Napoli's bid to snatch Serie A's last Champions League place from Lazio and the battle for the remaining Europa League places top the agenda as Italy's top flight draws to a close this weekend.

While champions Juventus warm up for their Champions League final against Barcelona with an away match at Verona on Saturday, Napoli host Lazio in a must-win clash at the San Paolo late Sunday.

South Africa's former president Thabo Mbeki Friday joined government officials in denying allegations that the country paid bribes to secure the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Mbeki was president when South Africa won the bid in 2004, becoming the first African country to host the event.

Caroline Wozniacki became the third top six seed to be knocked out of the French Open when she slumped to a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) loss to Germany's Julia Goerges on Thursday.

Fifth seed Wozniacki joins third-seeded Simona Halep as a second round casualty while sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard was defeated in the first round.

Kenya and other member countries of the East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) will still vote for Sepp Blatter as FIFA supremo despite the current corruption crisis, sources said Thursday.

Three Football Kenya Federation (FKF) officials led by its president Sam Nyamweya are currently in Zurich for the annual general congress starting on Wednesday, and a spokesman said Kenya would not reverse the decision made collectively with CECAFA to support Blatter for a fifth term.

South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula on Thursday denied allegations that huge bribes were paid to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup, saying that public money had not been given to "criminals".

FIFA has been engulfed in a bribery scandal that includes accusations from the U.S. attorney general that FIFA officials took cash in return for awarding the tournament to South Africa.

Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the French Open on Wednesday as Maria Sharapova brushed aside fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko to also reach the last 32.

Swiss second seed Federer beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in front of a packed crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen that included Angus Young, the guitarist of veteran Australian rock band AC/DC.

Venus Williams has been fined $3,000 by tournament organizers for not showing up at a news conference following her first-round exit at the French Open.

After the 15th-seeded Williams lost 7-6 (5), 6-1 to Sloane Stephens on Monday, she snubbed the media, instead issuing a short statement to the press.

Within a matter of days this month, Justin Gatlin had an Olympic relay silver medal stripped, shattered his personal-best mark in the 100 and missed a meet in Beijing over a misunderstanding.

His reaction to each was rather straightforward: He'll chase after more medals.

The championship LeBron James craves more than any other, the one he came back home to get, is within reach after Cleveland routed Atlanta 118-88 on Tuesday to complete a series sweep and secure its place in the NBA Finals.

James scored 23 points and Kyrie Irving provided a boost after missing two games as Cleveland cruised to victory and set up a meeting with either Golden State or Houston.

The U.S. Justice Department announced conspiracy and corruption charges on Wednesday against nine FIFA officials and five business executives, after Swiss authorities arrested seven suspects based on the indictments.

The 14 officials and executives were charged with a bribery and kickback scheme that spanned over a 24-year period. The Justice Department revealed that four individuals and two companies have already pleaded guilty in the case rocking football's world governing body.