Bouchard recalls locker room fall in lawsuit testimony
NEWYORK: Former world number five Eugenie Bouchard testified Wednesday in US District Court in Brooklyn that she screamed in pain in a locker room fall at the US Open in 2015, US media reported.
“I screamed, ‘Oh my God, it burns!” Bouchard told jurors.
The 23-year-old Canadian was testifying in her lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association, which operates the Grand Slam tournament at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.
Bouchard’s suit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims the USTA was at fault for applying a “slippery, foreign and dangerous” cleaning substance.
She hit her head in the fall, suffering a concussion and pulling out of the tournament.
The USTA has argued that Bouchard, who had played a late mixed doubles match, should have known that the room would be being cleaned at 11 pm, when her fall occurred.
SVITOLINA, MUGURUZA REACH QUARTERS
DUBAI: Defending champion Elina Svitolina toiled for more than two hours to reach the Dubai quarterfinals while second seed Garbine Muguruza had to wait until 2 a.m. to complete her opening victory. Svitolina overcame China’s Wang Qiang 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
Muguruza had to wait out a three-hour epic as Daria Kasatkina beat seventh seed Johanna Konta 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 before the Spanish second seed got on court in the early hours of Thursday.
But Muguruza at least then picked up the pace to defeat American CiCi Bellis 6-3, 7-5, a match which took one and threequarter hours and ended just before 2 a.m.
Karolina Pliskova and Angelique Kerber advanced to set up a battle of ex-world number ones in the last eight. Pliskova beat Carla Suarez Navarro 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, while Kerber dispatched qualifier Sara Errani 6-4, 6-2. Russian Elena Vesnina upset Roland Garros champion and fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-1, 7-6 (8/6).
SOCK, ISNER AND RAONIC BUNDLED OUT
DELRAY BEACH (FLA): Top seed Jack Sock was “served off the court” while John Isner and Milos Raonic also exited on a day of upsets at the Delray Beach Open in Florida on Wednesday.
Two months after clinching his first Masters 1000 title in Paris, Sock was in less stellar form, beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 by fellow American Reilly Opelka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the second round. Opelka used his height and power to fire down 17 aces, though the 20-yearold was not really happy with his biggest weapon.
Isner came out on the wrong end of three consecutive tiebreaks against German Peter Gojowczyk, who prevailed 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 7-6(5). Raonic was beaten more comprehensively, outplayed 6-2, 6-4 by American Steve Johnson.
SHARMILA OFF TO A FINE START, LIES FOURTH
BONVILLE: Sharmila Nicollet got off to a strong start in the Australian Ladies Classic, carding a solid two-under 70 to grab a share of the fourth place after the first round at the highly-acclaimed Bonville Golf Resort here today.
Apart from Sharmila, another player with a fair start was Amandeep Drall, whose one-over 73 placed her T-37th and she was in a good position to make the 36-hole cut in the 54-hole tournament. The other two Indians, Vani Kapoor and Gaurika Bishnoi struggled to 7-over 79 each and at T-113th, were likely to miss the cut. England’s Holly Clyburn took the first round lead with an impressive bogey-free 5-under 67, while Spaniard Marta Sanz Barrio was two shots behind at 3-under 69 with five birdies against two bogeys.