SERENA and VENUS WILLIAMS "withdrew from women's doubles competition at the Australian Open on Wednesday before first round action got underway."
Tennis Australia, which handles all of the withdrawals for the tournament, was "unable to give a reason why the 13-time grand slam and three-time Olympic champions were unable to play their match" against 11th seeds ANABEL MEDINA GARRIGUES and YAROSLAVA SHEDOVA (REUTERS, 1/21). ... LEWIS HAMILTON has said that "there is 'no stress' with regard to signing a new Formula One contract with Mercedes." Hamilton: "As soon as I left the last race I was at the factory for a couple of days, but I haven’t sat down with the team. But we said last year we’re not in a rush. We’re relaxed. The team have acknowledged they want to continue with me and vice versa, so there is no stress" (PA, 1/21). ... Pro surfer RICARDO DOS SANTOS died after he was "shot three times outside his beachside home in Brazil." Santos "was shot outside his home in the country's south, allegedly by a police officer." The 24-year-old was attacked on Tuesday "near the city of Florianopolis, when he went outside to confront an off-duty policeman and the officer's younger brother" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/21).
'HAPPY TO HELP': English golfer LEE WESTWOOD has said that he was "only too happy to help" after being acclaimed as a "life-saver" by a businessman who the former world No. 1 golfer pulled out of the sea in Barbados. COLIN DAVIES described how Westwood "came to the rescue when he got into difficulty swimming in the Atlantic Ocean." Davies: "As soon as I entered I realized I was in trouble. My legs wouldn't move, and my wife Linda was out of earshot. The family next to us on the beach heard my cry and within a second a muscular male grabbed me and, with tremendous but gentle care, got me back to my lounge bed" (London TELEGRAPH, 1/21).
