Serena pulls out of Madrid with fever

PARIS - Serena Williams has pulled out of the Madrid WTA tournament due to a high fever, organisers said Thursday. "Unfortunately I have had to pull out of Madrid because I have had a fever and I don't feel 100 percent," the official Mutua Madrid Open site quoted Williams as saying. The 36-year-old made the decision shortly before the main draw. The superstar made her comeback from childbirth in March at Indian Wells and Miami but has admitted struggling to get fully fit. Williams could make a return at Rome May 13-20 ahead of the French Open in Paris May 27-June 10. Astonishingly, Serena won the Australian Open while pregnant and returned in February alongside her sister Venus in a US Fed Cup first-round tie. She lost to Venus in the third round at Indian Wells and to Japan's Naomi Osaka at Miami.–AFP

 Federer to start grass-court season

PARIS - Roger Federer has announced that he will start his grass-court season at the ATP tournament in Stuttgart in June, after skipping the clay-court swing. The 20-time Grand Slam champion decided to miss the clay-court season, as he did last year, in order to be fully prepared for Wimbledon, where he won a record eighth title last season. The week-long Stuttgart event starts on June 11, the day after the men's French Open final at Roland Garros. "On grass, my expectations are naturally high, so, I'm looking forward to once again playing in Stuttgart," Federer said. The 36-year-old also played the 2017 tournament, where he suffered a surprise loss in his first match to German veteran Tommy Haas, who has since retired. The Swiss is currently second in the world rankings behind Rafael Nadal.–AFP

 Zarco joins KTM on two-year deal

PARIS - Frenchman Johann Zarco has been tasked with helping Red Bull KTM Factory Racing "reach the next level" in Moto GP after officially joining the team Thursday for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Zarco, a former two-time world champion in Moto2, was crowned Rookie of the Year in 2017 and is considered by KTM as a future champion in the making. "It is clear that we want to take another step in MotoGP. The first two years were about building up the project and to get everything running," says Pit Beirer, the Motorsports Director for KTM. "You always want to get the best possible riders on board and it's obvious with Johann beating the factory guys on satellite machinery and consistently qualifying on the front row means he is a strong fighter with a strong spirit.”–AFP

 Ferdinand refused pro boxing licence

LONDON - Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said Thursday he was "disappointed" after being refused a professional licence by British boxing authorities. Ferdinand, coached by former WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall, was being backed by betting company Betfair as part of the "Defender to Contender" challenge. "Having been training four to five times a week since announcing the aim of achieving a professional boxing licence and stepping into the ring, it is with a heavy heart that I am hanging up my gloves," he said. "Despite having never felt better physically or mentally, after notifying the British Boxing Board of Control of my intention to apply for a licence, I have received confirmation that they would not be reviewing my application at this point in time.”–AFP

 Pak snooker team off to Iran for Asian event

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani snooker team has departed for Iran on Friday morning to take part in the 34th Asian Snooker Championship 2018. Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) media manager Naveed Kapadia, who is accompanying the team as referee, said: “It was wonderful few days of practice for the players in Islamabad where they worked very hard and hopefully, they will perform very well in Asian event. Pakistani team comprise M Asif, M Bilal, Babar Masih and M Majid Ali while PBSA president Munawwar Hussain Shaikh and ACBS SVP Alamgir A Shaikh will join the team on May 7 to attend the 33rd annual general meeting of ACBS, which will be held during the championship on May 11.” He said with limited resources, Pakistani players are trying to give out their best at international level.–Staff Reporter