Beckers close to private deal in custody battle

Boris and Barbara Becker are understood to be working on a private agreement which could be announced just before the estranged pair are due in court today.

They met several times over the weekend and are, according to press reports, aiming to make a joint decision before the court in Miami opens.

Boris Becker's mother Elvira could be one of the first witnesses in the former tennis star's courtroom fight with Barbara for custody of their two sons.

The 56-year-old grandmother of Noah, six, and Elias, one, arrived in Miami this weekend ready to testify if necessary that the two boys usually live in Munich, Germany.

Such a move would support Becker's attempts to have the divorce court case moved to Germany rather than being dealt with in the USA, where he says he is at a disadvantage.