Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev has issued a formal statement regarding his television remarks about the Williams sisters, complimenting their abilities but criticizing the reaction to his comments.
Tarpischev referred to the sisters as "Williams brothers" during an appearance on a Russian chat show with Elena Dementieva.
"Serena and Venus are without doubts outstanding athletes," Tarpischev said, in an *AFP*-translated statementreleased 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 [chat show] had a bad influence on the perception of tennis in general and splits our friendly and cohesive team."
The lead administrator of Russian tennis, who is also on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was fined the maximum $25,000 by the WTA and suspended from tour involvement for a year, including the WTA event in Moscow.
"I'm sorry that the joke which was taken out of context and attracted so much attention," he said. "I think this story does not deserve the attention it is receiving. Everything that I said on TV was said without a malicious intent."
He was also quoted by Russian wire agency TASS as saying it "was hyped to an absurd level," comparing it to "vodka" jokes about Russians on foreign shows.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, "It's probably worth trying to get the punishment softened."
WTA CEO Stacey Allaster issued a statement saying the remarks "with respect to two of the greatest athletes in the history of women's tennis are insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place in our sport," and called for a personal apology to the Williams sisters, as did a statement from USTA president Dave Haggerty.