Djokovic pulls out of Abu Dhabi tournament due to elbow pain
Belgrade: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic was on Friday forced to withdraw from an exhibition tournament held in Abu Dhabi due to elbow pain.
At the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Djokovic was expected to make his first appearance since July, when an elbow injury forced him to put an end to his 2017 season, reports Efe.
"Unfortunately, in the past few days I started to feel pain in the elbow and after several tests, my medical team has advised me not to risk anything, to withdraw from the tournament and to immediately continue with the therapies," Djokovic said in a statement.
"I am very sad because I was eager to return to playing official matches. I enjoyed the practices and everything I did to get ready for the start of the season, including the tournament in Abu Dhabi, where I always enjoy playing," he added.
Former World No.1 Djokovic was scheduled to play against Spaniard Bautista Agut in the semifinal.
"This might affect the start of the season and the tournament plan, but the decision will be made in the following days," he added.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion was the favourite to clinch the title after Spain's Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament.
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Bihar hooch tragedy toll rises to nine as three more persons die
Motihari (PTI): The toll in the hooch tragedy in Bihar's East Champaran district rose to nine on Sunday after three more people who had consumed spurious liquor died, officials said.
The first death was reported on Thursday, they said.
A total of 15 people have been arrested in connection with the deaths in the Turkauliya and Raghunathpur areas of Motihari, District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said.
A case of murder has already been registered on the basis of complaints filed by the family members of the deceased, police said.
Jorwal said one person is still in the hospital and his condition is reported to be critical.
"Seven persons have already been discharged after treatment," he told PTI.
"The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examination. The exact cause of the deaths can only be known after the reports arrive," he said.
The SHO of Turkauliya police station has already been suspended on charge of dereliction of duty, and a special investigation team has been constituted to probe the incident, officials said.
The deaths have led to a political slugfest in the state, where the sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned since 2016.
