis Cup team. In 2001, Luzzi beat Ville Liukko of Finland 14-12 in the fifth set after 4 hours, 35 minutes -- the longest Davis Cup match ever played by an Italian.

In February, Luzzi was suspended for 200 days and fined $50,000 by the ATP for betting on tennis.

Luzzi is survived by his parents, Paola and Maurizio, and his sister, Francesca.


Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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