Monte Carlo - Roger Federer obtained the all-clear from pregnant wife Mirka before preparing to line up for the start of his clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters, the tennis newlywed revealed on Tuesday. "Mirka was completely relaxed about whatever decision I took," said world number 2 Federer, who opens at the Country Club on Wednesday against Italian Andreas Seppi.

"I feel like I have been on a honeymoon for the last years, so I don't feel necessarily I need to go somewhere, to a special place, to celebrate with her.

Monte Carlo - French hope Richard Gasquet will miss his second straight major event as he skips the Monte Carlo Open starting on Sunday with the right shoulder injury that earlier kept him out of Miami. The world number 23 has been bothered with the problem since beginning his 2009 ATP season in the zone with semi-final showings in Brisbane, Sydney and Dubai during a memorable January.

Monte Carlo  - Andy Murray kick-starts his clay season at the weekend fresh off his third trophy of 2009 at Miami as he plays the Monte Carlo Masters.

"I want to do better than I did last year and try to reach the quarter-finals of one of the big tournaments," said the world number 4.

The Scot is planning a full schedule on the dirt, where he never got past a third round in 2008. He is scheduled for Monte Carlo starting Sunday, Rome and Madrid prior to Paris.

Monte Carlo - The tighter whereabouts system, under which athletes must be available for drug tests 60 minutes each day, is fair and vital in the fight against doping, the ruling athletics body IAAF said on Thursday.

The IAAF said in a statement that its athletes have had a similar system for a dozen years and that the issue only became prominent now that other sports have to follow it under the new World Anti-Doping Code regulations.

The new system for out-of-competition testing has been criticised by athletes across the world of sport in recent weeks.

Monte Carlo - Athletics' controlling body IAAF said Monday that the Golden League would be scrapped and replaced by a new circuit called IAAF Diamond League starting in 2010.

In a statement released by the IAAF in Monte Carlo the organization said the new series would also be held outside Europe thereby meeting one of their strategic goals, which is to enhance the worldwide appeal of athletics.

Monte Carlo -