Woman charged with extortion of Rick Pitino

The estranged wife of a longtime aide to Louisville men’s basketball Coach Rick Pitino faces charges that she tried to extort the coach, at first demanding cars and tuition for her children, then later asking for $10 million, according to a federal complaint filed Friday.

Karen Cunagin Sypher, 49, who also is accused of lying to the FBI about the case, did not enter a plea at a court appearance Friday and was released on her own recognizance.

Sypher’s husband and Cardinals equipment manager, Tim Sypher, on March 6 brought Pitino a written list of demands including tuition, two cars of her choice, paying off her house and $3,000 a month, according to the complaint. The demands later escalated to $10 million, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, the note said, “If all is accepted, I will protect Rick Pitino’s name for life.”

What sort of information Sypher may have been trying to use to extort the successful coach was not included in the complaint, which said only that Pitino believed it was related to an unspecified encounter with the woman in 2003, two years after Pitino took over Louisville’s program.

The 56-year-old coach first brought up the extortion allegations last week, when he said he had reported them to the FBI.

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Former World Boxing Organization light-welterweight champion Kendall Holt has pleaded guilty to a money-laundering charge in New Jersey.

Prosecutors say the charge against Holt, of Woodland Park, stemmed from drug deals made by his manager, Henry Cortes.

In February, Cortes pleaded guilty to drug charges.

GOLF

Ochoa maintains her lead in Mexico

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot her second straight bogey-free, eight-under-par 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Suzann Pettersen in the LPGA Tour’s Corona Championship at Morelia, Mexico.

Ochoa, the top-ranked Mexican star who also won the 2006 tournament at Tres Marias, eagled the par-five eighth hole and had six birdies. The fifth-ranked Pettersen shot a 64.

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Jerry Kelly moved into position for his first PGA Tour victory since his breakthrough 2002 season, shooting a six-under 66 for a one-stroke lead over Troy Matteson and Charley Hoffman in the Zurich Classic at Avondale, La.

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Tom Lehman got off to a fast start in his Champions Tour debut, teaming with Bernhard Langer to take a share of the first-round lead at 11-under 61 in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf at Savannah, Ga.

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Tiger Woods will play in his first tournament since the Masters next week at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C.

TENNIS

Davydenko rallies to win in Spain

Third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko rallied for a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Radek Stepanek to reach a Barcelona Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal.

Fourth-seeded David Ferrer and Fernando Gonzalez will meet in the other semifinal.

Nadal, who has a 3-2 record against Davydenko, 2-0 on clay, reached the semifinals without having to play after quarterfinal opponent David Nalbandian withdrew because of a right hip injury.

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Tennis Australia says it will not allow its team to travel to India for a scheduled Davis Cup match in May because of security concerns, risking a one-year suspension and a $100,000 fine.

ETC.

France won’t sanction Armstrong

France’s anti-doping agency said it would not seek sanctions against cyclist Lance Armstrong over a dispute with a drug tester.

At issue was a 20-minute delay when Armstrong said a drug tester who showed up on March 17 to collect blood, urine and hair samples agreed to let him shower while the American rider’s assistants checked the tester’s credentials.

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Tournament favorites Russia and Canada posted convincing victories on the opening day of the ice hockey world championship in Switzerland. Defending champion Russia beat Germany, 5-0, and Canada, the silver medalist a year ago, downed Belarus, 6-1, in Zurich with Steve Stamkos and Dany Heatley each scoring twice. . . . Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom could be practicing at full speed in 12 weeks after surgery on his left hip turned up less damage than expected. . . . Officials at Washington and Washington State said they have given up on a widely panned proposal to play Apple Cup football games at Qwest Field in Seattle.

PASSINGS

Orange Lutheran coach was 44

Tony Matson, who coached the Orange Lutheran High girls’ basketball team to the Southern Section Division IV-AA championship game last month, died Friday after collapsing at his construction job in Corona. He was 44.

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Bill Barnes, who coached football at UCLA from 1958 to ‘64, played at Tennessee and was a decorated World War II veteran, has died. He was 91. Story, Section A.