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Tuesday 4 July 2017
Discussing crash, Venus Williams sheds tears at Wimbledon

By HOWARD FENDRICH left knee and bowed out you advise someone on
AP Tennis Writer 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Daniil that. ... Unless you’ve been
LONDON (AP) — Venus Wil- Medvedev, a 21-year-old through it, you don’t know.
liams wiped tears from her Russian ranked 49th who You don’t know what to
eyes during her Wimbledon had never won so much as do.” Williams has not been
news conference Monday. one Grand Slam match in cited or charged, and po-
She shook her head, fiddled his career. lice say she was not drunk,
with her hair and sat, silent- “For sure, I wasn’t feeling on drugs or texting, but that
ly. The wave of emotion the way I wanted to feel,” she drove her SUV into the
came as Williams attempt- Wawrinka said. path of a car carrying a
ed to answer a question “Apparently,” he said with married couple. Williams,
about the two-car crash a grin, “grass is not the best who owns a home near the
that police say she caused surface for my knee.” crash site, told investigators
June 9 in Florida; a 78-year- Wawrinka has won each her light was green when
old passenger in the other of the other majors once she entered the six-lane
vehicle died 13 days later. apiece but Wimbledon has intersection but she got
Williams’ 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory given him fits over the years. stopped midpoint by traf-
over Elise Mertens at the All He has yet to get past the fic and didn’t see the other
England Club was the five- quarterfinals and this was car before she crossed their
time Wimbledon champi- his sixth exit in the first round. lane. “I mean, obviously, I
on’s first match anywhere Another seeded man hob- think it would weigh on any
since the accident — and bled by an injury departed human being, and Venus
the first time she has spoken when No. 20 Nick Kyrgios, a is no different,” said Wil-
about it publicly. talented if temperamental liams’ coach, David Witt.
Well, tried to speak about Australian, stopped playing “Venus is the nicest person,
it. She began by saying: because of a hip problem. and (this is) just some ran-
“There are really no words He dropped the first two dom thing that could hap-
to describe, like, how dev- sets against Pierre-Hugues pen to anybody, any day.
astating and ...” Herbert of France before But she’s looking to focus
Williams paused. calling it quits. on the tennis. I’m sure it’s
“Yeah, I’m completely Two of the four men who weighing on her but we’re
speechless,” she briefly Venus Williams of the United States returns to Belgium’s Elise have divvied up the past 14 going day by day and
continued. Mertens during their Women’s Singles Match on the opening Wimbledon trophies won getting good practice in.
“It’s just ...” day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London easily Monday: Andy Mur- Once she enters the court,
“Yeah, I mean, I’m just ...” Monday, July 3, 2017. ray and Rafael Nadal. I think her mind’s on the
Then she sat there, silently. Associated Press Murray was asked about match and tennis and win-
Eventually, the modera- avoided, saying, “Venus her — were the most note- what advice he might give ning here at Wimbledon.”
tor seated next to Williams is willing to take a couple worthy happenings on Day Williams. “I don’t know ex- Asked Monday how diffi-
temporarily halted the more questions about oth- 1 at the grass-court Grand actly what happened. I cult the recent weeks have
news conference, allow- er things. Tennis, perhaps.” Slam tournament. just read kind of more, like, been, Williams replied:
ing the 37-year-old Ameri- The 10th-seeded Williams’ There was, though, on-court headlines, rather than the “Tennis is still the love of my
can to leave the room for return to action, and dif- news, too, of course, start- whole stories about it. But life. You know, it gives me
a bit. She huddled nearby ficulty in addressing the ing with this: No. 3-ranked it’s obviously horrific when joy.” She is a former No. 1
with her older sister, Isha, off-court matters with the Stan Wawrinka, a three- anything like that hap- and the owner of seven
before returning. When media — just last week, the time major champion and pens,” he said. “I’m sure major singles titles, along
the proceedings resumed, police report was released, the runner-up at the French it must be tough for her with 14 Grand Slam dou-
the moderator asked that and a day later, the estate Open just three weeks ago, to focus on her tennis just bles titles, all won with her
the topic of the crash be of the man who died sued dealt with a bothersome now. But I don’t know how younger sister, Serena.q

Tiger Woods says he has completed intensive program

By The Associated Press manage his medications the 14-time major champi-
Tiger Woods says he’s and how he deals with on, who had back surgery
checked out of the clinic pain and a sleep disorder. in April, was seeking in-pa-
where he went to get help His agent confirmed that tient treatment.q
dealing with pain medica-
tions, adding he will “con-
tinue to tackle this going
forward.”
The treatment follows the
golfer’s arrest on a DUI
charge after he was found
asleep at the wheel in Ju-
piter, Florida, around 2 a.m.
on May 29. Woods told po-
lice he was taking various
prescriptions. No alcohol
was found in his system.
In this Feb. 2, 2017 file photo, Tiger Woods reacts on hole Woods said in a statement
10th during the 1st round of the Dubai Desert Classic golf last month that he was re-
tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Associated Press ceiving professional help to