Roger Federer US Open 2014

Roger Federer survives two match points in great escape at US Open<br /> New York: Gael Monfils very nearly did enough on Thursday night to break up the all-star coaches reunion. Mixing speeds and bright ideas in gusting wind, he won the first two sets of this US Open quarter-final against Roger Federer. He even had two match points on Federer's serve in the 10th game of the fourth set.<img alt="Roger Federer US Open 2014" src="http://images.smh.com.au/2014/09/05/5736337/Article%20Lead%20-%20wide6107069410cyiz1409897953359.jpg-620x349.jpg" title="Roger Federer US Open 2014" /><br /> But as has so often been the case through the years and the tournaments that matter most, the standing ovation would be for Federer, who rallied to win 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.<br /> Monfils might have the stuff of a showman, but Federer - even at age 33 with millions of dollars and 17 grand slam singles titles in the bank - still has the desire of a champion. And instead of Monfils making a breakthrough at Flushing Meadows, it will be Federer making a return to the semi-finals for the first time since 2011.<br /> <br /> He will do so in the company of his new coach Stefan Edberg, the elegant, net-rushing Swede who won back-to-back US Opens in 1991 and 1992. Federer's opponent on Saturday will be the 14th-seeded Marin Cilic, the Croatian veteran who is now coached by former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.<br /> In the other semi-final, Novak Djokovic, now coached by former No. 1 Boris Becker, will face Kei Nishikori, coached by former French Open champion Michael Chang.<br /> Edberg, Ivanisevic, Becker and Chang all played against each other. And after nearly a full season, the evidence appears indisputable: star players turned star coaches do make a difference.<br /> Missed chance: A dejected Gael Monfils.<br /> Missed chance: A dejected Gael Monfils. Photo: Getty Images<br /> "It's crazy and it's fun and it's great to see Michael, Stefan and Boris all in the semi-finals," Ivanisevic said on Thursday night. "We had so many great matches against each other, and now we are sitting there and we can't do anything, just clap and hope our guys are playing well and winning. Now, one of us is going to win a grand slam again as a coach. Who? It's going to be interesting."<br /> The only man who could have spoiled the symmetry was Monfils, who has no coach at all at the moment and seemed none the worse for the situation as he swept through his first four matches without dropping a set. He won the first two against Federer, too, before Federer put a stop to the streak by winning the third. But with the crowd pulling against him, Monfils managed to shake off an early break of serve in the fourth by breaking Federer back to 2-2. His chance came with Federer serving at 4-5 and 15-40.<br /> But Monfils decided to play it conservatively instead of boldly. Federer, with Edberg watching from the front row of the players' box, did the attacking, saving the first match point with a forehand volley that Monfils reached with his backhand and then missed.<br /> Federer saved the second match point with a forehand winner down the line and then served out the game to get back to 5-5.<br /> "I still thought the finish line was far for Gael," Federer said of losing the first two sets. "I knew I could play better tennis, and I got off to a good start and was feeling all right. But then when I was down two match points, I wasn't feeling so great any more. I thought, 'This was it, the last point, man. Just go down fighting. Don't miss an easy shot and let him have it.' "<br /> Monfils, clearly shaken, served consecutive double faults to lose his own serve in the next game, and Federer then served out the set.<br /> The rest, to borrow a French word, was denouement. Federer, after a resurgent year, is back in the final four of the US Open for the first time since 2011.<br /> Semi-finalist Cilic's last grand slam semi-final appearance occurred more than four years ago, an eternity in tennis years. The span included the peak of Cilic's years as a Croatian prodigy, a player graced with size and skill, but he never seemed to live up to the promise.<br /> The low point came last year, when a doping suspension forced him to miss four months and sit out the US Open. His ranking dipped to No. 37. He drew criticism from other players for the use of a banned stimulant, although he convinced an arbitrator that he was mostly not at fault.<br /> A year later, Cilic has climbed out of that career valley. He beat sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the quarter-finals on Thursday, propelling himself into the semi-finals of a major for the first time since he was a 21-year-old wonder at the 2010 Australian Open.<br /> Cilic conquered swirling winds at Arthur Ashe Stadium, on a court his opponent was far more familiar with, only a few days after a gruelling five-set match.<br /> "This was an amazing day for me," Cilic said. "I had a very hard couple of years, but I'm very happy. I'm very happy to break through here on this court."<br /> Cilic, the 14th seed, had beaten Berdych in the third round at Wimbledon, but the hardcourt at the Open seemed to favour Berdych's bigger serve and his deeper experience on one of tennis' biggest stages.<br /> The conventional wisdom proved to be wrong. Berdych could not figure out the wind during the first two sets, dropping his first two service games and four of his first five. He eventually found his way, but by then Cilic had won the first two sets and was revelling in the upgrades to his game, including a powerful serve of his own.<br /> "We are both hitting big, and it's a matter of who was going to put pressure on the other guy," Cilic said. "I think I did a little bit better today. I was returning a bit better, and I was putting a little bit more pressure on his second serve. Just overall, I felt that I used the wind a little bit better to my advantage."<br /> Cilic's serve peaked at 212km/h, as strong as Berdych's and far more effective.<br /> That made Cilic's coach very happy. A year ago, during his suspension, Cilic turned to Ivanisevic, his boyhood hero, to coach him. Ivanisevic, a Wimbledon champion who competed for 12 years at the top level of the sport, was known for his explosive serve - and temper.<br /> It was the serve that Ivanisevic wanted to teach to the tall Cilic.<br /> Against Berdych, Cilic had 19 aces and many other serves large enough to set up easy points. His serve is the most noticeable improvement since his forced hiatus, a time that Cilic credits for his new success.<br /> "I matured a bit more, and I was working day after day," Cilic said. "I wasn't, you know, relaxing and doing nothing. So I think that helped me to improve physically. Also, it helped me to have, you know, enough time to put some new parts in my game, which are helping me to play this good now."<br /> That new-found maturity helped him against Berdych, who seemed to come unglued when umpire Louise Azemar Engzell called a point against him in the third set, ruling the ball had bounced twice before he hit it. He won neither the argument nor the game, losing his poise and his last chance to be competitive.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> New York Times<br /> <br />

Federer Roger Federer SPORT tennis US Open US Open 2014 Roger Federer US Open 2014

Roger Federer survives two match points in great escape at US Open New York: Gael Monfils very nearly did enough on Thursday night to break...

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Roger Federer fightback ends Monfils run

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635299header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Roger Federer " border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635299header.jpg" title="Roger Federer " /></a>Roger Federer progressed to the US Open semi-finals after he came from two sets down to deny a brave Gael Monfils on Thursday.<br /> <br /> The Swiss second seed saved match points in the fourth set, and eventually prevailed 4-6 3-6 6-4 7-5 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.<br /> <br /> It was just the seventh time in a major that Federer had successfully arrested a two-set deficit.<br /> <br /> French 20th seed Monfils had not lost a set heading into his quarter-final with 17-time major winner Federer, and was still on a perfect run when he claimed the first two sets within one hour 18 minutes of the first ball being hit.<br /> <br /> Federer claimed the third after getting the decisive break in the fifth game, and maintaining his advantage by dropping just two points on serve in his next three service games.<br /> <br /> Monfils' chance to seal the upset came in the 10th game of the fourth set, as he opened up a 15-40 lead on the Federer serve - and two match points - but the Swiss saved the first when Monfils put a pass attempt long and the second with a brutal forehand down-the-line winner.<br /> <br /> The game was the first of five straight for the five-time champion at Flushing Meadows, with Monfils - serving at deuce in the 11th game - double-faulting twice in succession to hand his opponent an easy break.<br /> <br /> Federer took it to a fifth and opened up a break lead for 2-0 in the decider, as he raced towards the finish line.<br /> <br /> When Monfils was broken to love in the fifth game, his spirit was virtually crushed as Federer went on to complete a brilliant comeback in three hours 20 minutes.<br /> <br /> There was not much between the pair statistically, with Federer edging Monfils in the winners' count 48-43 and conceding slightly fewer unforced errors 44-49.<br /> <br /> Federer will take on Croatian 14th seed Marin Cilic in the semi-finals.<br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GAa_JW9XVAw" width="420"></iframe>

Federer Roger Federer Rogers Cup SPORT tennis US Open Roger Federer fightback ends Monfils run

Roger Federer progressed to the US Open semi-finals after he came from two sets down to deny a brave Gael Monfils on Thursday. The Swiss s...

