Briefs 2-United's Ferguson to contest improper conduct charge

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Sports news in brief from around the world:

* Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will contest an FA charge of improper conduct for criticising referee Martin Atkinson after the 1-0 FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth on March 8.

Asked if he would appeal, Ferguson said: "Yes, definitely. Were you at the game? That's all I've got to say." Along with assistant Carlos Queiroz he has until April 17 to appeal.

Ferguson felt Cristiano Ronaldo should have been awarded a penalty during the shock defeat, saying: "It's absolutely ridiculous. I cannot explain it. Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week."

* Britain's number one tennis player Andy Murray has hired Spaniard Alex Corretja as part of his coaching set-up for the European claycourt season.

Corretja will work with the 20-year-old Scot for a nine-week stretch that includes the three Masters Series events in Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg as well as the French Open.

"It's great for me to be able to work with a claycourt specialist like Alex. He had a fantastic career and I am looking forward to learning from his experiences," Murray said on his official Web site (www.andymurray.com).