Federer to Miss Rest of Season After Knee Op
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SPORT SPORT | 06 SPORT | 07 QORC: Dominant Shutdown may Abdulla help Serena's registers another Grand Slam victory quest: Coach THURDAY 11 JUNE 2020 Federer to miss rest of season after knee op AFP — PARIS ahead of his longtimengtime rivalsrivals NadalNadal in Cape Town in earlyearly careercareer in whichw he has won 103 Rafael Nadal (19)) and Novak February.February. singlessingles titles,tit including all four Twenty-time Grand Slam Djokovic (17) on the all-time Tennis groundground to a halthalt in majors.majors. singles champion Roger Federer list. MarchMarch becausebecause of thethe corona-corona- HeHe hadha arthroscopic surgery said yesterday he will be side- I plan to take the The biggest titletle hehe hashas yet virus,virus, andand thethe globetrottingglobetrotting onon hishis leftleft knee -- the first oper- lined until 2021 after under- necessary time to win is an Olympicmpic singles sportsport faces an uncertain route ation of hish career -- in early going his second knee operation gold medal. toto recovery given cripplingcrippling 20162016 afterafte suffering a freak in a matter of months. to be 100 percent The Tokyo Gamesames -- seenseen traveltravel restrictions.restrictions. injuryinjury whilewh running a bath for The 38-year-old Swiss said ready to play at my as Federer’s finalal opportunity InIn April,April, FedererFederer saidsaid hhee was hishis daughters.daugh he underwent follow-up arthro- to complete a careerareer “golden”“golden” “devastated”“devastated” whenwhen Wimbledon,Wimbledon, But afteraf failing to win a title scopic surgery “a few weeks highest level. I will be Grand Slam -- haveave beenbeen post-post- wherewhere hehe hashas won a recordrecord thatthat yearyea Federer returned ago” after undergoing a similar missing my fans and poned until next year becausebecause eighteight titles, was cancelled for stronglystrongly inin 2017, winning seven keyhole procedure in the tour dearly but I of the pandemic,, andand FedererFederer thethe firstfirst timetime sincesince WorldWorld WarWar tournamentstourname including the Aus- February. will turn 40 on thethe day of the II.II. traliantralian OpenO and Wimbledon Federer, whose last Grand will look forward to closing ceremony.y. Federer,Federer, knownknown forfor hishis ---- hishis mostmo prolific season in a Slam win was the 2018 Aus- seeing everyone back After the initialial operation,operation, elegant style of play, decade.decade. tralian Open, said he “experi- on tour at the start Federer had originallyinally pplannedlanned hashas got offoff He is stills six ATP titles short enced a setback during (his) to return for the nowow cancelledcancelled lightlylightly witwithh of JimmyJimmy Connors’ all-time initial rehabilitation”. of the 2021 season: grass-court seasonason thisthis injuriesinjuries recordrecord ofof 109. “I plan to take the necessary Roger Federer month. His last tournamenturnament duringduring Tour-levelTour- tennis has been time to be 100 percent ready to match was on Januarynuary 30 inn a suspendedsuspende until the end of July play at my highest level,” he the Australian Openpen semi-semi- at thethe earliest,earl with the US Open said in a statement on Twitter. retirement for Federer, who finals, where hehe lostlost too scheduledscheduled to start on August 24 “I will be missing my fans holds the record for men’s eventual championhampion andand the rescheduled French and the tour dearly but I will Grand Slam singles titles and Djokovic. OpenOpen on SeptemberS 20. look forward to seeing everyone last month topped Forbes’ list His last appearanceearance on FedererFeder has not won the back on tour at the start of the of the world’s highest earning court was in frontnt ofof 51,954 titletitle ata either Flushing 2021 season.” athletes. fans -- touted by ororganisersganisers Roger Federer MeadowsMeado or Roland Garros The announcement is likely Federer, who won his first as a world recordd forfor tennistennis sincesince his only French Open to renew speculation about major trophy in 2003, lies just -- at a charity matchatch againstagainst triumphtriu in 2009. Pakistan legend QNB Stars League teams resume training Italian Akram warns saliva MotoGP at ban will make Mugello bowlers ‘robots’ cancelled AFP — KARACHI AFP — PARIS Legendary Pakistan paceman Wasim Akram The MotoGP Italian Grand Prix, warned yesterday that bowlers would become originally scheduled for May “robots” after cricket officials temporarily banned 31 at Mugello and then post- shining the ball with saliva as a coronavirus poned, has been cancelled, the precaution. International Motorcycling Bowlers traditionally get the ball to move or Federation (FIM) announced swing in the air by applying shine to one side Al Shahania team’s players attend a training yesterday. using sweat or saliva. session as QNB Stars League (QSL) sides “Despite the communal The International