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sportsTuesday 9 January 2018
Murray undergoes hip surgery,
hopes to be back for Wimbledon
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus wraps
— Andy Murray underwent an ice towel around her neck during a break in her quarterfinal
surgery on his right hip on match against Angelique Kerber of Germany at the Australian
Monday and said he hopes Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia.
to be back playing in time
for Wimbledon. Associated Press
The former No. 1-ranked
Murray, a three-time major Former champion Victoria Azarenka
winner, has not played a
competitive match since a withdraws from the Australian Open
quarterfinal exit at Wimble-
don last July. In this Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 file photo, Great Britain’s Andy MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) to returning to Melbourne
Murray has been told to — Two-time champion Vic- next year.” Azarenka, who
expect a 14-week recov- Murray reacts after he lost a match to Spain’s Roberto Bautista toria Azarenka has with- won the Australian Open
ery period and he is target- drawn from the Australian in 2012 and 2013, has been
ing a return to the court by Agut during the second day of the Mubadala World Tennis Open, with her wildcard en- involved in a custody dis-
June. try to the season’s first ma- pute involving her son Leo,
“I underwent successful Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. jor reallocated to Ajla Tom- who was born last Dec. 19.
right hip surgery at the St ljanovic. Australian Open Australian Open organiz-
Vincent Hospital in Mel- Associated Press organizers announced ers last month granted her
bourne,” Murray wrote Azarenka’s withdrawal in a wildcard entry, with Tiley
on his Facebook page. have to reduce his work- tour. “I’ll be playing a re- a social media post Mon- saying at the time, “Vika’s
“I’d like to thank Dr John day, a week before the current situation is obvious-
O’Donnell and all of the load on court. duced schedule, and then tournament begins.“It’s un- ly very difficult for her and
staff for looking after me. fortunate that (Azarenka) we have reached out to
I look forward to returning “I’m certainly not going focusing more on trying to is unable to travel to Aus- offer any support we can.”
to competitive tennis dur- tralia this year,” organizers Azarenka had initially been
ing the grass court season. to be putting in the same win major events and big posted on Twitter, quoting scheduled to make a re-
Thanks to everyone for all tournament director Craig turn to competitive tennis
the well wishes and support amount of tournaments tournaments rather than Tiley. The Australian Open, in New Zealand last week,
over the last few days. I’ll “is her favorite tournament but withdrew from that
comeback from this.” and effort to try to get to trying to achieve certain and she’s looking forward tournament as well. q
The 30-year-old Murray,
though, accepts he will No. 1,” Murray told British ranking goals.”
media. “I’ll certainly be Murray said he can get
more considered in the himself back to “95 percent
amount of tournaments I of my best.”
play, even though I play “I believe that’s enough
a conservative schedule to compete at the high-
anyway in comparison to est level,” he added. “No
most of the players on the question.”q
A few dozen This Nov. 1, 2017, file photo shows the Mercedes-Benz stadium p.m. kickoff between the porters make against the
protesters in University of Alabama and president’s opponents.
cold rain outside in Atlanta. the University of Georgia. “We’re going to make
the big game For hours earlier Monday, a snowflake turn into a
Associated Press as light rain fell off and on, mighty blizzard inside of
ATLANTA (AP) — A few doz- there had been no anti- Mercedes-Benz Stadium
en protesters took a knee Up.” nizing and very angry and Trump protesters in sight. when Mr. Trump comes,”
in cold, light rain on a side- With the rain’s unpleasant- Gerald Griggs, a vice presi-
walk near the venue of the Tee Stern, with the group fearful of the fact that we ness compounded by tem- dent of the Atlanta branch
College Football Playoff ti- peratures in the 30s, many of the National Associa-
tle game Monday evening, called Refuse Facism are facing down a fascist fans — decked out in Uni- tion for the Advancement
shouting slogans against versity of Georgia red-and- of Colored People, said at
President Donald Trump. ATL, said the demonstra- regime and it needs to be black or University of Ala- a news conference earlier
A few police officers looked bama crimson — sought Monday.
on at the small, peaceful tion was called to “take a stopped,” Stern told The refuge ahead of the game The organization also
protest as a leader with a inside nearby restaurants planned a “Twitter storm”
bullhorn led chants in the knee” against the Trump Associated Press. and the Georgia World beginning at 6 p.m. and
direction of fans streaming Congress Center, waiting continuing through the
past them before game administration. The protest came ahead of for the stadium gates to end of the game. They
time to Mercedez-Benz Sta- open. Crowds were also plan to use the hashtag
dium, about three blocks “We are getting the mes- Trump’s scheduled arrival sparse for most of the day’s #AllTrumpsLies to highlight
away. concerts in nearby Cen- what they say are lies told
“Black lives matter! Wom- sage out across the coun- at the downtown Atlanta tennial Olympic Park. by the president.
en’s lives matter and im- In another planned protest, Atlanta police set up des-
migrants’ lives matter!” try to everyone that is ago- stadium for the planned 8 the NAACP Atlanta branch ignated areas for demon-
protesters chanted, some urged people to wear strations and had previous-
opening umbrellas against white and wave white ly said they wouldn’t inter-
the rain. Three of them car- towels when the president fere unless protesters break
ried a sign that said, “The arrived at the stadium or the law.
Trump-Pence Machine when his name was men- Local, state and federal
Must Go.” Another sign in tioned. Organizers said the law enforcement authori-
the group read, “Time’s show of white was intend- ties said they’ve worked for
ed to mock the “snow- months to develop security
flake” insult that Trump sup- plans.q
