Maria Sharapova reached a compromise with the WTA Tour and completed a promotional photo shoot before the Italian Open began Monday. The second-ranked Russian was opposed to the shoot because she does not like distractions before tournaments, and claimed the WTA threatened to fine her more than $300,000 if she refused.

Dinara Safina pulled out of the Italian Open on Monday due to a back injury, one day after the biggest triumph of her career. The 14th-ranked Russian won the title of the German Open on Sunday, defeating Elena Dementieva in three sets. Two years ago, Safina reached the Italian Open final but lost to Martina Hingis.

The U.S. Open tennis tournament’s cable TV coverage is leaving USA Network after 25 years and moving to ESPN and Tennis Channel starting in 2009. The six-year deal through 2014 with the U.S. Tennis Association was to be announced formally Monday. USA, which began airing the American Grand Slam event in 1984, will carry it for the last time in 2008.

Two-time champion Amelie Mauresmo withdrew from the Italian Open on Sunday due to a rib injury. The 19th-ranked Frenchwoman won the clay-court warmup for the French Open in 2004 and ’05. She was also the runner-up twice. Last week, Mauresmo withdrew from the German Open. She joins top-ranked Justine Henin on the sideline.

Top-ranked Justine Henin has withdrawn from next week’s Italian Open, citing fatigue, and the WTA Tour said Friday she will be fined $20,000 for the late withdrawal. On Thursday, Henin lost to Dinara Safina 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in the third round of the German Open. That loss followed a 6-2, 6-0 drubbing by Serena Williams at the Sony Ericsson Open last month, the worst for a No.

Rejecting pleas from its players and coach, the Spanish tennis federation chose Madrid’s bullring Friday as the venue for the Davis Cup semifinal series against the United States. The Spanish players had preferred one of the three other candidates — Benidorm, Tenerife and Gijon — for the Sept. 19-21 matchup against the defending champion Americans.

The selection process to determine which city will host Spain’s Davis Cup semifinal series against the United States is threatening to turn into a mutiny. The players and team captain are upset that the Spanish tennis federation appears to be ready to overlook home-court advantage in favor of sponsorship money.

Madison Brengle and Wayne Odesnik earned wild-card berths for the French Open by winning U.S. Tennis Association mini-tournaments. The 18-year-old Brengle, a recent Fed Cup team selection, defeated Ahsha Rolle to emerge from an eight-woman field for a USTA wild card into the clay-court Grand Slam tournament, which begins May 25.