Rich Benvin

Russian tennis player Dmitry Tursunov said he was approached several times with offers of bribes to fix matches, a newspaper reported Friday. "I was approached in Madrid in the middle of the season last year, and at some other tournament," Tursunov told the daily Izvestia. The 29th-ranked Tursunov, who played on the Russian team that beat Germany in the Davis Cup semifinals last weekend, refused to...

Mercedes-Benz will end its sponsorship of the men's ATP tennis tour when the current three-year contract expires at the end of 2008. The company has been one of the main sponsors of the ATP since 1996. The German carmaker said Friday it would shift focus to golf, equestrian and soccer, as well as fashion and lifestyle.

Roger Federer pulled out of the Japan Open because he needs to rest after the U.S. Open and Davis Cup. The top-ranked Swiss said his doctor told him he should not play in a tournament for at least 10 days to avoid the risk of serious injury. "I'm so disappointed that I have to withdraw from the Japan Open," Federer said in a statement released by organizers Friday.

Second-seeded Virginie Razzano of France won her first WTA Tour singles title by defeating Israel's Tzipora Obziler 6-0, 6-3 in the Guangzhou International Open final on Sunday. The 24-year-old Razzano lost her two previous finals. She is ranked 39th in the world.

The United States will travel to Austria for the first round of next year's Davis Cup, and Russia has a tough opener against Serbia. Thursday's draw for first round of the 2008 World Group comes nearly two months before the United States hosts defending champion Russia in this year's final in Portland, Ore., from Nov.

Maria Sharapova withdrew Wednesday from next week's Porsche Grand Prix because of a lingering shoulder injury. The fourth-ranked Russian has not played since losing to No. 30 Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round of the U.S. Open. Most of the top-ranked players are scheduled to compete in the Stuttgart indoor event, organizers said.

It's official. The United States and defending Davis Cup champion Russia will contest the 2007 final at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore. The U.S. Tennis Association formally announced on Wednesday the site for the matches from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. It's the first Davis Cup final in the U.S. since the Americans won the 1992 championship by defeating Switzerland at Fort Worth, Texas.

When Pete Sampras retired five years ago, he wasn't sure if he would play tennis again, never mind step foot on a clay court. This week, Sampras will play a senior tour event on a surface that haunted him throughout his record-breaking career. "I didn't think I'd ever play on clay again," Sampras said.

Top-seeded Richard Gasquet of France won the Mumbai Open on Sunday, beating Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-3, 6-4. "It was my first (title) on outdoor hardcourts," said the 14th-ranked Gasquet, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. "(It) shows I can play on any surface." The 21-year-old won a battle of baseline play in humid weather.

Dmitry Tursunov of Russia won his third ATP career title, beating Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-2 6-1 Sunday in the Thailand Open. The sixth-seeded Tursunov needed just 56 minutes to beat the erratic German, who committed 35 unforced errors. "The final is a big occasion so you don't want to come out playing sloppy, especially against a guy like Benjamin," said Tursunov, ranked 29th in the world.

Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in the championship of the Korean Open on Sunday. "Sometimes in the match I was a little disappointed with the errors I was making, and it made it a lot tougher for me," said Williams, who won her third title of the season. "But at the end, I guess in the last few games, I started to play much better." Williams hadn't lost a set in the...

Third-seeded Ai Sugiyama lost in the first round of the Korea Open on Monday, beaten by 17-year-old Ayumi Morita 7-5, 6-3 in an all-Japanese match. Two other seeded players from Japan were eliminated on the outdoor hardcourts -- No. 7 Aiko Nakamura and No. 8 Akiko Morigami. Morita, ranked 136th, reached the quarterfinals last week in Bali, Indonesia.

Top-seeded Richard Gasquet beat Fabrice Santoro 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the final of the Mumbai Open. "I had the advantage of knowing Fabrice's game," said Gasquet, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. "I played solid as I was keen to get into the final." The 21-year-old Frenchman will play eighth-seeded Olivier Rochus in the final on Sunday.

Brazilian tennis player Marcelo Melo was banned for two months Monday for a doping violation. The doubles specialist tested positive for the stimulant isometheptene June 10 at the Wimbledon warmup tournament at Queen's Club, the International Tennis Federation said. The ban was reduced from the usual two years because Melo did not take the substance to "enhance his sporting performance," the ITF...

Second-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia won the Fortis Championships on Sunday, beating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. At this year's French Open, the 19-year-old Ivanovic became the first Serbian woman to reach a Grand Slam final since Monica Seles. At Wimbledon, Ivanovic lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the semifinals.