Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1034189
35 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 SPORTS FOOTBALL Serena Williams to miss China Open in Beijing SERENA Williams will miss the China Open and may not play again this season after her controversial US Open final defeat by Naomi Osaka. Her name, along with sister Venus, was not in the draw for the event, which started in Beijing yesterday. At the US Open, Serena was given a code violation for coaching, incurred a point penalty for racquet smashing and was docked a game for verbal abuse. It is thought unlikely that the 37-year-old will play again this season. The American, who was aiming to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles against Osaka, says she wants to move on from the contro- versy. She denies being coached from the stands, despite her coach Patrick Mouratoglou saying he was sending her signals. "I just don't understand what he was talking about," she said. After being punished for coaching and racquet abuse, she called umpire Carlos Ra- mos a "liar" and "thief". She was later fined $17,000 for the code violations. FORMER Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has returned to football ownership by buying third- division side Monza The 82-year-old's holding com- pany, Fininvest, said on Friday it had bought 100% of shares in the club. Berlusconi sold AC Milan less than 18 months ago, ending 31 years as owner of the Serie A club. Under his leadership, Milan won five European Cups, as well as eight Italian league titles. He is joined at Monza, who fin- ished fourth in Serie C last season, by long-time aide Adriano Galliani, who takes up the role of CEO. Berlusconi was first elected as Italy's prime minister in 1994 and served a further two terms. In August 2013 he was convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to four years in prison, but instead did community service because of his age. In 2014, he was cleared on appeal of paying for sex with an underage prostitute. Silvio Berlusconi buys Italian club Monza TENNIS