Wimbledon diary: Duval's cancer battle

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Positive outlook: Duval has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

    Sport360's Reem Abulleil is stationed at Wimbledon throughout the tournament and each day will be providing an alternative outlook on the happenings at SW19.

    Teenager Duval battling cancer

    Sad news broke in the press room on Friday as it was revealed that 18-year-old American WTA player Vicky Duval has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

    Duval had a decent grass court season, qualifying in Birmingham before making the second round and qualifying in Wimbledon, where she upset No29 seed Sorana Cirstea in the first round of the main draw before falling to Belinda Bencic.

    The American teenager learned about her diagnosis after her first round of qualifying here at Wimbledon but still chose to compete, which makes her journey to the second round even more impressive.

    Reports reveal that the cancer has fortunately been caught at an early stage and that the prognosis is positive.

    Glamour quotient high in the Royal Box

    Meanwhile on Centre Court, the Royal Box was packed for the men’s semi-finals with the likes of rugby star Brian O’Driscoll, Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, Ukrainian footballer Andriy Shevchenko, and tennis former world number one Lindsay Davenport all in attendance.

    Hollywood star Bradley Cooper who was here last year with Gerard Butler, was sat by Man vs. Wild’s Bear Grylls, while actor Jude Law and American business mogul Larry Ellison raised the glamour quotient in the house.

    Maria Sharapova put her WAG hat on as she made sure she was in the stands to support her boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov and the Russian did her best to keep her emotions in check but her reactions throughout the match could not hide her nerves.

    Bouchard’s ‘unfriendly’ ways

    In the interview room, Eugenie Bouchard was asked if she was still “good mates” with Britain’s Laura Robson.

    The pair had appeared together in a Gangnam-style video they posted on YouTube last year and were believed to be friends but Bouchard set the record straight.

    “Are you still pretty good mates?” asked a reporter.

    To which Bouchard answered: “No, I don’t think so.” It’s unsurprising considering Bouchard had recently said that the “tour is not a place to make friends”.

    But still, it got us curious what happened there.

    Recommended