FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2020 08 Juventus’ Rugani, Matuidi recover from COVID-19 Rafael Nadal expects lengthy wait before tennis returns AFP | Madrid while Wimbledon was cancelled preparing to play behind closed Juventus’ Daniele Rugani (L) and afael Nadal thinks the earlier this month for the first doors for several weeks to com- Blaise Matuidi react at the end of global nature of ten - time since World War II. plete their seasons and avoid a match (file photo) Rnis means there is little But the prospect of either losing considerable sums of chance tournaments will go grand slams at Roland Garros or money from broadcasting con- Reuters | Milan ahead any time soon as sport Flushing Meadows being played tracts. But tennis tournaments continues to be paralysed by the with fans appears increasingly are more reliant on fans for their uventus players Daniele coronavirus pandemic. remote. income, making it more compli- JRugani and Blaise Ma- Novak Djokovic also antici- “Tennis is a global sport,” Na- cated to stage competitions in tuidi have fully recovered pates a lengthy delay before ten- dal told Spanish radio station empty stadiums. from COVID-19, the respira- nis can be played even behind Onda Cero on Wednesday night. “It is not an easy decision,” tory disease caused by the closed doors, with the world “We go from country to country Djokovic told the same pro - new coronavirus, and will number one expecting players and a lot of people have to move gramme. “I am ready but I think no longer need to self-iso- to have to wait a “few months”. around. we have to wait a few months.” late, the Italian side have The French Open, which Nad- “It seems difficult to me for “If you could play behind said. al has won a record 12 times, has any big tournament to be played closed doors, I would be delight- Rugani and Matuidi are been postponed until Septem- in the short or medium term.” ed but I think it’s very difficult,” Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves the ball during a match (file photo) two of three Juventus play- ber, shortly after the US Open, Football’s major leagues are added Nadal. ers who last month tested positive for the virus. The duo were asymptomatic, but the third player, for- ward Paulo Dybala, showed Real goalie Courtois to race for KHK Heroes Challenge Red Bull in virtual Chinese GP goes beyond border Daniele Rugani TDT | Manama and Blaise Matuidi Reuters | London aster Rudimar Fedrigo, underwent, as Mfounder of Chute Boxe per protocol, a eal Madrid goalkeeper Thi- Muay Thai Academy and Team double check Rbaut Courtois is aiming for has accepted KHK Heroes with diagnostic a top 10 finish when he joins Challenge from Brazil. tests (swabs) for Red Bull’s Alexander Albon and Initiated by HH Shaikh five other regular Formula One Khalid bin Hamad Al Khali- the Coronavirus- racers for Sunday’s virtual Chi- fa, the campaign aims to help COVID-19 nese Grand Prix. those most vulnerable during JUVENTUS The 1.99 metre tall Belgian the Coronavirus Pandemic. international is a serious gam- KHK Heroes has called on er and has become an esports Bahrain to make donations, Rudimar Fedrigo strong symptoms. regular during the COVID-19 volunteer time to KHK Heroes “Daniele Rugani and lockdown, with both the soc- or take up the challenge to post Blaise Matuidi underwent, cer and motor racing seasons a video online and nominate as per protocol, a double on hold, as athletes compete Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reacts during a match (file photo) someone to pay it forward. check with diagnostic tests online from home. Master Fedrigo, and coach (swabs) for the Coronavi- Six times Olympic cycling track and racing against other Norris, the Williams pairing of world champions such as KNOW WHAT rus-COVID-19,” Juventus gold medallist Chris Hoy and F1 drivers is pretty awesome,” of George Russell and Nich - Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio said on their website. World Cup-winning England said the 27-year-old. olas Latifi, Alfa Romeo’s An- “Shogun” Rua, Anderson Sil- “The tests came back cricketer Ben Stokes raced “Practice over the last few tonio Giovinazzi and Ferrari’s va to name a few, is the first with negative results. The for Red Bull in the two pre - weeks has seen me always Charles Leclerc. person to answer this call from Master Fedrigo is players have, therefore, re- vious virtual grands prix but around the middle of the grid Leclerc won the previous vir- a foreign country. the coach of world covered and are no longer ended up among the tail- so I’m hoping to get into the tual Vietnam Grand Prix on his