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Cilic in career-best form

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635093header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Marin Cilic" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635093header.jpg" title="Marin Cilic" /></a></div> Marin Cilic said he believes he is in career-best form after reaching the US Open semi-finals on Thursday.<br /> <br /> The Croatian 14th seed was too good for Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych in a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win at Flushing Meadows in their quarter-final.<br /> <br /> Cilic's last-four appearance marks the second time he has been in a grand slam semi-final – and first since the 2010 Australian Open.<br /> <br /> The 25-year-old said he was at his best in New York, but refused to be satisfied too easily.<br /> <br /> "I feel I'm playing probably the best tennis of my career. I think what helped me also was the consistent play over last five, six months," Cilic said.<br /> <br /> "This year I haven't lost too many matches against guys who are lower ranked than me. That's always very positive.<br /> <br /> "So overall in the game I feel I'm playing well but I'm not getting satisfied too easy. I'm happy, but I still want to do well.<br /> <br /> "I feel that it's still a lot to improve even in some matches. I want to keep going.<br /> <br /> "Now I made it to the semis and it's completely different for me now atmosphere than what I have been in 2010.<br /> <br /> "At that time was maybe a little bit, too shocked for me and I didn't know how to deal with it afterwards. But now I'm, you know, cool and it's going well."<br /> <br /> Cilic said he deserved his semi-final appearance in Melbourne in 2010, but felt he could still improve on his current form.<br /> <br /> "I would say I deserved it at that time, too, to be in [a] semi-final, but I was putting more pressure on myself with the expectations," he said.<br /> <br /> "I wanted to do too well. Like on each match, on each training session, I was looking from my own self for too much.<br /> <br /> "Then after a couple of months everything breaks, so I feel now I'm steadily progressed a lot. I feel like I'm playing well but still I want to, I feel like I can still improve."<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/skVXHPRz8P4" width="420"></iframe>

Marin Cilic tennis Tomas Berdych US Open Cilic in career-best form

Marin Cilic said he believes he is in career-best form after reaching the US Open semi-finals on Thursday. The Croatian 14th seed was to...

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Berdych tight-lipped after meltdown

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635095header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tomas Berdych" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635095header.jpg" title="Tomas Berdych" /></a>Tomas Berdych refused to elaborate on his objection to an umpire's call during the third set of his loss to Marin Cilic at the US Open.<br /> <br /> The Czech sixth seed bowed out in the quarter-finals as Cilic posted a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory to advance to his second career grand slam semi-final.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> However, the former Wimbledon finalist was poised to send the match to a fourth set when he held a 4-2 lead and serving with 30-15, Berdych crumbled when a double-bounce call went against him.</div> <br /> Replays showed chair umpire Louise Engzell made the correct call, but Berdych was furious with the decision - and handed back his break advantage before losing the tie-break.<br /> <br /> He was, however, less keen to discuss the matter post match as he was with Engzell at the time.<br /> <br /> "No, I pretty much said everything, so let's leave it to decide whoever saw it and whoever understands tennis. That's it," Berdych said.<br /> <br /> Berdych did rue his own poor performance, blaming his biggest weapon - his serve, which he landed only 50 per cent of the time on his first ball - for his collapse.<br /> <br /> "I started pretty terribly. It was not the way to start the match like that. Then obviously was really tough to catch up. And really my serve was off," he said.<br /> <br /> "Basically when you have a game built on a serve, then it's really tough and difficult to reschedule it and do it a bit differently.<br /> <br /> "Today was not, definitely not the day I want to have. Yeah, that's it. That's tennis. Just need to carry over and go forward."<br /> <br /> He added: "Yeah, it was [my] serve definitely. I mean, it was horrible from the beginning. That's impossible to play with an opponent like Marin is.<br /> <br /> "Really, I would probably struggle with 80 per cent of other guys if I served that bad like today. That's something what really I need to avoid."<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/skVXHPRz8P4" width="420"></iframe>

Marin Cilic tennis Tomas Berdych US Open Berdych tight-lipped after meltdown

Tomas Berdych refused to elaborate on his objection to an umpire's call during the third set of his loss to Marin Cilic at the US Open. ...

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Rosol, Janowicz to meet in Winston-Salem decider

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608889header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608889header.jpg" /></a>Lukas Rosol and Jerzy Janowicz both needed three sets to advance to the Winston-Salem Open final on Friday.<br /> <br /> Czech seventh seed Rosol got the better of Taiwan's Yen-Hsun, edging the ninth seed 7-5 4-6 6-4 in the semi-final of the ATP World Tour event.<br /> <br /> After almost surrendering a 5-2 advantage in the second set, Rosol broke Lu's serve to take a 5-4 lead in the deciding stanza and fended off three break points as he claimed the match in two hours and three minutes at Wake Forest University.<br /> <br /> "I'm happy for this result and I hope it's not finished yet," said Rosol, who has reached the quarter-finals or better at his past five tournaments since losing to Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon.<br /> <br /> "I was not down in the third set. I was the first one to break. You just have to (mentally) stay in the court.<br /> <br /> "I have some work in front of me and I'm always trying to find the highest possible level."<br /> <br /> Rosol, who sent down eight aces and claim a total of four break points, will now face unseeded Pole Janowicz in Saturday's showpiece clash in North Carolina.<br /> <br /> Janowicz, who earned successive wins for the first time in 2014 this week, came from a set down to topple American hopeful Sam Querrey 4-6 7-5 6-4 in two hours and 18 minutes.<br /> <br /> Despite losing the ace count 18-7, Janowicz won five breaks of serve and saved 16 of his own to set-up a fourth career meeting against Rosol.<br /> <br /> Janowicz leads the head-to-head record 2-1, though only one of those matches have come on the ATP circuit, with the Pole winning that clash in Marseille last year.<br /> <br /> The two previous meetings were on the Challenge Circuit in Prague (2011) and Germany (2009)

ATP World Tour Jerzy Janowicz Lukas Rosol tennis Rosol, Janowicz to meet in Winston-Salem decider

Lukas Rosol and Jerzy Janowicz both needed three sets to advance to the Winston-Salem Open final on Friday. Czech seventh seed Rosol got t...

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Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" /></a>Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday.<br /> <br /> Czech second seed Kvitova enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable win over Australian wildcard Sam Stosur, the world number four cruising to a 6-3 6-1 win in one hour 13 minutes in New Haven.<br /> <br /> The left-handed Kvitova put on a serving clinic, clocking 11 aces in just eight service games as she won her way through to her 17th WTA Tour final.<br /> <br /> The two-time Wimbledon champion broke in the fourth game of the first set and, despite blowing four set points on Stosur's serve in the eighth game, Kvitova held to love to seal the opener.<br /> <br /> And Stosur, ranked 25th, fell apart thereafter as she was broken in the first and third games of the second set as Kvitova coasted to a 4-0 lead.<br /> <br /> A third break of Stosur's serve sealed Kvitova's place in the final of the WTA Premier event, where she will meet Slovakia's Rybarikova.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova, the world number 68, eased past Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-4 in one hour 23 minutes.<br /> <br /> A first service percentage of 68 and seven aces helped Rybarikova into the final, as she broke Giorgi's serve three times, while fending off all 11 break points on her own serve.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova is into her sixth career WTA Tour final, having won four of her previous five deciders.<br /> <br /> The pair have not met on the WTA circuit proper but have had five meetings at lower-tier events - with Kvitova leading the head-to-head 4-1.<br /> <br /> Their last meeting, on clay in 2011, was Rybarikova's only victory over Kvitova, with the Czech winning all three of their clashes on hard courts

Magdalena Rybarikova Petra Kvitova tennis Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday. Czech secon...

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Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" /></a></div> Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, the second seed in New Haven, downed fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in their quarter-final 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> Zahlavova Strycova started the better in the WTA Premier hard-court clash, breaking serve in the third game and preserving that lead with comfortable holds.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, though, broke back in the eighth game, and with Zahlavova Strycova serving to stay in the set, the two-time Wimbledon winner struck again to take the first set.<br /> <br /> From there, it was smooth sailing for Kvitova, who broke in the fourth and sixth games to coast to victory in one hour eight minutes.<br /> <br /> Stosur won an all-wildcard battle over Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, the Australian triumphant 6-3 4-6 6-3.<br /> <br /> Ranked 25th, Stosur is finding form at the right time of year ahead of next week's US Open, and the 2011 champion at Flushing Meadows hit 32 winners in her win over a brave Flipkens.<br /> <br /> On the other side of the draw, unseeded pair Camila Giorgi and Magdalena Rybarikova progressed.<br /> <br /> Slovakia's Rybarikova, who ousted top seed Simona Halep earlier in the tournament, continued her run with a 7-5 0-6 6-4 victory over American Alison Riske.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova won just 10 points in the second set, but overcame the glitch to reach the last four of a WTA Tour event for the second time this season.<br /> <br /> Playing off for a spot in the final will be Italy's Giorgi, who outmuscled Spain's Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2.<br /> <br /> Giorgi served 19 double faults - including 10 in the second set - but still managed to progress in two hours 14 minutes

Major champions Petra Kvitova Sam Stosur tennis Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday. Kvitova,...

