Sporting Digest: Tennis

Women will take part in the Grand Slam Cup in Munich for the first time this autumn. The eight best performers in the year's Grand Slam events will take part in the event from 29 September to 4 October with pounds 500,000 at stake for the winner. In turn the men's event, held since 1990, will be reduced to 12 entrants from 16 last year, with the winner receiving pounds 800,000. It was also confirmed yesterday that the tournament will remain in Munich until 2001. At last year's event there had been talk of a switch to Asia after 1999.

Mark Philippoussis, the Australian No 2, has been dropped for the year by Davis Cup captain John Newcombe after announcing he was unable to play in the first two rounds. Philippoussis' manager, Rob Aivatoglou, said the 20-year-old wanted to spend more time with his family early on in the year while not on the world professional tour. But Newcombe responded by announcing that Philippoussis would not play in the Davis Cup at all this year. Instead he has turned to 16-year-old Lleyton Hewitt in his team to play Zimbabwe from 3 to 5 April.