■ Tennis
Grosjean sacks coach
Former French No.1 Sebastien Grosjean has sacked his US coach Brad Stine, saying he lacked motivation, L'Equipe sports daily reported on Thursday. Florida-based Grosjean has been working with Stine for the last two years but his recent results have been disappointing including second round defeats at both the French and US Opens. "It's all cyclical," he said. "I felt that there was a lack of motivation on Brad's part." The 28-year-old Grosjean will look for a new coach and in the interim will work with Alain Quintalet who was the physical fitness trainer of the French handball team.
■ Cycling
Ullrich's DNA taken in raid
German authorities secured DNA samples from former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich in a raid earlier this week on his Swiss residence, according to a report released on Thursday. Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung said in an advance release of its Friday edition that authorities had secured samples of the German rider's DNA that were to be compared with frozen blood seized at a Madrid clinic as part of a doping investigation that saw Ullrich and eight other riders forced to withdraw from this year's Tour. On Thursday, Germany's Federal Crime Office said Ullrich's main residence in Switzerland and nine other homes and offices were searched as part of a fraud investigation by Bonn prosecutors in connection with a Spanish doping probe linked to doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.
■ Soccer
Lippi rules out new role
Italy's World Cup champion manager Marcello Lippi ruled out a supervisory role with the national team on Thursday and gave his backing to new coach Roberto Donadoni. "I will never be a supervisor of the national team because it is not my profession," Lippi said. "I am sure Donadoni will bring the best out of the players." Lippi stepped down as boss of Italy after guiding the Azzurri to the World Cup title in July. But his replacement, Donadoni, has yet to win in three games, prompting Italian soccer federation head Guido Rossi to reportedly consider bringing back the former Juventus coach as a supervisor. Lippi, who previously has mentioned of a return to club coaching, said that he was in no hurry to get back to work.
■ Tennis
Williams girls get tax order
A judge ordered Venus and Serena Williams to turn over tax returns to prosecutors who claim the documents prove the Grand Slam tennis champions lied about their father's involvement in their careers. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Winikoff said on Thursday that portions of the tax returns are relevant to a multimillion-dollar breach of contract lawsuit the sisters and their father, Richard Williams, face for withdrawing from a 2001 tournament. Promoters Carol Clarke and Keith Rhodes, principals in the CCKR company, allege in the lawsuit against the women, that their father committed them to play in a 2001 "Battle of the Sexes" match and they reneged on the deal. The sisters' lawyer said the tax returns are irrelevant. "There is nothing unusual about two successful daughters paying their father for coaching and for creating them," F. Malcolm Cunningham said. "Those payments have nothing to do with whether or not the dad had the authority to commit them to play in a battle of the sexes." The case against the sisters initially ended in a mistrial in December.
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