Fedrigo has been widely champions such as subjected to the home iso- enders. points.” Formula One esports debut. credited with being a central Wanderlei Silva, lation regime.” Courtois has his sights on Sunday would have been the “From an esports perspec- figure in the popularization Mauricio “Shogun” The Serie A has been sus- more than just taking part in a day of the real Chinese Grand tive, the last Virtual Grand Prix of mixed martial arts in Brazil Rua, Anderson Silva to pended since March 9 but 28 lap race that will be televised Prix in Shanghai but that race was one of our most successful and beyond. He has been at the name a few the Italian football federa- live by Formula One’s broad- is one of seven to have been events we’ve ever put on, so it’s forefront of the sport since the tion is hoping clubs can re- cast partners in more than 100 postponed so far due to the pan- great to be back and be able to end of the century, when his sume training with precau- countries as well as on social demic. continue building something team started to shine in inter- reers of BRAVE CF Ambassador tionary measures in place channels. Apart from Thai racer Albon, that has proven hugely popu- national organizations, most Cris Cyborg and current BRAVE after the current lockdown “I love the game, I’ve faced the other regular F1 drivers tak- lar,” said F1 esports head Julian notably in Japan. He has also CF Coach of the Year Cristiano in Italy ends on May 3. Alex a few times already on ing part are McLaren’s Lando Tan. been instrumental in the ca- Marcello. Spurs would struggle to replace ‘big player’ Kane: Moura Organisers expect US Open decision in June Reuters | London player like him,” Bra- Reuters | New York provide a response when con- zilian forward Mou- tacted by Reuters. ottenham Hotspur would ra said. he United Over 636,000 people have Tstruggle to replace captain “Everyone TStates Tennis tested positive for the new coro- Harry Kane if he leaves the knows he’s a big Association ex- navirus and close to 31,000 have Premier League club at the end player.” pects to make a died in the United States, ac- of the season, team mate Lucas Kane, who decision about cording to a Reuters tally, with Moura has said. scored 11 the US Open in New York the worst-hit state. Kane is contracted to Spurs league goals in June and is also planning An indoor tennis facility at the until 2024 but said during an 20 appearanc- to provide some $15 mil - site of the US Open is currently Instagram Live session with es this season, was lion in assistance to tennis serving as a temporary hospital Sky Sports pundit Jamie Red- recovering from bodies struggling due to due to the medical crisis in New knapp last month that he could hamstring surgery the COVID-19 pandemic, the York. leave if he felt the London club when football in New York Times reported General view of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the venue for The USTA, which governs were not moving in the right England was sus - yesterday. US Open the sport in the country, said direction. pended indefinitely The tennis season was halt- it would cut salaries of its top Kane, who also captains due to the COVID-19 ed in early March due to the on hold until at least mid-July. fast,” USTA Chief Executive Mi- executives by 20% for the rest England, is Spurs’ third-high- pandemic. pandemic as countries began The USTA, organisers of the US chael Dowse was quoted as say- of 2020 to raise funds to sup- est scorer of all time but has Tottenham were locking down borders and in- Open, have said they were cur- ing in the NYT report. port American tennis facilities, yet to win a trophy with his eighth before the troducing measures to contain rently going ahead with plans to “You can imagine the runway teaching professionals and boyhood club. game’s suspension, the spread of the flu-like virus. host the hardcourt Grand Slam to ramp up the US Open is not grassroots tennis organisations. “I’m sure that every season seven points adrift Wimbledon was scrapped for in New York as scheduled from a short runway, so I’m think- Dowse said the emergency Tottenham receive offers for of fourth place and the first time since World War Aug. 31-Sept. 14. ing probably the latter part of funding was not dependent on Kane. I want him to stay be- qualification for next Two while the French Open has “We don’t have a hard date June, sometime in that June the fate of the hardcourt Grand cause he’s very important for season’s Champions Harry been moved from May to Sep- set yet (to make a decision), just time frame.” Slam, which is the main source us and it’s not easy to find a League.