BRIT OF A LETDOWN AS CAV LEFT OUT IN COLD

US OPEN WILLIAMS: A LUNG WAY TO GO BEFORE I’M SAFE CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE

SERENA WILLIAMS has revealed she is staying away from the player hotel at the US Open because she has “lung issues”.

And the US superstar (above) admitted she is “a little intense” about following protocols to avoid coronavirus. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who turns 39 next month, will play at the Western & Southern Open in New York this week before the US Open.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori (above right), the World No.31, failed a second Covid test yesterday and remains isolated in Florida.

Williams, who suffered a pulmonary embolism giving birth in 2018, said: “I had a little trepidation about the situation. There was a point where, in the beginning, I was like, ‘There is no way these tournaments can happen’.

“I had lots of great talks with several people at the USTA and the protocols are so intense it definitely helps me feel safe.”

MARK CAVENDISH’S exclusion from the Tour de France for a second consecutive year completed the purge of British influence at this year’s race.

Just 48 hours after Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas – with five Yellow Jerseys between them – were left out of the Team Ineos squad, the Manx Missile failed to make Bahrain-McLaren’s eight-man team – speciallycrafted to support the yellow jersey ambitions of Spaniard Mikel Landa. Cavendish, 35, (above) is second all-time on the list of Tour stage winners with 30 victories, the last back in 2016.

But he said: “Simply put, I just don’t feel I’m ready for the Tour. I’m a rider that needs a lot of races to get going. I just haven’t had that this year with Covid-19.”