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Injured Isner withdraws, Goffin beaten

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607851header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607851header.jpg" /></a>An ankle injury saw John Isner withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open as David Goffin's winning run came to an end on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Isner, a two-time champion in North Carolina, suffered an ankle injury in his third-round win over Mikhail Kukushkin.<br /> <br /> The big-serving American pulled out of the ATP 250 event before his scheduled last-eight clash against Czech seventh seed Lukas Rosol.<br /> <br /> It is particularly worrying for Isner ahead of the US Open, which starts on Monday.<br /> <br /> "I am extremely disappointed to have to withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open, one of my favourite stops of the year," Isner said.<br /> <br /> "It is extra disappointing for me given that it is my hometown tournament.<br /> <br /> "I would have loved to continue to chase my third title here in Winston-Salem in front of these great fans, my friends and family."<br /> <br /> Rosol will face Chinese Taipei's Lu Yen-Hsun in the semi-finals after the ninth seed eased past Italian 14th seed Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4.<br /> <br /> The other semi-final will be a meeting between two unseeded players.<br /> <br /> Talented Pole Jerzy Janowicz had no problems beating Goffin 6-4 6-2, ending the Belgian qualifier's winning run at 25 matches.<br /> <br /> He will face Sam Querrey after the American battled past Spanish fifth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4.

ATP World Tour David Goffin's John Isner North Carolina tennis US Open Injured Isner withdraws, Goffin beaten

An ankle injury saw John Isner withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open as David Goffin's winning run came to an end on Thursday. Isner, a...

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Djokovic handed Schwartzman test

Number one seed Novak Djokovic will take on Diego Schwartzman in the US Open first round next week.<br /> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/21/607483header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Djokovic handed Schwartzman test" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/21/607483header.jpg" title="Djokovic handed Schwartzman test" /></a><br /> Djokovic lost out to Rafael Nadal in the final at Flushing Meadows in 2013, going down in four sets to the Spaniard.<br /> <br /> Nadal has been forced out of this year's tournament with a wrist injury, and world number one Djokovic will come up against Schwartzman - 79 places below him in the rankings - in his opening contest.<br /> <br /> Should the Serbian progress through the opening four rounds, a mouth-watering last-eight clash awaits, with the likes of Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and home favourite John Isner all in Djokovic's quarter of the draw.<br /> <br /> Second seed Roger Federer, who won the tournament five times in succession between 2004 and 2008, begins his campaign against Marinko Matosevic, with the Swiss in line for a possible quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov.<br /> <br /> The Bulgarian is widely tipped to lead the new generation of talent in the game and the 23-year-old begins his search for a first major title in a tie with American Ryan Harrison.<br /> <br /> Stanislas Wawrinka, who saw off Nadal in the Australian Open final earlier this year, opens against Jiri Vesely, with fifth seed Milos Raonic also pitted in Wawrinka's quarter.<br /> <br /> One notable first-round match sees world number seven Tomas Berdych face 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, while David Ferrer - seeded fourth - has been drawn against Damir Dzumhur, the world number 120 from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Diego Schwartzman Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal tennis US Open Djokovic handed Schwartzman test

Number one seed Novak Djokovic will take on Diego Schwartzman in the US Open first round next week. Djokovic lost out to Rafael Nadal in t...

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Nadal out of US Open

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/18/603729header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/18/603729header.jpg" /></a></div> Defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the final grand slam of the tennis year with a wrist injury.<br /> <br /> The world number two's participation at Flushing Meadows was always in doubt after he pulled out of ATP 1000 events at the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Masters last month.<br /> <br /> He had initially hoped to be fit for the US Open but announced on Monday that he had lost his race against time.<br /> <br /> Nadal – winner of 14 grand slam titles – beat current world number one, Novak Djokovic, in four sets at last year's final in New York.<br /> <br /> The Spaniard posted on his official Facebook page: "I am very sorry to announce I won't be able to play at this year's US Open, a tournament on which I've played three consecutive finals in my last participations.<br /> <br /> "I am sure you understand that it is a very tough moment for me since it is a tournament I love and where I have great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things.<br /> <br /> "[There is] not much more I can do right now, other than accept the situation and, as always in my case, work hard in order to be able to compete at the highest level once I am back."<br /> <br /> Nadal also beat Djokovic in four sets to win the 2010 US Open final.<br /> <br /> The 28-year-old's withdrawal will mean he ends the year with just one grand slam title – achieved in Paris at the French Open, a tournament he has won nine times.

championship news sports Rafael Nadal SPORTS US Open Nadal out of US Open

Defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the final grand slam of the tennis year with a wrist injury. The world number...

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Benneteau, Ferrer enjoy rankings boosts

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/18/603913header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/18/603913header.jpg" /></a>Julien Benneteau is one place off a career-high ranking of 26 after his run to the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open.<br /> <br /> The Frenchman reached the final four of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event before bowing out to David Ferrer who, in turn, lost to Roger Federer in the final.<br /> <br /> However, his semi-final effort ensured he moved up 14 places to 27th in the world with Ferrer also jumping up a place into the top five thanks to his final appearance.<br /> <br /> Poland's Jerzy Janowicz is another big climber, moving 13 places to 52nd having reached the last 16 in Cincinnati before losing to Benneteau.<br /> <br /> While the world's top four remain unchanged, Ferrer and Milos Raonic occupy fifth and sixth respectively while Tomas Berdych drops to seventh after a tough time in Ohio.<br /> <br /> The Czech, seeded fourth for the competition, bowed out at the first hurdle to Lu Yen-hsun.<br /> <br /> In the WTA rankings, Ana Ivanovic replaces Victoria Azarenka in the top ten after the Serb contested the Western and Southern Open final on Sunday.<br /> <br /> Despite losing out to world number one Serena Williams, she moves into ninth while Azarenka drops seven places having lost in the quarter-finals to Agnieszka Radwanska.<br /> <br /> Svetlana Kuznetsova sits just outside the top 20, having reaching the last 16 before losing to Ivanovic in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Like Kuznetsova, Roberta Vinci moves up three places despite bowing out at the first hurdle against Sabine Lisicki at the hard-court event in the United States.

ATP World Tour Julien Benneteau news sports Southern Open SPORTS tennis Western Benneteau, Ferrer enjoy rankings boosts

Julien Benneteau is one place off a career-high ranking of 26 after his run to the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open. The Frenc...

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Goffin ends Melzer´s title defence

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/604473header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/604473header.jpg" /></a>David Goffin's winning streak hit 23 matches on Monday, as he dumped out defending champion Jurgen Melzer at the Winston-Salem Open.<br /> <br /> Belgian qualifier Goffin ousted Melzer 6-3 6-4 in their first-round affair at the ATP 250 event in North Carolina - the last hard-court warm-up event for the US Open, starting Monday.<br /> <br /> Only six of Goffin's streak wins have come at ATP World Tour level, with the run including Challenger Tour events and qualifying but his formline is nonetheless imposing heading towards the year's final major.<br /> <br /> Conversely, Melzer's results of late have been poor, with the 33-year-old Austrian losing his sixth straight match as the left-hander limped into Flushing Meadows devoid of confidence.<br /> <br /> Seeds Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Jarkko Nieminen won their first outings of the tournament, moving into the last 16 with second-round victories.<br /> <br /> Garcia-Lopez, the fifth seed from Spain, came from behind to down Germany's Dustin Brown 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-2.<br /> <br /> Finland's Nieminen - seeded 15th - defeated another German Benjamin Becker 7-5 6-4 to progress.<br /> <br /> All 16 seeds were given first-round byes.<br /> <br /> In first-round results, Poland's Jerzy Janowicz had a 6-1 6-4 victory over Argentine Carlos Berlocq.<br /> <br /> Janowicz, whose ranking has plummeted to 52nd after peaking at 19th earlier this season, hit seven aces and saved all five break points he faced to advance.<br /> <br /> Sam Querrey was the only American through to the second round, as each of Wayne Odesnik, Robby Ginepri and Marcos Giron lost.<br /> <br /> Querrey served 16 aces as he eased past Spain's Pere Riba 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.<br /> <br /> Qualifiers Odesnik and Giron - both wildcard recipients for the US Open main draw - had their final competitive hit-outs before the New York major.<br /> <br /> Odesnik fell 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to Slovenia's Blaz Rola, while Giron - the world number 433 - was humbled 6-4 6-4 by Kazakh Aleksandr Nedovyesov.<br /> <br /> France's Paul-Henri Mathieu dumped out wildcard Ginepri 6-3 7-5.<br /> <br /> Canada's Frank Dancevic held off Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-5 3-6 6-2 in two hours and five minutes, while France's Adrian Mannarino outclassed Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-2 6-2.<br /> <br /> Federico Delbonis of Argentina progressed with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Slovakian Martin Klizan, and Dutchman Igor Sijsling accounted for Kazakh Andrey Golubev 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.

