With straight set victories, Flavia Pennetta (pictured) and Francesca Schiavone put Italy in a 2-0 lead position after the first day's play at the Fed Cup.
The Flemish Doping Tribunal has handed US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer (pictured) and Xavier Malisse one-year bans for breaching the "whereabouts rule", under which athletes are obliged to tell anti-doping authorities about their whereabouts.
After admitting taking crystal meth, tennis champion Andre Agassi has also revealed that he used to wear a wig to hide his baldness in his new autobiography 'Open'.
Serena Williams (pictured) reaffirmed her dominance of women's tennis with a 6-2 7-6 win against her sister Venus, in the final of the WTA Championships in Doha.
Defending champion Venus Williams (pictured) and her sister Serena will face each other for the 23rd time in their careers on Sunday in the final of the 4.55 million dollar WTA Championships.
Jelena Jankovic crushed leg-weary Caroline Wozniacki to reach the semi-finals, while American Venus Williams joins her sister in the final stages, having reached the last four without hitting a ball.
World number one Serena Williams marched into the semis of the WTA Championships with a comfortable win over Elena Dementieva. She will face Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, while Serbian Jelena Jankovic will take on Serena's sister Venus.
There will be no showdown for the number one spot in the women's ranking in Doha after Dinara Safina of Russia withdrew from the WTA Championships on Wednesday with a back injury, leaving US rival Serena Williams on top.
Tennis hero Andre Agassi has admitted he tested positive for crystal methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug, in 1997 and lied to sporting authorities to escape a ban.
In the opening day of the WTA Championships, Serena Williams bettered Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, while sister Venus suffered a shock defeat. Jelena Jankovic lost her opener against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.