Two-time Wimbledon champion PETRA KVITOVA said that she is "fortunate to be alive" after being injured in a knife attack at her home on Tuesday. Kvitova, 26, is "undergoing surgery for severe lacerations to all four fingers on her left hand -- her playing hand." She said, "I am shaken. The injury is severe and I will need to see specialists" (BBC, 12/20). ... League Championship side Newcastle United player JONJO SHELVEY has been "banned for five games after he was found guilty of using racially abusive language by an independent panel." He has also been fined £100,000 ($123,650) and ordered to attend an FA education course. The player has seven days to appeal (BBC, 12/20). ... Former ManU forward SCOTT MCGARVEY is "at the centre of the controversy that led to SAM ALLARDYCE losing his position as England manager" and is seeking damages of more than £1.5M ($1.8M) from the London Daily Telegraph. McGarvey claims that the newspaper sting operation, in which he and Allardyce were "caught on camera making a series of unguarded remarks" to undercover newspaper reporters, was a “blatant and callous deceit” that has had a “massively negative professional and personal” impact on him. A Telegraph spokesperson said, "We have received the letter and will respond in due course" (LONDON TIMES, 12/20). ... SATA MARUYAMA, who played on the Gold Medal-winning women's volleyball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, died on Sunday aged 72. At 20 years of age, Maruyama, "known more by her maiden name Isobe, was the youngest starter and an attacker" when the Japanese team dubbed the "Witches of the Orient" beat the Soviet Union for Gold under "hard-driving" coach HIROFUMI DAIMATSU (KYODO, 12/19). ... The FA announced EPL side Leicester City striker JAMIE VARDY will "serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after his wrongful dismissal claim was rejected." Vardy was "sent off for a two-footed challenge" on MAME BIRAM DIOUF during Leicester's 2-2 draw against Stoke City on Saturday. He will miss games against Everton, West Ham and Middlesbrough over the Christmas period (London DAILY MAIL, 12/20).
ROYAL MOVES: QUEEN ELIZABETH II is "stepping down as patron of Wimbledon." The 90-year-old queen has been patron of the All England Club since '52, and "last made an appearance at the Wimbledon tournament" in '10. Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that the queen "will step down from her role at more than 20 charities and organizations, including the Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union, the Amateur Swimming Association, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Rugby Football League and the British Cycling Federation" (AP, 12/20). PRINCE HARRY is "to take over from The Queen as patron of the Rugby Football Union next year." The Queen took over the role from her father, KING GEORGE VI (AAP, 12/21).
SMUGGLED SNAPS: The first pictures of "stricken F1 legend MICHAEL SCHUMACHER have been smuggled out of his home by a money-grubbing photographer." Until now, no snaps or video footage of Schumacher have emerged since his "tragic" skiing accident in '13. The pictures, "which were secretly taken, show Schumacher lying in bed at his home in Geneva." The photographs have reportedly been offered to a European media outlet for close to £1M ($1.24M). German prosecutors "insist the pictures violate the former Ferrari ace's 'personal range of life' and have been investigating the incident" (THE SUN, 12/20)