David Goffin's news sports SPORTS tennis Goffin ends Melzer´s title defence

David Goffin's winning streak hit 23 matches on Monday, as he dumped out defending champion Jurgen Melzer at the Winston-Salem Open. B...

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Bouchard back on the winners list in New Haven, Cibulkova bundled out

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/604481header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/604481header.jpg" /></a>Eugenie Bouchard claimed her first win since July after dismantling Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 6-1 in the opening round at the Eugenie Bouchard.<br /> <br /> Bouchard - the Canadian third seed - overcame Simona Halep in the Wimbledon semi-finals but injuries have plagued her since losing the final to Petra Kvitova last month.<br /> <br /> However, the 20-year-old, who withdrew from the Citi Open and lost in the second round in both Montreal and Cincinnati after first-round byes, returned to the WTA Tour winners list with a straight sets demolition of Serbia's Jovanovski in just 52 minutes on Monday.<br /> <br /> Bouchard sent down four aces and won six break points as she earned a second-round showdown with Australian wildcard Samantha Stosur, who survived to beat Japan's Kurumi Nara 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (10-12) 6-2 in New Haven.<br /> <br /> The head-to-head record between the pair is level at one win apiece.<br /> <br /> "I'm looking forward to a battle," Bouchard said.<br /> <br /> "We've had tough matches in the past. I know she'll try to take control with her serve and forehand.<br /> <br /> "I'm going to look to try to take it early and control the point like I did today and really put pressure on her."<br /> <br /> Four-time champion Caroline Wozniacki also progressed to the next round.<br /> <br /> Wozniacki - the Danish fourth seed - lost the first set but fought back to topple Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky 4-6 6-1 6-2.<br /> <br /> There was no such luck for Slovak fifth seed Dominika Cibulkova and seventh-seeded Italian Sara Errani.<br /> <br /> Cibulkova crashed out at the hands of Germany's Andrea Petkovic, losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.<br /> <br /> Errani, meanwhile, was ousted by Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-2 3-6 6-1.<br /> <br /> In other results on Monday, Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova accounted for Spanish qualifier Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-4 6-3.<br /> <br /> Chinese qualifier Shuai Peng beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina by the same scoreline.<br /> <br /> Belgian wildcard Kirsten Flipkens prevailed 6-3 4-6 6-2 against Japanese qualifier Misaki Doi.<br /> <br /> Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova emerged victorious against Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic, winning 6-4 5-7 6-3 after more than three hours on court.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, French lucky loser Caroline Garcia edged Romanian qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4).

Eugenie Bouchard news sports SPORT SPORTS tennis Bouchard back on the winners list in New Haven, Cibulkova bundled out

Eugenie Bouchard claimed her first win since July after dismantling Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 6-1 in the opening round at the Eugenie Bouchard. ...

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Samsonov eyeing home comforts

All eyes will be on the evergreen Vladimir Samsonov when he attempts to win the ITTF Belarus Open on home soil this week.<br /> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/605085header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/19/605085header.jpg" /></a><br /> The 38-year-old is the top seed for the event in Minsk, which starts on Thursday and will mark the first time a plastic ball is used in international competition rather than the celluloid model.<br /> <br /> Samsonov has played on the ITTF Tour every year since arriving on the scene in 1996, when he made a debut to remember by winning in Bolzano, Italy.<br /> <br /> That was a sign of things to come for the veteran, who has added another 22 titles since that victory 18 years ago, and he will be targeting another success this week.<br /> <br /> Now ranked 12th in the world, Samsonov will be out to ensure second seed Kaii Yoshida is unable to retain his title by taking his tally of tournament wins to 24 in what would be a hugely popular triumph in his homeland.<br /> <br /> Yoshida, the world number 36, beat Kohei Sambe in an all-Japanese final in Minsk last September and the 2013 runner-up - seeded 16 - will be eager to go one better this time around.<br /> <br /> Omar Assar won the Nigeria Open in June and the Egyptian is the third seed in Belarus following his success in Lagos.<br /> <br /> The top six seeds in the women's competition all hail from Japan and it is world number 14 Ai Fukuhara who takes the mantle as top seed.<br /> <br /> Big things are also expected of Sayaka Hirano and Yuka Ishigaki - seeded two and three respectively - in the Belarusian capital.<br /> <br /> Nadeen El-Dawlatly, meanwhile, heads into the event brimming with confidence after being crowned Nigeria Open champion.

ITTF news sports Vladimir Samsonov Samsonov eyeing home comforts

All eyes will be on the evergreen Vladimir Samsonov when he attempts to win the ITTF Belarus Open on home soil this week. The 38-year-old ...

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Kvitova, Bouchard bow out in Cincinnati

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599109header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599109header.jpg" /></a>Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard continued their poor form since SW19, losing at the Western and Southern Open.<br /> <br /> Kvitova beat Bouchard for her second All England Club title in July but between them they have won one match of five since as they stumble into the US Open later in August.<br /> <br /> World number four Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, was beaten by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in their second-round affair in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> The third seed lost serve five times throughout, including the opening game of the match, as Svitolina took control early.<br /> <br /> Kvitova jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second set but then trailed 5-4 as Svitolina served for the match.<br /> <br /> The pair would exchange three consecutive breaks, with Svitolina twice failing to serve it out, before the world number 39 won all four points on her serve in the tie-break to cause the upset.<br /> <br /> Canada's Bouchard, the seventh seed at the WTA Premier hard-court tournament, was bundled out by in-form Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.<br /> <br /> Kuznetsova, a two-time major winner, won through 6-4 3-6 6-2, with Bouchard's losing streak extending to three matches.<br /> <br /> World number one Serena Williams was one of eight seeds to progress to the last 16 on Wednesday, with the American beating Sam Stosur for the second time in as many tournaments.<br /> <br /> Williams, the top seed in Ohio, thrashed Stosur in Montreal but could not break the Australian's serve this time around as she posted a 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (9-7) triumph.<br /> <br /> Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska eased past Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-2 6-2, while German sixth seed Angelique Kerber had a surprisingly straightforward win over fellow lefty Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> Serbian seeds Jelena Jankovic (eighth) and Ana Ivanovic (ninth) both advanced in straight sets, Jankovic downing German qualifier Annika Beck 6-1 7-6 (7-0), while Ivanovic thrashed American wildcard Christina McHale 6-4 6-0.<br /> <br /> Italian 13th seed Flavia Pennetta dismissed American youngster and qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-3, while Spanish baseliner and 15th seed Carla Suarez Navarro beat French qualifier Pauline Parmentier 6-3 7-5.<br /> <br /> Wimbledon semi-finalist Lucie Safarova continued her impressive form, the 16th seed comfortably surpassing Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-2.<br /> <br /> Germany's Sabine Lisicki ousted 14th seed Sara Errani of Italy 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-2) in a near three-hour battle.<br /> <br /> Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova accounted for Italian qualifier Karin Knapp 6-1 6-3, not before the Russian saved 11 of 13 break points faced.<br /> <br /> American Sloane Stephens broke opponent Barbora Zahlavova Strycova's serve five times in succession from late in the first set, to run out a 7-5 6-1 winner over the Czech.

All England Club Eugenie Bouchard Petra Kvitova US Open Western Kvitova, Bouchard bow out in Cincinnati

Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard continued their poor form since SW19, losing at the Western and Southern Open. Kvit...

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Federer reaches Masters milestone, Berdych beaten

Tomas Berdych was the highest profile casualty at the Western and Southern Open on Wednesday, falling to Lu Yen-Hsun.<br /> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599123header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599123header.jpg" /></a><br /> It was the Chinese Taipei man's first win over Berdych in four career meetings, all of which have been played on hard courts.<br /> <br /> Lu prevailed 3-6 6-3 6-4 over the Czech fourth seed at the ATP 1000 event, the world number 43 reversing his loss to Berdych at the Rogers Cup in Toronto earlier in August.<br /> <br /> Other seeds to crash out in Ohio included Grigor Dimitrov (seven), Ernests Gulbis (nine) and Roberto Bautista Agut (13), with big names Roger Federer and Andy Murray safely through to the last 16.<br /> <br /> Swiss second seed Federer won his 300th career match at a Masters-level tournament, when he saw off Canada's Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-2.<br /> <br /> Eighth seed Andy Murray had less trouble getting past Portugal's Joao Sousa, the Briton a 6-3 6-3 winner.<br /> <br /> Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic downed American wildcard Robby Ginepri 6-2 6-2, while sixth seed David Ferrer of Spain endured an almighty struggle to beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4).<br /> <br /> Bulgaria's Dimitrov was outgunned by Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-4 3-6 6-3, while Latvian Gulbis was no match for American wildcard Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4.<br /> <br /> Frenchman Gael Monfils dumped out Spaniard Bautista Agut 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> American number one and 11th seed John Isner progressed with a 6-3 7-6 (7-1) win over Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.<br /> <br /> Matosevic's compatriot Lleyton Hewitt joined him in a second-round exit, the veteran beaten by Italian 15th seed Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-4.<br /> <br /> Spanish 16th seed Tommy Robredo dispatched of American wildcard Sam Querrey 6-2 6-4, while Marin Cilic - the 14th seed from Croatia - advanced past Spain's Fernando Verdasco in a break-free contest 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5).<br /> <br /> France's Julien Benneteau saw off British qualifier James Ward 6-2 6-2, and Russia's Mikhail Youzhny defeated Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-4.

