Coronavirus case found in US Open 'bubble'

NEW YORK - A positive test for coronavirus has been found in the New York tennis bubble where the US Open is set to take place later this month, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Tuesday.

USTA medical officer Bernard Camins revealed that the person who has contracted the virus "is not a player" and is asymptomatic.

The finding comes after 1,400 tests for the disease were conducted since August 13 in the bubble at the Billie Jean King center in New York City, where the Cincinnati ATP event and the US Open are to be staged.

Dr. Camins said the male individual initially tested negative but then a second test two days later came up positive. He added that the person's hotel roommate has also been placed under quarantine.

"It would have been nice if he was positive the first time. But the reason we added the second test at 48 hours was to account for the time we couldn't be covering," Dr. Camins said.

The US Open, which was rescheduled to start on August 31, has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a host of top players pulling out of the tournament. 

Among those not taking part are men's world number two -- and last year's champion at Flushing Meadows -- Rafael Nadal and the majority of the top 10 from the WTA women's tour.

Ranked second in the world, on Monday Simona Halep became the latest star to skip the American Grand Slam, joining women's world number one Ashleigh Barty and reigning US Open champ Bianca Andreescu.

"We respect their decisions at all times. It's up to each individual player to make that decision," said USTA chief executive Mike Dowse.

"I want to remind everyone, this was not a host at all costs. It had to adhere to our three principles. We're confident it has"

However the men's draw will feature world number one Novak Djokovic and other big names like third-ranked Dominic Thiem and fellow top 10 players Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev.

Agence France-Presse

USTA planning for US Open, mull alternatives

LOS ANGELES -- The United States Tennis Association is pressing ahead with preparations to stage the US Open in New York this year but is "aggressively" drafting alternative plans for the tournament, a spokesman said on Thursday.

With New York the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the US Open's apparently precarious place on the sporting calendar has faced increasing speculation in recent weeks.

Multiple reports have suggested that USTA officials are mulling a possible switch of the August 31-September 13 tournament to either Indian Wells or Orlando in an effort to evade the clutches of COVID-19.

However, USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said in an email to AFP on Thursday that the organisation's sights remained firmly set on staging the Open at its regular venue and date. 

"The USTA's goal is to hold the 2020 US Open in New York on its currently scheduled dates," Widmaier said, describing planning for the tournament as "ongoing."

"We understand that there is a great deal of speculation regarding the USTA's planning for the 2020 US Open," he added. "We would like to clarify that while we are exploring every possibility around the US Open, the potential to shift the event location or date is not at the forefront at this point in time."

Widmaier added, however, that because of the "uncertain and rapidly-changing environment" caused by COVID-19, the USTA had been "aggressively modeling many other contingencies, including scenarios with no fans."

A final decision on plans for the US Open would be taken next month, in "mid-to-late June", Widmaier said.

"Paramount with all our decisions regarding the US Open will be the health and safety of all those involved, in any capacity, with the tournament," Widmaier said.

USTA officials are in constant contact with New York State and City agencies regarding coronavirus.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with the international tennis calendar, which has ground to a standstill since the crisis erupted.

The French Open at Roland Garros has already been postponed until the end of September while Wimbledon has been cancelled.

Spanish star Rafael Nadal meanwhile has questioned whether the sport will be able to return this year, describing 2020 as "practically lost" in an interview earlier this month.

The New York Times meanwhile reported on Wednesday that the USTA had not yet held any serious talks with Larry Ellison, the billionaire owner of Indian Wells Tennis Garden about possibly relocating the US Open to the California desert.

The Times reported that the other venue under possible consideration, the USTA's 100-court Orlando training center was problematic as there was no infrastructure to support fans and courts would also need to be wired for live television.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Serena routs Venus 6-1, 6-2 in all-Williams US Open clash

Serena Williams roared through her 30th career meeting with her sister Venus on Friday, booking a US Open fourth-round berth with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Serena was all business for the highly anticipated all-Williams clash under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Despite -- or because of -- the emotional and tactical challenges of facing Venus, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said the match-up brought out the best tennis she has played since she came back from the birth of her daughter Olympia last September 1.

"Absolutely this was my best match since I returned," said Serena, who blasted winners off both wings -- 34 in all -- and fired 10 aces in the 72-minute match.

Both players were subdued on court. There were no fist-pumps or "come ons" and when Serena sealed it with a forehand winner, the sisters met at the net for a hug and walked to their chairs before Serena acknowledged the crowd with a wave.

"It's not easy," she said of facing Venus. "She's my best friend. She means the world to me. Every time she loses I feel like I do."

Venus' seven Grand Slam titles include a victory over Serena in the 2001 US Open final. But Serena has gone on to beat her in seven of eight major finals since then and now owns an 18-12 record over her elder sister.

The third-round encounter marked their earliest meeting in a Grand Slam since Venus beat Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open -- the first time they met as professionals.

"It's not very easy, but it's a tournament and we all know there's more to life than just playing each other and playing tennis," Serena said.

Not even a brief injury scare could slow Serena. She rolled her right ankle in the second game, taking a medical timeout to have more tape added to the bandage she was already wearing under her sock at the next changeover.

There was no sign she was affected as she broke Venus for a 3-1 lead and she pocketed the first set after 31 minutes with a love game punctuated by her fourth ace.

Venus had four game points in the previous game before she was broken to trail 5-1.

The second set was more of the same. Serena quickly gained the upper hand with a break in the opening game and broke Venus at love for a 4-1 lead.

Perhaps the first sign of nerves showed in two double faults in the final game -- including one on her first match point.

But she followed each with an ace as she set up a clash with Estonian Kaia Kanepi for a place in the quarter-finals.

Kanepi, who toppled world number one Simona Halep in the first round, defeated Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Serena, Djokovic top seeds for U.S. Open

World number ones Serena Williams, aiming to complete the first calendar-year grand slam in 27 years, and Novak Djokovic have been named the top seeds for the U.S. Open championships starting on Monday in New York.

Williams, winner of the last three U.S. women's singles crowns at Flushing Meadows, is followed on the seeding list by number two Simona Halep of Romania, a 2014 French Open finalist.

Russia's Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open winner, is seeded third with 2014 U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark seeded fourth.

Five-times U.S. Open champion Roger Federer is the second seed for the men's event where the top-10 seeds feature five U.S. Open champions and six grand slam winners in all.

In addition to 2011 champion Djokovic of Serbia and Switzerland's Federer (2004-08), former U.S. champions include Andy Murray (2012), Rafael Nadal (2010, 13) and last year's winner, Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Scotland's Murray is seeded third, Spaniard Nadal is eighth and Cilic seeded ninth.

Kei Nishikori of Japan, runner-up last year to Cilic, is seeded fourth, one spot ahead of reigning French Open champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Other prominent women's seeds include fifth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, followed at number six by compatriot Lucie Safarova, this year's French Open finalist.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, a U.S. Open finalist in 2012 and 2013, is seeded 20th. Twice U.S. winner Venus Williams is seeded 23rd, 2011 champion Samantha Stosur of Australia is 22nd and 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia is seeded 30th.

A victory for Serena Williams would make her the fourth woman to sweep all four slams in a single season, joining Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988).

It would also be the American's seventh U.S. Open singles crown, breaking her tie atop the all-time list with Chris Evert, and move her into a tie for second on the career grand slam singles list with Graf at 22, two behind Court.

The singles draws for the 2015 U.S. Open will be made at the National Tennis Center on Thursday.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in Edison, New Jersey; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com