Lewis Hamilton hogged the limelight Friday as he topped both practice sessions at the Malaysian Grand Prix, making up in small part for his bitter disappointment in Melbourne.

McLaren's 2008 world champion, who is yet to win at Sepang, scorched to 1min 38.021sec in the morning drive and he again led the way on a stifling afternoon with a time of 1:38.172.

Serena Williams, saying she felt nervous and rusty, made a triumphant WTA return from a left ankle injury, defeating China's Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3 at the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt event.

Fellow former World No. 1 players Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki also on Thursday advanced to the third round at the $9.6 million tournament, which awarded byes in the first round to seeded players.

Juventus have been hit with their third fine of the season for racist chanting by their fans during Tuesday's Italian Cup semi-final against AC Milan.

Italian sporting authorities handed out a 20,000-euro fine, double the penalty Juve were given in January after racist chanting directed at Udinese's Pablo Armero, of Colombia, and Cape Verde-born Swiss international Gelson Fernandes.

Wayne Rooney has apologized to a nine-year-old Manchester United supporter after the striker accidentally broke the boy's wrist with a stray shot before his side's 5-0 win at Wolves on Sunday.

Rooney was taking shots at goal during the pre-match warm-up and one wild effort from the United star flew into the crowd and struck Jamie Thomas on the wrist as he tried to block the ball.

Real Madrid football club will spread its brand to the Middle East and Asia by lending its name to a $1 billion theme park on a man-made island in the United Arab Emirates, it said on Thursday.

Executives unveiled plans for the "Real Madrid Resort Island", featuring an ocean-side stadium and hi-tech club museum in the northern Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, on the doorstep of the lucrative football-mad Asian market.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged UEFA to award his country the right to host the 2020 European football championships.

"Give us Euro 2020," said Erdogan at the end of his address before the UEFA Congress here.

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has shrugged off mounting speculation the team is preparing to replace him, saying he is accustomed to premature reports of the end of his Formula One career.

Massa's poor performance in last weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix had heightened expectations that Ferrari will fire him, with Italian media already speculating upon a replacement.

Russia's Alisa Kleybanova, a former top-20 player who missed the past 10 months battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, is making an inspirational return to the WTA Tour this week at Miami.

Kleybanova defeated 64th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday to reach a second-round matchup on Friday against compatriot Maria Kirilenko, the 22nd seed who lost her only career meeting with Kleybanova.

Former world number ones Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters made triumphant returns to the WTA after long layoffs with victories on Wednesday at the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt tournament.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, who has not played a WTA event since pulling out of last year's U.S. Open, defeated Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-3 in 77 minutes.

Bayern Munich reached the German Cup final after they beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 on penalties as Wednesday's semi-final finished goalless after extra-time.

Bayern will now face Borussia Dortmund on May 12 at Berlin's Olympic Stadium following the league leaders' 1-0 win over second-division Greuther Fuerth in Tuesday's other semi-final.