Lu Yen-Hsun news sports tennis Tomas Berdych Western Federer reaches Masters milestone, Berdych beaten

Tomas Berdych was the highest profile casualty at the Western and Southern Open on Wednesday, falling to Lu Yen-Hsun. It was the Chinese T...

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Tomic handed US Open wildcard

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599009header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tomic handed US Open wildcard" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599009header.jpg" title="Tomic handed US Open wildcard" /></a>Bernard Tomic received a wildcard into the US Open main draw, starting later in August.<br /> <br /> The Australian, 21, claimed his second career ATP World Tour title when he won a hard-court event in Bogota in July, after also receiving a wildcard into the draw there.<br /> <br /> Tomic is ranked 70th as it stands, but was outside the automatic entry spots when the cut off was made weeks out from the major at Flushing Meadows.<br /> <br /> Since his triumph in Colombia, Tomic has just one tour-level match win to his name after losing to Denis Istomin in Washington, Ivo Karlovic in Toronto and Gilles Simon in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Tomic received the wildcard as part of Tennis Australia's reciprocal agreement with the United States Tennis Association.<br /> <br /> The result of another reciprocal deal saw France's Michael Llodra handed a wildcard, the 34-year-old set for his 11th US Open appearance.<br /> <br /> The remaining wildcards all went the way of American talent, with Ryan Harrison, Tim Smyczek, Noah Rubin, Jared Donaldson, Marcos Giron and Wayne Odesnik.<br /> <br /> Smyczek is the highest ranked of that group at number 92 in the world, while Harrison (164th) and Odesnik (184th) reside in the top 200.<br /> <br /> Giron, 21, captured the National Collegiate Athletic Association tennis title in 2014 to earn his place in New York, while teenagers Noah Rubin - the under-18s national champion - and Jared Donaldson are also in the draw.

ATP World Tour Bernard Tomic news sports tennis US Open wildcard Tomic handed US Open wildcard

Bernard Tomic received a wildcard into the US Open main draw, starting later in August. The Australian, 21, claimed his second career ATP ...

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Cook certain Broad injury of no concern

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/cricket/2014/8/14/599509header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cook certain Broad injury of no concern" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/cricket/2014/8/14/599509header.jpg" title="Cook certain Broad injury of no concern" /></a>England captain Alastair Cook is certain that Stuart Broad's broken nose will not be an issue during the fifth Test with India.<br /> <br /> England go into the final Test with a 2-1 lead over India, something that looked very unlikely when the tourists edged ahead in mid-July.<br /> <br /> The two sides drew the first Test and the second saw India win by 95 runs at Lord's, with Cook coming under immense criticism in the wake of the defeat.<br /> <br /> England have battled back and will win the series should they avoid a loss when the fifth Test starts on Friday.<br /> <br /> Cook has been given a boost on the eve of the clincher as Broad, who suffered a broken nose when edging a Varun Aaron delivery at Old Trafford on Saturday, was back in training on Thursday and looks certain to feature at The Oval.<br /> <br /> He told Sky Sports News: "We think Stuart will be absolutely fine.<br /> <br /> "We will wait until [Friday] morning in case something unusual happens overnight, but we are not expecting anything like that at all.<br /> <br /> "It is great news Broady has come through that blow, he likes playing in big games and this is a big game.<br /> <br /> "He batted this morning and he bowled six or seven overs and didn't get any pain from it. So we are expecting him to be absolutely fine.<br /> <br /> "I'm not sure if he will wear a mask, whether for batting or bowling, but I don't think it will affect his performance at all

Alastair Cook Cricket India New England news sports Cook certain Broad injury of no concern

England captain Alastair Cook is certain that Stuart Broad's broken nose will not be an issue during the fifth Test with India. Englan...

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Jayawardene falls cheaply as Sri Lanka collapse

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/cricket/2014/8/14/599561header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/cricket/2014/8/14/599561header.jpg" /></a>Mahela Jayawardene failed with the bat in his final Test as a last-session flurry helped Pakistan take control on day one against Sri Lanka.<br /> <br /> Jayawardene will bring the curtain down on a glittering career in the longest format of the game, which has yielded 34 centuries, upon the completion of the two-match series - which Sri Lanka lead 1-0.<br /> <br /> The 37-year-old fell for just four shortly after tea at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo as the hosts lost six wickets in the last session to reach 261-8 at stumps on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Junaid Khan (4-69) and Wahab Riaz (3-66) did the majority of the damage with the ball for Pakistan, who had initially been up against it as Upul Tharanga (92) made the most of Angelo Mathews' decision to bat after winning the toss.<br /> <br /> Tharanga and opening partner Kaushal Silva (41) were not out at lunch, but the latter was first to fall when he edged Junaid behind.<br /> <br /> Kumar Sangakkara (22) was Sri Lanka's only other victim before tea when he was bowled by Riaz and that brought Jayawardene to the crease in front an expectant home crowd.<br /> <br /> However, the prolific right-hander faced just 16 deliveries before Saeed Ajmal got some sharp turn from outside off stump and trapped him leg before.<br /> <br /> Tharanga, whose knock included 12 boundaries, was dismissed by Riaz just eight runs shy of his century and the wickets continued to fall.<br /> <br /> Mathews (39) put on 38 and 34 with Lahiru Thirimanne (20) and Niroshan Dickwella (24) respectively, but both of his partners were dismissed by Junaid.<br /> <br /> Dilruwan Perera then went for a duck and Pakistan rounded off an excellent final session when Mathews edged Riaz behind to get the decision overturned with a review just before the close.<br /> <br /> The tourists will now look to quickly dispatch the remainder of the tail before attempting to build a first-innings lead on day two.

Cricket Mahela Jayawardene news news sports Pakistan Sri Lanka Jayawardene falls cheaply as Sri Lanka collapse

Mahela Jayawardene failed with the bat in his final Test as a last-session flurry helped Pakistan take control on day one against Sri Lanka....

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Profile Tsonga

<img alt="Jo-Wilfried Tsonga" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/tennis/players/150x150/24615.png" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.00299835205078px; padding-bottom: 1em; width: 120px;" title="Jo-Wilfried Tsonga" /><span style="background-color: #f4f4f4; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.00299835205078px;"></span><br /> <div class="clearfix" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.00299835205078px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <dl style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">First name</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">Jo-Wilfried</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Last name</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">Tsonga</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Nationality</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">France</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Date of birth</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">17-04-85</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Place of birth</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">Le Mans</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Age</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">29</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Country of birth</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">France</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Height</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">188 cm</dd> <dt style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 10em;">Weight</dt> <dd style="float: left; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; width: 10em; word-break: break-all; word-wrap: break-word;">90 kg</dd></dl> </div>

France Jo-Wilfried Tsonga news sports profiles tennis Profile Tsonga

First name Jo-Wilfried Last name Tsonga Nationality France Date of birth 17-04-85 Place of birth Le Mans Age 29 Country of b...

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Ukraine´s Davis Cup tie set for neutral venue

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/12/597321header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/12/597321header.jpg" width="320" /></a>The International Tennis Federation (ITF) have ruled that Ukraine cannot stage next month's Davis Cup tie with Belgium in Kiev.<br /> <br /> Last week, the Davis Cup committee confirmed Kiev as a suitable venue for Ukraine's match against Belgium, despite ongoing political unrest in the eastern European country.<br /> <br /> However, that decision was challenged by the Belgian Tennis Federation, who have subsequently seen their appeal upheld by the ITF's board of directors.<br /> <br /> The Israel Tennis Association had also appealed to the ITF over the Davis Cup committee's ruling that they cannot host their tie with Argentina.<br /> <br /> However, that appeal was rejected by the ITF, who cited concerns over the security situation in the Middle Eastern country.<br /> <br /> Both Ukraine and Israel now have the option to nominate neutral venues for their respective World Group play-off contests, with the latter set a deadline of August 14 to do so.<br /> <br /> Should either nation not come up with a neutral venue, the Davis Cup committee can choose a setting of their own or decide to give home advantage to the opposition.<br /> <br /> ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "It is always a very difficult decision for the ITF to take away choice of ground in [the] Davis Cup.<br /> <br /> "The competition was founded on the principles of better understanding among nations and we believe it has done a good job in fostering this over 114 years.<br /> <br /> "However, the safety of players, officials and spectators has to take priority and the board believed that it was not prudent to hold ties in Ukraine or Israel because of political unrest in these countries at the present time and for the foreseeable future."

