Shamil issues his apologies to Williams sisters

MOSCOW, Oct 18 (AFP): Russian tennis federation chief Shamil Tarpischev on Saturday said he was sorry for a jibe he made concerning Serena and Venus Williams on a Russian TV chat show, claiming that his words had been misinterpreted.
The vastly-experienced coach and administrator, after prompting from the chat show host, referred to the American siblings as the "Williams brothers".
His remarks were translated into english and brought a furious reaction
from the powerful Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which fined him $25,000 and banned him from tennis for a year.
"Serena and Venus (Williams) are without doubts outstanding athletes," Tarpischev said in a statement released by Russia's tennis federation.
"They both perform tennis of top class and embody strength and persistence.
"The situation that has spontaneously emerged during the late night chat show had a bad influence on the perception of tennis in general and splits our friendly and cohesive team."