Cricket Council, however, returned to training pitches yesterday ahead effort made to find a practical has temporarily banned the practise over virus of the July 24 restart. Teams are training at solution, the impossibility of transmission fears as teams prepare to return to the Khalifa International Stadium, Indoor staging an event that is open the pitch in the coming weeks. Players can still stadium in Aspire, Training grounds for Qatar to spectators, as well as the apply sweat to the ball. 2022 FIFA World Cup and Clubs’ training difficulties that have arisen “It will make bowlers robots, coming and grounds. INSET: Umm Salal players leave from this exceptional situation, bowling without swing,” Akram said, adding they team's hotel for a training session. QSL have not allowed us to find a would have to be patient and wait for the ball to was halted due to coronavirus pandemic new date for the Italian Grand age naturally. “It’s a quizzical situation for me as in March. Prix,” said Paulo Poli, CEO of I grew up using saliva to shine the ball and to Mugello Circuit in an FIM swing it,” he added. statement. “I am all for precautions in these tough times, The FIM said this will be so bowlers have to wait for the ball to get old and the first time in nearly 30 years rough for them to get swing. Sweat alone was that the Tuscan circuit will not unlikely to generate swing as in some countries Virtual crowds and stadium host the Italian motorcycling it was too cold," said Akram. Grand Prix. “Sweat is just something of an add-on, a The season was originally top-up. Too much use of sweat will leave the scheduled to start on March 8 cricket ball too wet,” he said. noise greet return of La Liga in Qatar, but only the Moto2 Akram, who took 414 Test and 502 one-day and Moto3 events were raced. international wickets in a storied career, believes The FIM and the promoter artificial substance could potentially help as he REUTERS — BARCELONA what they are trying to sell of the MotoGP championship, encouraged officials to keep searching for as the return of football the Spanish group Dorna, have alternatives. The usually scorching feels to us like a lack of yet to present a revised cal- “I believe that they will need to find a rea- derby between Sevilla and respect to the fans they endar for the World Champi- sonable solution. Artificial substances like vaseline Real Betis kicks the La want to replace,” said onship, which has been put on could be used to swing the ball but how much of Liga season back into Emilio Abejon of fans hold by the coronavirus it? “Let’s see, we have this England versus the action today but while the group FASFE. pandemic. West Indies series to judge how it goes, because Sanchez Pizjuan stadium “We’ve spent years The Italian MotoGP is the I have never experienced this thing.” will be eerily quiet without protesting against the fact eighth race to be cancelled. International cricket resumes with England spectators, the television that La Liga wants to Dorna CEO Carmelo hosting the West Indies in a Test series later this broadcast will offer a far make us the props for Ezpeleta indicated in early month . Akram said suggestions that limited ball- livelier experience. their broadcasts but with June that he expected to tampering be allowed should also be considered With virtual crowd this move they have gone present a new calendar soon. by officials. visuals and noise, La Liga one step further. Now all “If all goes well, we will “When can you tamper the ball? Right from hopes to compensate for they need to do is replace start on July 19th in Jerez and the first over or after 20-25 overs? They will need the enforced empty sta- the players and they’ll the last races will take place in to sit down and do brainstorming,” he added. diums when the season have reinvented video November, from 12 to 13 “The game is already tilted more in favour of resumes after a three- games.” races,” he said. the batsmen.”batsmen. month break due to the La Liga responded by Dorna has asked the COVID-19 pandemic. Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi (centre) saying: “We want to give Spanish government for per- La Liga’s partnership attending a training session in Sant Joan Despi. viewers a good experience mission to hold two races Wasim with Norwegian broad- and that’s why during this behind closed doors on July 19 Akram casting technology firm chances and fouls. industry. Sitcoms and late unusual time we have and 26 at the Jerez circuit in Vizrt means viewers will “Our aim was to night shows add applause opted for virtualisation of Andalusia, but has not yet see to-scale images of reproduce the same and laughter and we think the stands. Everyone received an answer. seated fans wearing the entertainment experience the audience will under- watching it will know it home club’s colours in that viewers had before so stand that this will give a isn’t real, but it will The FIM said this will be “virtualised” stands.