Belgium Davis Cup International Tennis Federation ITF news sports tennis Ukraine Ukraine´s Davis Cup tie set for neutral venue

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) have ruled that Ukraine cannot stage next month's Davis Cup tie with Belgium in Kiev. Last w...

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Azarenka withdraws from Western and Southern Open

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/12/597433header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Azarenka withdraws from Western and Southern Open" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/12/597433header.jpg" title="Azarenka withdraws from Western and Southern Open" /></a>Defending champion and former world number one Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Western and Southern Open with a right knee injury.<br /> <br /> The two-time Australian Open champion, who only made her return from a foot problem at the Aegon International in June, had been due to play Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova in the first round of the WTA Premier event in Cincinnati on Tuesday.<br /> <br /> Azarenka beat Serena Williams in three sets to take the 2013 showpiece, but will not get a chance to defend that crown.<br /> <br /> Despite the setback, the Belarusian is confident that she will be fit for the US Open - which gets under way in 13 days' time.<br /> <br /> "It's tough to withdraw as defending champion," Azarenka said. "[The Western and Southern Open] is a great tournament and I really enjoy it.<br /> <br /> "I should be good for the US Open."<br /> <br /> Since her return to action, Azarenka has failed to add to her tally of 17 WTA singles titles and was knocked out in the second round at Wimbledon by Bojana Jovanovski.<br /> <br /> The 25-year-old has reached the final of the US Open at Flushing Meadows in each of the last two years, losing to world number one Serena on both occasions.<br /> <br /> Zahlavova-Strycova will now face Germany's Mona Barthel, who takes Azarenka's place in the draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.

news sports tennis Victoria Azarenka WTA Premier Azarenka withdraws from Western and Southern Open

Defending champion and former world number one Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Western and Southern Open with a right knee injury. ...

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Teen duo granted US Open wildcards

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/597949header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Teen duo granted US Open wildcards" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/597949header.jpg" title="Teen duo granted US Open wildcards" /></a>Teenagers CiCi Bellis and Taylor Townsend have been handed two of eight women's singles wildcards for the upcoming US Open.<br /> <br /> Bellis, 15, will be the youngest player in the main draw for the last grand slam of the year, which starts on August 25.<br /> <br /> The right-hander, runner-up in the juniors at the French Open, took out the USTA Girls' 18s National Championship on Saturday to earn the wildcard.<br /> <br /> Bellis is one of six Americans granted a passage into the main draw.<br /> <br /> Townsend, Grace Min, Nicole Gibbs, Danielle Collins and Madison Brengle will also be in the first round.<br /> <br /> Townsend, who made the French Open third round, was controversially overlooked for a wildcard in 2012 due to concerns over her weight.<br /> <br /> Australian Jarmila Gajdosova and Frenchwoman Amandine Hesse received wildcards through reciprocal agreements the USTA has with Tennis Australia and the French Tennis Federation.<br /> <br /> The 101st-ranked Gajdosova, a former world number 25, has won 16 of her past 19 matches.<br /> <br /> "I am very excited to be main draw of a grand slam again," she said.<br /> <br /> "It's been a long road back but I've been working hard to get healthy and fit and improve my game and my ranking.<br /> <br /> "It's taken me six months since I started playing again to get myself back [near] the top 100.<br /> <br /> "So I hope to use this opportunity that I was given and I hope to play my best and have some good results."

Bellis news sports Taylor Townsend Teenagers CiCi Bellis tennis wildcard Teen duo granted US Open wildcards

Teenagers CiCi Bellis and Taylor Townsend have been handed two of eight women's singles wildcards for the upcoming US Open. Bellis, 15...

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Tsonga suffers letdown, Djokovic defeats Simon

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/597975header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/597975header.jpg" /></a>Rogers Cup winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suffered a letdown at the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday, while Novak Djokovic progressed.<br /> <br /> Tsonga, whose Masters tournament win in Toronto on Sunday was his second career success at ATP 1000 level, was humbled by Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-1 6-4 in the first round in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> The Frenchman edged back into the ATP's top 10 after beating Roger Federer in the Toronto final, but Tsonga's booming serve let him down against Youzhny.<br /> <br /> Tsonga served at 52 per cent, but he won just seven of 23 points behind his second ball as the 25th-ranked Youzhny progressed.<br /> <br /> Youzhny now has a positive head-to-head record against Tsonga, although the win was only his second via match point - accounting for retirements.<br /> <br /> Tsonga was the only seeded casualty in Ohio, as top seed Djokovic and third seed Stan Wawrinka both negotiated their second-round matches.<br /> <br /> Serbia's Djokovic staved off the plucky Gilles Simon of France 6-3 4-6 6-4, while Swiss Wawrinka dispatched of German qualifier Benjamin Becker 6-3 7-6 (7-5).<br /> <br /> The pair are the first players through to the last 16 of the hard-court tournament, which serves as the penultimate warm-up event to the US Open starting later in August.<br /> <br /> In more first-round results, seeds Ernests Gulbis (nine), Roberto Bautista Agut (13) and Marin Cilic (14) advanced.<br /> <br /> Latvia's Gulbis took two hours to down Croatian Ivan Dodig in straight sets, winning 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-4).<br /> <br /> Bautista Agut, of Spain, clawed his way past Slovakian lefty Martin Klizan 6-2 4-6 7-5, while Croatia's Cilic dismissed another left-hander, Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 6-3 6-4.<br /> <br /> Frenchman Julien Benneteau saved two match points to fend off lucky loser Blaz Rola of Slovenia 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 7-6 (9-7).<br /> <br /> Similarly, Canada's Vasek Pospisil denied Czech veteran Radek Stepanek thrice on match point before posting a 5-7 6-1 7-6 (7-4) triumph.<br /> <br /> American wildcards Robby Ginepri and Steve Johnson both capitalised on their chances in the main draw with first-up wins.<br /> <br /> Ginepri battled past rising Austrian star Dominic Thiem 6-3 5-7 7-5, while Johnson was handed a straightforward 6-4 6-1 win over Benoit Paire courtesy of a poor performance from the French qualifier.<br /> <br /> Italy's Andreas Seppi overcame a deficit to defeat Colombian Santiago Giraldo 4-6 6-2 7-5.<br /> <br /> Down a set and at 2-2 in the second, Seppi reeled off eight straight games to earn a 4-0 lead in the decider - only to narrowly avoid a tie-break as Giraldo finished strongly.<br /> <br /> British qualifier James Ward hit eight aces as he defeated Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 3-6 6-1.

Cincinnati Jo-Wilfried Tsonga news sports Rogers Cup tennis Tsonga suffers letdown, Djokovic defeats Simon

Rogers Cup winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suffered a letdown at the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday, while Novak Djokovic progressed. Tson...

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Halep, Wozniacki post convincing wins

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/598017header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/13/598017header.jpg" /></a>Second seed Simona Halep progressed past Kirsten Flipkens in their Western and Southern Open second-round affair on Tuesday.<br /> <br /> Romania's Halep, the world number two, downed Belgian Flipkens 6-4 6-2 in one hour 27 minutes at the WTA Premier event in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Both players struggled on serve in the opening set, with 22 break-point opportunities shared between the two - with Halep taking the lead after saving a break point when serving for the set.<br /> <br /> The match found more rhythm in the second set, with Halep inflicting breaks in games one and five and losing just four points on serve for the remainder as she cantered into the last 16.<br /> <br /> Other second-round results saw fifth seed Maria Sharapova and 12th seed Caroline Wozniacki win their first matches in Ohio.<br /> <br /> Russia's Sharapova was tested by American Madison Keys before winning 6-1 3-6 6-3, while Denmark's Wozniacki continued her solid form with a 6-2 6-3 thrashing of China's Zhang Shuai.<br /> <br /> In first-round action, seeds Sara Errani (14), Carla Suarez Navarro (15) and Lucie Safarova (16) progressed with three-set wins.<br /> <br /> Italian Errani was down a break in the third set against Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer but bounced back to win 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-2).<br /> <br /> Suarez Navarro of Spain was too good for Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 1-6 6-2, while Czech Safarova beat in-form American Venus Williams 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-4.<br /> <br /> Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova won 11 consecutive games on her way past lucky loser Mona Barthel of Germany 7-5 6-0.<br /> <br /> Zahlavova Strycova was set to play Victoria Azarenka, before the Belarusian withdrew from the tournament with a right knee issue.<br /> <br /> American Sloane Stephens broke Germany's Andrea Petkovic five times on her way to a 6-3 6-3 win, and Japan's Kurumi Nara thrashed Swiss Romina Oprandi 6-0 6-2.<br /> <br /> Qualifier Andrea Beck of Germany beat Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 6-3 2-6 6-3, and her countrywoman Sabine Lisicki defeated Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-3 2-6 6-2.<br /> <br /> Russian Ekaterina Makarova was a 6-2 6-2 winner over Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova hit 12 aces in a tough victory against Italian Camila Giorgi 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.<br /> <br /> Wildcard Christina McHale won an all-American battle against qualifier Nicole Gibbs 4-6 6-3 6-1.<br /> <br /> Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas edged out fellow qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5).

news sports Simona Halep tennis WTA Premier Halep, Wozniacki post convincing wins

Second seed Simona Halep progressed past Kirsten Flipkens in their Western and Southern Open second-round affair on Tuesday. Romania's...

