The Indian Panorama

Tag: Roger Federer

  • Small protest outside Djokovic Melbourne detention hotel

    Small protest outside Djokovic Melbourne detention hotel

    Melbourne (TIP): A small group of protesters supporting Novak Djokovic waved flags and banners outside an Australian immigration detention hotel where he remained on January 7.  Locked in a dispute over his COVID-19 vaccination status, the number 1 men’s tennis player in the world is awaiting a court ruling on whether he can compete in the Australian Open later this month.

    Djokovic, a vocal skeptic of vaccines, had travelled to Australia after Victoria state authorities granted him a medical exemption to the country’s strict vaccination requirements.

    But when he arrived late Wednesday, the Australian Border Force rejected his exemption as invalid and barred him from entering the country. A court hearing on his bid to stave off deportation was set for Monday, a week before the season’s first major tennis tournament is set to begin.

    The defending Australian Open champion is waiting it out in Melbourne at a secure hotel used by immigration officials to house asylum seekers and refugees. Djokovic is hoping to overtake rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and win his 21st Grand Slam singles title, the most by any player in men’s tennis. Djokovic’s securing of an exemption so that he could play triggered an uproar and allegations of special treatment in Australia, where people spent months in lockdown and endured harsh travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic.

    After his long-haul flight, the tennis star spent the night at the airport trying to convince authorities he had the necessary documentation, to no avail. (AP)

  • Federer unsure if he’ll be back

    Roger Federer has been feted by plenty of ovations at Wimbledon’s Centre Court. None quite like this one, though. This was not a celebration and didn’t come at the end of the match.

    Instead, it delayed the beginning of what turned out to be the last game of his quarterfinal loss and felt more like a “thank you” or — just in case — a “goodbye.” And Federer acknowledged afterward he isn’t sure whether he’ll be back.

    The eight-time champion at the All England Club bowed out 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0 against 14th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland on Wednesday, a surprisingly lopsided finish to Federer’s 22nd appearance in the tournament.

    Asked whether it also might have been his last appearance here, he replied: “I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’ve got to regroup.”          

    As for whether retirement is an immediate possibility, he offered this: “No, I hope not. … The goal is to play, of course.”                               

    That likely was on thousands of minds in the stadium when Federer stepped to the baseline to serve while trailing 5-0 in the third set: He waited while fans in the full-to-capacity stands applauded and cheered, some rising to their feet.

    Soon enough, it was over, only the third shutout set ceded by Federer in 429 career Grand Slam matches; both of the others came at the French Open.

    “The last few games, obviously, you can feel that you’re not coming back from it,” said Federer, who spoke steadily and did not betray any emotion in his news conference.

    “I’m not used to that kind of situation, obviously, very much. Especially not here.”

  • Roger Federer withdraws from Dubai event after losing 2nd match back on tour

    Roger Federer withdraws from Dubai event after losing 2nd match back on tour

    Men’s world number six tennis player Roger Federer has pulled out of the upcoming ATP 500 event in Dubai after losing in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday, March 11, his first tournament in more than a year. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who returned to action after two knee operations last year, defeated Briton Dan Evans in three sets in his comeback match in Doha but lost 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the next round.

    “It’s been great to be back on the @atptour, loved every minute playing in Doha once again,” 20-times Grand Slam winner Federer said on social media. “I’ve decided it’s best to go back to training and as a result, I’ve decided to withdraw from Dubai next week.”

    “I’m happy [with] how I played today. I’m happy [with] how I did yesterday,” said Federer. “I’m happy I [am] back on the Tour. I’m pleased I came here to Doha. So it’s really, really a positive return for me. I’m really happy,” Federer had said after his Qatar Open exit. Notably, world number two Rafa Nadal has also pulled out of the Dubai event, which will run from March 14-20.

    Tokyo my Olympics farewell: Mary Kom

    Indian boxing great Mary Kom has said the Tokyo Olympic Games will be her final Olympics.

    Six-time world champion Kom, 38, has been boxing for 20 years but it was only at the London Olympics in 2012 that women were allowed to compete for the first time. That was her first shot at an Olympics medal after she had secured several world crowns, and she came back with a bronze medal from London after losing in the semifinals.

    “Tokyo will be my last Olympics, age matters here. I’m 38 now, going on 39,” Kom told the Olympic Channel. “Four (actually three) more years is a long time. Pretty sure I won’t be allowed to even if I’m willing to carry on till Paris 2024.” The age limit for boxers is set at 40 but was extended to 41 for the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She said she is happy with the fact that her bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics inspired young girls in the country to take up the sport.