Federer at australian open

SERENA WILLIAMS has pulled out of the French Open through injury, meaning she will not equal Margaret Court’s Majors record this year. The American has been carrying an injury since the US Open earlier this month and will no longer take part in the clay-court Slam in Paris. The 39-year-old injured her left Achilles tendon during the semi-final defeat to Victoria Azarenka in New York. The No6 seed was due to meet Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova second on Court Philippe-Chatrier this afternoon. But she has decided to forfeit, saying it is unlikely she will play another match until 2021. Williams said: “I think I need four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing and at least just two weeks of sitting down. “After that two weeks I've been told I need to do a little training. "I don’t know if I’ll be able to play another tournament this year.' “I love playing tennis. I love competing. It’s my job and I’m pretty good at it still. “I’m so close to some things and … [Read more...] about Serena Williams pulls out of French Open through injury ending hopes of equalling Margaret Court’s Majors haul this year

FRENCH tennis star Benoit Paire appeared to give up during defeat at the Argentina Open. It was the conclusion to a crazy game for the 31-year-old who had already got into an angry argument with the chair umpire, spat on the court, sworn and been docked a point. He seemingly 'tanked' at the end of the match... then went on to boast about his £6million tennis career earnings. Paire took on Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in Buenos Aires on Thursday. Everything appeared to be going smoothly for the world No29 - seeded third at the tournament - as he claimed the first set 6-4. But a Cerundolo serve during the second set imploded Paire into a self-destructive rage. The ball down the middle was called in - Paire disagreed and pointed to what he believed was the mark in the clay proving it was out. Umpire Nacho Forcadell got down and decided the ball had caught the line - he gave Cerundolo the point as Paire lost his cool and the few spectators began to whistle and … [Read more...] about Watch Paire ‘give up’ in Argentina Open after being docked point for SPITTING before boasting about £6m career earnings

How great is the risk of contracting coronavirus outdoors? The chances of becoming infected with the virus are far slimmer outdoors than indoors. This applies to the original coronavirus as well as to its mutants. This is due to aerosols, which are tiny particles floating in the atmosphere, that play a key role in the spread of the virus. Experts say aerosols pose a smaller risk outdoors. "This has to do with air circulation being far more pronounced outdoors," says Nico Mutters, who heads the Institute for Hygiene and Public Health at Bonn University Hospital. "The winds have a quick diluting effect." Birgit Wehner, an aerosols researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, says the tiny particles we exhale dry and dissipate far quicker outdoors. However, a paper by the Aerosols Association — signed by Wehner and others — states that infections still cannot be ruled out when individuals gather in large groups without keeping a sufficient distance. This means … [Read more...] about Fact check: The risk of catching coronavirus outdoors

They were sobbing silently, waiting for their turn at the end of a dark corridor — a dozen petrified women, seeking medical check-ups in Adigrat's hospital after having been raped. None of them was willing to utter more than a few words. Every day, Eritrean soldiers come to take medical equipment. Patients and doctors are terrified. "They come here every day, even two times per day," explained a general practitioner, who wished to remain anonymous. "Yesterday, they stole a stretcher. When they come, not only the patients, but also the staff run away. The treatments get interrupted." Civilians raped and injured Since fighting erupted in the Tigray region in early November, the public hospital in Adrigrat has received over 174 rape survivors. But there are fears many more could be trapped in villages. "These [cases] are only those who have access to this hospital, but we don't know what happens in the 18 districts in the Eastern [Tigray] zone - what happens to the mothers, what … [Read more...] about Anger and collective trauma scar Ethiopia’s Tigray region