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Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever and one of the deadliest diseases known to humanity.

<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2014/3/30//20143302515961734_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2014/3/30//20143302515961734_20.jpg" width="400" /></a>The Ebola virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that was first discovered in Africa in the 1970s.<br /> <br /> The current outbreak in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone is the largest in history and has sickened more than 1,700 people and killed more than 900 this year.<br /> <br /> With a death rate of up to 90 percent, Ebola is described as "one of the world's deadliest diseases" by Doctors Without Borders (MSF).<br /> <br /> Many of those infected with the virus quickly get flu-like symptoms such as fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.<br /> <br /> MSF says that the symptoms are non-specific, making the disease difficult to diagnose. The symptoms can appear from two to 21 days after exposure.<br /> <br /> No vaccine<br /> <br /> There is no vaccine or cure available for the disease. The most serious cases require intensive care and a drip to combat dehydration.<br /> <br /> Ebola can be caught from both humans and animals. It spreads by direct contact with blood, body fluids or tissues of the infected.<br /> <br /> Funeral rituals in which relatives and friends touch the body of the dead play an important role in transmission, as does handling dead or living animals carrying the virus.<br /> <br /> In Africa, particular species of fruit bats are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus. Infected bats are thought to transmit the disease to humans, or indirectly through other animals which are hunted for their meat.<br /> <br /> Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, in Sudan and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC outbreak was near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.<br /> <br /> The disease has since killed more than 1,600 people in parts of Africa.<br /> <br /> The outbreak that began in Guinea in early 2014 is the first among humans in West Africa. The virus strain detected is Zaire, the most virulent.

Ebola Ebola Virus Disease Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever and one of the deadliest diseases known to humanity.

The Ebola virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that was first discovered in Africa in the 1970s. The current outbreak in Liberia, Gu...

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Ebola outbreak in West Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency that requires an extraordinary response to stop its spread.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> WHO declared similar emergencies for the swine flu pandemic in 2009 and for polio in May.<br /> <br /> The WHO chief, Dr Margaret Chan, said the announcement on Friday is "a clear call for international solidarity" but acknowledged that many countries would probably not have any Ebola cases.<br /> <br /> "Countries affected to date simply do not have the capacity to manage an outbreak of this size and complexity on their own,'' Chan said at a news conference in Geneva.<br /> <br /> "I urge the international community to provide this support on the most urgent basis possible," she added.<br /> <br /> The agency had convened an expert committee this week to assess the severity of the ongoing epidemic - the largest and longest in history.<br /> <br /> The current outbreak of Ebola began in Guinea in March and has since spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia.<br /> <br /> The WHO said the situation is likely to get worse in the coming months.<br /> <br /> There is no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola and the death rate has been about 50 percent.<br /> <br /> Unclear impact<br /> <br /> The impact of the WHO declaration is unclear; the declaration about polio does not yet seem to have slowed the spread of virus.<br /> Stopping the world's worst Ebola outbreak?<br /> <br /> During a WHO meeting last week to reconsider the status of polio, experts noted countries had not yet fully applied the recommendations made in May, that there have been more instances of international spread and that outbreaks have worsened in Pakistan and Cameroon.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a national state of emergency on Friday over the Ebola outbreak in Africa's most populous country.<br /> <br /> He approved 1.9bn naira ($11.6m) of emergency funds to contain Ebola in the country, where seven cases have been confirmed since a man fell sick on arrival from Liberia, two of whom have died.<br /> <br /> In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have already elevated their Ebola response to the highest level and has recommended against travelling to West Africa.<br /> <br /> On Thursday, CDC director Dr Tom Frieden told a Congressional hearing that the current outbreak is set to sicken more people than all previous outbreaks of the disease combined.<br /> <br /> "I don't know what the advantage is of declaring an international emergency," said Dr David Heymann, who directed WHO's response to the SARS outbreak and is now a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.<br /> <br /> "This could bring in more foreign aid but we don't know that yet," he said.

Africa Doctor Who Doctor Who Magazine Ebola Ebola Virus Disease West Africa WHO Ebola outbreak in West Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency that requi...

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Ebola outbreak in west Africa press briefings

<h1 class="headline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 20px 12px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Ebola outbreak in west Africa press briefings</h1> <div class="meta" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px 20px 36px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <h3 class="page_heading" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #d86422; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 9px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Video, audio and transcripts from the briefings</h3> <hr style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/lines.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border: none; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 4px; line-height: 13px; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px;" /> <h4 class="section_head2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 6px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 8 August 2014 press briefing on Ebola outbreak in west Africa by Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General, and Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General for Health Security, WHO</h4> <ul class="list" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 12px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link_external" href="http://www.tusfiles.net/plka38k874zy" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/who_sprite.gif); background-position: 100% -577px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #723475; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 22px 0px 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Audio of the press briefing</a><br /><span class="link_info" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mp3, 99 Mb [01:11:00]</span></li> <li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link_media" href="http://www.tusfiles.net/l0sdur9p2elt" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/icon_media_download.gif); background-position: 4px 3px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #723475; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Transcript of the press briefingpdf, 523kb</a></li> </ul> <hr style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/lines.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border: none; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 4px; line-height: 13px; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px;" /> <h4 class="section_head2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 6px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 8 April 2014 press briefing by Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General, Health Security, and Dr Stéphane Hugonnet, Medical Officer, WHO</h4> <ul class="list" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 12px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link_external" href="http://www.tusfiles.net/21h6fl3flykq" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/who_sprite.gif); background-position: 100% -577px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #723475; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 22px 0px 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Audio of the press briefing</a><br /><span class="link_info" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mp3, 42Mb [00:44:00]</span></li> <li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link_media" href="http://www.tusfiles.net/ehj5bbwvrrv3" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/icon_media_download.gif); background-position: 4px 3px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #723475; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Transcript of the press briefingpdf, 162kb</a></li> </ul> <div> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fentity%2Fmediacentre%2Fmultimedia%2F2014%2Fwho-ebola-outbreak-08aug2014.pdf%3Fua%3D1&docid=7af42315142eadec3cb6c0a1119140e2&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fentity%2Fmediacentre%2Fmultimedia%2F2014%2Fwho-ebola-outbreak-08aug2014.pdf%3Fua%3D1&docid=7af42315142eadec3cb6c0a1119140e2&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> WHO Virtual Press Conference following the Meeting of the International </div> </b></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><b><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> in West Africa</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> </b></span></span></div>

Africa briefings Ebola Ebola Virus Disease hot news news South Africa West Africa Ebola outbreak in west Africa press briefings

Ebola outbreak in west Africa press briefings Video, audio and transcripts from the briefings 8 August 2014 press briefing on Ebol...

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WHO to convene ethical review of experimental treatment for Ebola

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Early next week, WHO will convene a panel of medical ethicists to explore the use of experimental treatment in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Currently there is no registered medicine or vaccine against the virus, but there are several experimental options under development.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The recent treatment of two health workers from Samaritan’s Purse with experimental medicine has raised questions about whether medicine that has never been tested and shown to be safe in people should be used in the outbreak and, given the extremely limited amount of medicine available, if it is used, who should receive it.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“We are in an unusual situation in this outbreak. We have a disease with a high fatality rate without any proven treatment or vaccine,” says Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization. "We need to ask the medical ethicists to give us guidance on what the responsible thing to do is.”</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The gold standard for assessing new medicine involves a series of trials in humans, starting small to make sure the medicine is safe to use. Then, the studies are expanded to more people to see how effective it is, and how best to use it.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The guiding principle with use of any new medicine is ‘do no harm’. Safety is always the main concern.</span></div> <h4 class="section_head2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 6px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Media contact:</h4> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gregory Hartl<br />WHO Department of Communications<br />Telephone: +41 22 791 44 58<br />Mobile: +41 79 203 67 15<br />E-mail: <a href="mailto:hartlg@who.int" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #723475; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">hartlg@who.int</a></span></div>

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Early next week, WHO will convene a panel of medical ethicists to explore the use of experimental treatment in the ongoing Ebola outbreak i...

