Briefs | Tennis: Serena Williams pays record fine for U.S. Open tirade

Tennis

Williams is fined $82,500: Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her tirade at a U.S. Open line judge and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years.

Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock's ruling was released Monday, and he said Williams faces a "probationary period" at tennis' four major championships in 2010 and 2011. If she has another "major offense" at a Grand Slam tournament in that span, the fine would increase to $175,000 and the American would be barred from the next U.S. Open.

"But if she does not have another offense in the next two years, the suspension is lifted," Babcock said.

He said Williams — the top-ranked women's player in the world — is handing over $82,500 to the Grand Slam committee, already far more than the previous highest fine for a Grand Slam offense. In 1995, American Jeff Tarango stormed off the court at Wimbledon and accused the chair umpire of showing favoritism to certain players in exchange for their friendship. Tarango was fined a total of $43,756, which was reduced to $28,256 on appeal, and barred from Wimbledon the next year.

Williams, 28, lashed out at a lineswoman after a foot-fault call at the end of her semifinal loss to eventual champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium at the U.S. Open in September. It was a profanity-laced, finger-pointing, racket-brandishing display in which Williams approached the official with what U.S. Open tournament director Jim Curley called at the time "a threatening manner."

"I am thankful that we now have closure on the incident and we can all move forward," Williams said in a statement released by her publicist.

She earned $350,000 by reaching the U.S. Open singles semifinals, part of her more than $6.5 million in prize money in 2009, a season record for women's tennis. Her career prize money exceeds $28 million.

Williams' outburst drew a $10,000 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association in September — the maximum on-site penalty a player can face. Because it happened at a Grand Slam tournament, Babcock was charged with investigating whether further punishment was merited.

Babcock said the highest possible fine Williams could face — $175,000, if she violates her Grand Slam probation — was chosen because it is the difference in winnings between reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals at the U.S. Open. The $10,000 Williams already was docked by the USTA will be counted toward that total; that is why she is paying half of $165,000 at this time.

Auto racing

NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Johnson donates almost $1 million: Jimmie Johnson, who has won the last four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles, awarded nearly $1 million in education grants to school districts in California, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

Johnson received more than 80 applications from schools in districts he and his wife, Chandra, attended, as well as the greater Charlotte area, where they live. The grants from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation totaled $922,000.

Patrick signs extension with Andretti Autosport: IRL driver Danica Patrick signed a three-year extension with Andretti Autosport, which changed its name from Andretti Green Racing last week.

Her NASCAR future remains unclear.

One of the most popular drivers in any series, the 27-year-old Patrick has expressed an interest in driving stock cars and stopped by a few NASCAR garages in North Carolina last summer.

She is reportedly working on a deal that would partner her on a limited Nationwide Series schedule with JR Motorsports, which is owned is owned by Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I love to race," Patrick said. "If I got the chance to run both series, I'd love that."

WNBA

Marion Jones wants to play: Disgraced former track star Marion Jones, 34, has been training with San Antonio Silver Stars assistants to possibly play in the league, more than a year after she was released from federal prison for lying about her doping. Jones played for North Carolina's 1994 NCAA basketball champions.

Olympics

GlaxoSmithKline to provide lab equipment: British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC will provide anti-doping laboratory equipment to the 2012 Olympics after signing on as the London Games' latest sponsor.

GSK is the London Games' 12th "Tier Three" sponsor — a status that costs companies about $15.1 million.

Soccer

Match in Italy to be stopped for 10 minutes if there are racist chants: Italian soccer authorities say they will stop Saturday's Serie A match between host Juventus and Inter Milan in Turin for 10 minutes if there is racist chanting.

Last season, Juventus was ordered to play one match in an empty stadium after fans taunted Inter's Mario Balotelli, whose family is from Ghana.

NHL

Ovechkin is helped off ice: Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin left Monday's 3-2 road victory over Carolina early with an apparent knee injury. He was injured on a first-period play where he received a five-minute major penalty for kneeing Tim Gleason and a game misconduct.

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