SPORTS briefs

BERLIN. South Africa's newly-crowned women's 800 meters world champion Caster Semenya must undergo a gender test, the sport's governing body the IAAF announced on Wednesday. The 18-year-old has been a revelation this year first domestically, where she vastly improved her times at 800m and 150 and also here where she romped to the title trouncing defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei by over two-and-a-half seconds.

LIVERPOOL. Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow on Thursday dismissed reports that manager Rafael Benitez is on the verge of quitting Anfield. Bookmakers in England suspended betting on his future prior to Wednesday's 4-0 victory over Stoke as speculation suggested the Spaniard was set to leave.

NEWBRIDGE. Renowned coach Enzo Calzaghe has revealed he almost quit boxing during his "hell" of the last 18 months. His son Joe Calzaghe, the retired world champion boxer, won a high-profile High Court case against former promoter Sports Network Limited in March.

INDIANAPOLIS. Spain's Aleix Espargaro has been handed a two-race chance in MotoGP as a result of Casey Stoner's sick leave. With Mika Kallio filling in for Stoner at Ducati, there is a vacancy at the Pramac team, and the 20-year-old former 125cc rider has been drafted in.

VALENCIA. Team boss Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren hope to exploit the "advantages" he believes Kers can provide now their car is competing at the front of the grid. McLaren, one of only two teams still using the energy recovery and boost system, suffered a poor start to 2009.

MADRID. Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo has ended weeks of speculation about his future and agreed to join Primera Liga rivals Sevilla, Spanish sporting dailies said Thursday. The 23-year-old was last month linked with Tottenham and then more recently with Hull City and Zenit St Petersburg and finally with newly promoted Spanish side Zaragoza. The Marca newspaper said Sevilla, which qualified for this season'sEuropean Champions League by finishing third behind Barcelona and Real, will pay 15 million euros (21 million dollars) for the player, who is set to sign a four-year contract later Thursday. It said the club will have an option to buy back the striker for 18 million euros in the first year and 21 million in the second.