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Ebola Outbreak in West Africa 'WHO'

<h1 class="headline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 20px 12px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa</h1> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The first meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) [IHR (2005)] regarding the 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD, or “Ebola”) outbreak in West Africa was held by teleconference on Wednesday, 6 August 2014 from 13:00 to 17:30 and on Thursday, 7 August 2014 from 13:00 to 18:30 Geneva time (CET).</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Members and advisors of the Emergency Committee met by teleconference on both days of the meeting<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; border: 0px; bottom: 0.8ex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 9px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span>. The following IHR (2005) States Parties participated in the informational session of the meeting on Wednesday, 6 August 2014: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">During the informational session, the WHO Secretariat provided an update on and assessment of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The above-referenced States Parties presented on recent developments in their countries, including measures taken to implement rapid control strategies, and existing gaps and challenges in the outbreak response.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After discussion and deliberation on the information provided, the Committee advised that:</span></div> <ul class="disc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other States;</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">the possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">a coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola.</li> </ul> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was the unanimous view of the Committee that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) have been met.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The current EVD outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013. This outbreak now involves transmission in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. As of 4 August 2014, countries have reported 1 711 cases (1 070 confirmed, 436 probable, 205 suspect), including 932 deaths. This is currently the largest EVD outbreak ever recorded. In response to the outbreak, a number of unaffected countries have made a range of travel related advice or recommendations.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In light of States Parties’ presentations and subsequent Committee discussions, several challenges were noted for the affected countries:</span></div> <ul class="disc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">their health systems are fragile with significant deficits in human, financial and material resources, resulting in compromised ability to mount an adequate Ebola outbreak control response;</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">inexperience in dealing with Ebola outbreaks; misperceptions of the disease, including how the disease is transmitted, are common and continue to be a major challenge in some communities;</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">high mobility of populations and several instances of cross-border movement of travellers with infection;</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">several generations of transmission have occurred in the three capital cities of Conakry (Guinea); Monrovia (Liberia); and Freetown (Sierra Leone); and</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">a high number of infections have been identified among health-care workers, highlighting inadequate infection control practices in many facilities.</li> </ul> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Committee provided the following advice to the Director-General for her consideration to address the Ebola outbreak in accordance with IHR (2005).</span></div> <h3 class="section_head1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 9px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> States with Ebola transmission</h3> <ul class="disc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Head of State should declare a national emergency; personally address the nation to provide information on the situation, the steps being taken to address the outbreak and the critical role of the community in ensuring its rapid control; provide immediate access to emergency financing to initiate and sustain response operations; and ensure all necessary measures are taken to mobilize and remunerate the necessary health care workforce.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Health Ministers and other health leaders should assume a prominent leadership role in coordinating and implementing emergency Ebola response measures, a fundamental aspect of which should be to meet regularly with affected communities and to make site visits to treatment centres.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should activate their national disaster/emergency management mechanisms and establish an emergency operation centre, under the authority of the Head of State, to coordinate support across all partners, and across the information, security, finance and other relevant sectors, to ensure efficient and effective implementation and monitoring of comprehensive Ebola control measures. These measures must include infection prevention and control (IPC), community awareness, surveillance, accurate laboratory diagnostic testing, contact tracing and monitoring, case management, and communication of timely and accurate information among countries. For all infected and high risks areas, similar mechanisms should be established at the state/province and local levels to ensure close coordination across all levels.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should ensure that there is a large-scale and sustained effort to fully engage the community – through local, religious and traditional leaders and healers – so communities play a central role in case identification, contact tracing and risk education; the population should be made fully aware of the benefits of early treatment.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is essential that a strong supply pipeline be established to ensure that sufficient medical commodities, especially personal protective equipment (PPE), are available to those who appropriately need them, including health care workers, laboratory technicians, cleaning staff, burial personnel and others that may come in contact with infected persons or contaminated materials.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">In areas of intense transmission (e.g. the cross border area of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia), the provision of quality clinical care, and material and psychosocial support for the affected populations should be used as the primary basis for reducing the movement of people, but extraordinary supplemental measures such as quarantine should be used as considered necessary.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should ensure health care workers receive: adequate security measures for their safety and protection; timely payment of salaries and, as appropriate, hazard pay; and appropriate education and training on IPC, including the proper use of PPEs.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should ensure that: treatment centres and reliable diagnostic laboratories are situated as closely as possible to areas of transmission; that these facilities have adequate numbers of trained staff, and sufficient equipment and supplies relative to the caseload; that sufficient security is provided to ensure both the safety of staff and to minimize the risk of premature removal of patients from treatment centres; and that staff are regularly reminded and monitored to ensure compliance with IPC.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection. The exit screening should consist of, at a minimum, a questionnaire, a temperature measurement and, if there is a fever, an assessment of the risk that the fever is caused by EVD. Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">There should be no international travel of Ebola contacts or cases, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation. To minimize the risk of international spread of EVD:</li> <ul class="disc" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 36px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif) 0% 0.5em no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Confirmed cases should immediately be isolated and treated in an Ebola Treatment Centre with no national or international travel until 2 Ebola-specific diagnostic tests conducted at least 48 hours apart are negative;</li> <li style="background: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif) 0% 0.5em no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contacts (which do not include properly protected health workers and laboratory staff who have had no unprotected exposure) should be monitored daily, with restricted national travel and no international travel until 21 days after exposure;</li> <li style="background: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif) 0% 0.5em no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Probable and suspect cases should immediately be isolated and their travel should be restricted in accordance with their classification as either a confirmed case or contact.</li> </ul> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should ensure funerals and burials are conducted by well-trained personnel, with provision made for the presence of the family and cultural practices, and in accordance with national health regulations, to reduce the risk of Ebola infection. The cross-border movement of the human remains of deceased suspect, probable or confirmed EVD cases should be prohibited unless authorized in accordance with recognized international biosafety provisions.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should ensure that appropriate medical care is available for the crews and staff of airlines operating in the country, and work with the airlines to facilitate and harmonize communications and management regarding symptomatic passengers under the IHR (2005), mechanisms for contact tracing if required and the use of passenger locator records where appropriate.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States with EVD transmission should consider postponing mass gatherings until EVD transmission is interrupted.</li> </ul> <h3 class="section_head1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 9px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> States with a potential or confirmed Ebola Case, and unaffected States with land borders with affected States</h3> <ul class="disc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unaffected States with land borders adjoining States with Ebola transmission should urgently establish surveillance for clusters of unexplained fever or deaths due to febrile illness; establish access to a qualified diagnostic laboratory for EVD; ensure that health workers are aware of and trained in appropriate IPC procedures; and establish rapid response teams with the capacity to investigate and manage EVD cases and their contacts.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Any State newly detecting a suspect or confirmed Ebola case or contact, or clusters of unexplained deaths due to febrile illness, should treat this as a health emergency, take immediate steps in the first 24 hours to investigate and stop a potential Ebola outbreak by instituting case management, establishing a definitive diagnosis, and undertaking contact tracing and monitoring.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">If Ebola transmission is confirmed to be occurring in the State, the full recommendations for <i>States with Ebola Transmission</i> should be implemented, on either a national or subnational level, depending on the epidemiologic and risk context.</li> </ul> <h3 class="section_head1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 9px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> All States</h3> <ul class="disc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; list-style: none outside; margin: 0px 20px 18px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">There should be no general ban on international travel or trade; restrictions outlined in these recommendations regarding the travel of EVD cases and contacts should be implemented.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should provide travelers to Ebola affected and at-risk areas with relevant information on risks, measures to minimize those risks, and advice for managing a potential exposure.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should be prepared to detect, investigate, and manage Ebola cases; this should include assured access to a qualified diagnostic laboratory for EVD and, where appropriate, the capacity to manage travelers originating from known Ebola-infected areas who arrive at international airports or major land crossing points with unexplained febrile illness.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">The general public should be provided with accurate and relevant information on the Ebola outbreak and measures to reduce the risk of exposure.</li> <li style="background-image: url(http://www.who.int/sysmedia/media/style/img/list.gif); background-position: 0% 0.5em; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 1px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">States should be prepared to facilitate the evacuation and repatriation of nationals (e.g. health workers) who have been exposed to Ebola.</li> </ul> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Committee emphasized the importance of continued support by WHO and other national and international partners towards the effective implementation and monitoring of these recommendations.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Based on this advice, the reports made by affected States Parties and the currently available information, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 8 August 2014 declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s advice and issued them as Temporary Recommendations under IHR (2005) to reduce the international spread of Ebola, effective 8 August 2014. The Director-General thanked the Committee Members and Advisors for their advice and requested their reassessment of this situation within 3 months</span></div>

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WHO Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa ...

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