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sports Dialuna 4 Juli 2022

Roger Federer hopes to play ‘one more time’ at Wimbledon

(AP) — Roger Federer did of role,” said Federer, who
make his way to Wimble- had participated in every
don this year, after all — Wimbledon since his main-
not to compete, mind you, draw debut in 1999. “But it’s
but to take part in a cer- great to be here with ... all the
emony marking the cen- other champions. This court
tenary of Centre Court on has given me my biggest
Sunday — and declared wins, my biggest losses.”
his intention to try to re-
turn in 2023 with a racket His last match anywhere
in hand. came on July 7, 2021, when
he lost at Centre Court in the
“Just tried to be successful quarterfinals to Hubert Hur-
here and represent the sport kacz 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0. Soon
well. I hope I did that,” said after, Federer had surgery to
Federer, who won a men’s- repair damage to his menis-
record eight of his 20 Grand cus and cartilage in his right
Slam titles at the All England knee — his third operation
Club and was greeted with a on that knee in a span of 1 1/2
standing ovation. “And I hope years. Also listed by the club as at-
I can come back ... one more There were gauzy videos — Djokovic, the six-time win- tending: the son of Leslie
time.” Federer has said he plans to three in all — quips from co- ner scheduled to play at Cen- Godfree, who delivered the
return to tournament action hosts Sue Barker and John tre Court in the fourth round first serve in the first match
Instead of the mandatory at the Swiss Indoors in Oc- McEnroe, performances by later Sunday, joked when it at Centre Court in 1922, and
all-white playing uniform, tober. Cliff Richard, who used to was his turn with the micro- the grandson of Algernon
Federer wore a dark suit help kill time by singing dur- phone: “Gosh, I feel more Kingscote, Godfree’s oppo-
and tie, his purple Wimble- “Of course I’ve missed be- ing rain delays (a thing of the nervous than when I’m play- nent that day.
don member’s badge pinned ing here. I would have loved past, now that Centre Court ing.”
to a jacket lapel. The Swiss to be here. I knew walking and No. 1 Court are outfit- Absent were three of the win-
star, who turns 41 on Aug. 8 out here last year, it was go- ted with retractable roofs), Andy Murray, whose 2013 ningest players in tournament
and has been sidelined for a ing to be a tough year ahead. and Freya Ridings, who sang Wimbledon singles trophy history: Martina Navratilova
year by knee problems, was Maybe didn’t think it was the 2017 ballad “Lost With- was the first for a British man (who tested positive for CO-
among more than two dozen going to take me this long to out You” while accompany- in 77 years, Angelique Kerber VID-19 and wrote on Twitter
winners of singles champi- come back. But the knee has ing herself on a white piano and Petra Kvitova were other she was “gutted” to miss the
onships at the grass-court been rough on me,” he told placed on the grass near some active players present. And occasion), Serena Williams
tournament who appeared the crowd. “I didn’t know if I front-row seats. there were big names from and Pete Sampras. Navra-
in the main stadium during should make the trip, but I’m yesteryear, too, of course: tilova’s nine singles cham-
a 35-minute tribute to a sta- happy standing right here, Past champions on hand Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, pionships are a Wimbledon
dium that opened in 1922. right now.” included some still in the Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg — record; Williams, who lost in
brackets this year, such as he and McEnroe, fierce rivals the first round last week, and
“I’ve been lucky enough to The whole scene was, in Novak Djokovic, Rafael in the 1980s, hugged each Sampras, who retired in 2002,
play a lot of matches on this some respects, an infomercial Nadal and Simona Halep in other — Stefan Edberg and each won it seven times.
court. Feels awkward to be for the Grand Slam event it- singles, and Venus Williams Goran Ivanisevic.
here today in a different type self. in mixed doubles.

Zhou involved in frightening 1st-lap crash at British GP

(AP) — Zhou Guanyu was in- the gravel and his Alfa Romeo seemed there are no fractures,” said a radio by the FIA because his Mercedes was
volved in a frightening first-lap to be wedged between fencing and a broadcast from the Alfa Romeo team loaded onto a truck to be taken back
crash Sunday that brought the tire barrier at the first corner. The to Zhou’s teammate Valtteri Bottas. to pit lane while he was checking on
British Grand Prix to an immedi- race was red-flagged and George The team said he was the circuit’s Zhou. Mercedes protested the call,
ate halt as safety crews attended Russell, one of the drivers involved in medical center. but the FIA did not budge.
to the only Chinese driver in For- the crash, sprinted from his car to the
mula One. tire barrier to check on Zhou. Alex Albon of Williams was also taken The drivers returned to the pits to
to the medical center, and there was await a restart.
Zhou’s car slid upside-down across “Zhou is conscious, he is talking, no immediate update on his condi-
tion. Albon had spun into the pit wall After the race was stopped, “several
after being struck by Sebastian Vettel people attempted to enter the track,”
from behind as drivers tried to avoid F1 said in a statement. “These people
the incident involving Zhou. were immediately removed and the
matter is now being dealt with by the
Russell appeared to be hit from be- local authorities.”
hind at the start and was knocked into
Zhou, whose car went flying across a Local police had warned Friday they
gravel trap and over a tire wall into knew of plans for spectators to en-
the retaining fence. The car was skid- ter the track as part of a protest, but
ding on the “halo” which protects the didn’t identify any people or group.
driver’s head, then went airborne. It
was stuck between the tire wall and The “halo” device around the cock-
the fence, delaying efforts to extricate pit played a prominent role earlier
Zhou. Sunday in a Formula Two race at Sil-
verstone when Dennis Hauger’s car
Russell, who ran from his car to help landed on top of rival Roy Nissany’s
Zhou, called it “one of the scariest car. The incident was reminiscent of
crashes I’ve ever seen.” a crash in F1 involving Max Verstap-
pen and Lewis Hamilton at the Italian
Russell was declared out of the race Grand Prix last year.