Moscow: 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.


Venus (left) and Serena Williams. Pic/Getty Images

The 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.