International Tennis Federation

Serena Williams will be fined a total of $10,500 for behavior deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct" and for racket abuse after her aggressive, obscenity-filled reaction to a critical foot fault called during her 6-4, 7-5 U.S. Open semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night. There will also be further investigation of the incident, according to a statement from the International Tennis Federation that was released by the Open. The statement said, "additional penalties can be imposed."

Listen up, tennis fans, it's quiz time. That explosive, guttural  grunt issued by some of the world's best-known tennis players at the moment of contact with the ball is: a) a rude, pointless and annoying vogue that should be reined in by officials of the International Tennis Federation ; b) a forceful but involuntary exhalation of air that signals fierce exertion; or c) a habit that has the effect of -- and is probably aimed at -- distracting and intimidating an opponent. If you picked a , you have a number of sympathizers on the Booster Shots staff.

Israel will ask the International Tennis Federation to postpone its Davis Cup match against France because of the Persian Gulf War. The first-round world group competition is due to take place Feb. 1-3 in Marseilles.

French tennis player Richard Gasquet was cleared of any wrongdoing Thursday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted his claim that he tested positive for cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub. The CAS dismissed appeals by the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Tennis Federation, which wanted Gasquet banned for up to two years. "I'm absolutely relieved. This is the end of a crazy story," Gasquet said. "I'm happy to be 100% cleared." The court in Lausanne, Switzerland, accepted Gasquet's claim that he inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing the woman in a Miami club hours after withdrawing injured from a tournament in March.

Injured tennis player Martina Navratilova, sidelined from the Federation Cup, may qualify for the 1988 Olympic Games through a special wild-card system, an official of the International Tennis Federation said.

The U.S. Tennis Assn. requested that the International Tennis Federation postpone the U.S. Davis Cup team's first-round match against Mexico, scheduled Feb. 1-3 in Mexico City, because of the Persian Gulf war.

Serena Williams will be fined a total of $10,500 for behavior deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct" and for racket abuse after her aggressive, obscenity-filled reaction to a critical foot fault called during her 6-4, 7-5 U.S. Open semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night. There will also be further investigation of the incident, according to a statement from the International Tennis Federation that was released by the Open. The statement said, "additional penalties can be imposed."

Martina Hingis' attempt to cast doubt on the drug-testing process was rejected Friday by the International Tennis Federation, which suspended her for two years for testing positive for cocaine. Hingis, the former No. 1 who won five Grand Slam singles titles, retired a second time in November -- immediately after revealing that she had failed a test during Wimbledon last summer.

LONDON -- One disquieting subject, four governing bodies and one potentially lurid dossier make for one momentous tennis meeting today in southwest London. The subject is alleged match-fixing, a topic blaring since August but cresting this week after some comments 18th-ranked Andy Murray of Scotland made to BBC Radio.

On behalf of the USTA, the International Tennis Federation and especially on behalf of our Davis Cup team, I wanted to personally thank the more than 30,000 fans who attended the Davis Cup matches last weekend at the Great Western Forum. The atmosphere, and your support, played a great role in helping the team rally and move on to the semifinals against Spain. Those of you who did attend saw a new approach to the presentation of a tennis match, one we felt truly reflected the excitement of the game and the marriage of sports and entertainment.

Czech Republic tennis star Petr Korda was dealt a setback Thursday when the Court of Appeal in London unanimously ruled that the International Tennis Federation could take its appeal of his drug case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The good news for tennis is that leaders in the sport have awakened to the fact that in the global marketplace, tennis is losing ground. With that in mind, the men's and women's tours have forged a tentative partnership to create a series of combined events and sell a combined television package. The sobering news is that the complicated proposal is not likely to be instituted--if at all--until the turn of the century.

The International Tennis Federation announced Tuesday that it was abandoning plans for a rival men's tennis tour. In a statement from its London office, the federation cited "negative and premature public debate" as well as incomplete negotiations with media baron Rupert Murdoch, who would have financed the venture. The ITF's proposal for the tour, made public less than a week ago, called for 10 mega-events each with a $3.5-million purse. The tour would have directly competed with the ATP tour.

The International Tennis Federation acknowledged Wednesday that it is considering a proposal to establish a men's professional tour to rival the ATP Tour, fueled by the financial backing of media baron Rupert Murdoch. In an unusual move that may prove divisive to the sport, the federation responded to rumors that have circulated for several months that it had lent its backing to a breakaway tour that, if successful, would put the existing men's tennis tour out of business.