World number one Aryna Sabalenka unusually stopped her match in the third round of the US Open tennis tournament on Friday, alerting the referee to a strong smell of marijuana seeping into Louis Armstrong Arena.
Sabalenka, who started strongly to take a 3-0 lead against Uzbek Kamila Rakhimova, raised this issue during the second service game, referring to the smell before the match resumed.
The smell of hashish and marijuana has become a familiar, if unwanted, feature at Flushing Meadows, with players complaining in the past about this source of distraction.
Although smoking is not permitted inside the tournament grounds, recreational marijuana smoking is legal for adults over the age of 21 in New York, and smoke from smokers in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park surrounding the area can seep into the tennis complex and reach the courts.
Even top seed Sabalenka could not escape one of the most surprising elements of the US Open experience.
The Scottish Football League announced on Friday that Scottish champions Celtic and their traditional rivals Rangers have agreed not to have any fans of the visiting team attend their matches in the league’s competitions until the end of the season.
This interim arrangement follows an independent review by the Scottish Football Association of the events surrounding the teams' Scottish Cup quarter-final match at Ibrox on March 8, and subsequent talks involving the two clubs, the League and Scottish Police.
The match witnessed storming of the field and clashes between fans of the two teams after Celtic won on penalties after a goalless draw. Fireworks were launched while police officers and supervisors formed a barrier between the two groups to restore order, while the players were rushing off the field.
Both Rangers and Celtic had previously agreed to allocate 5 percent of the available capacity in both stadiums to fans of the visiting team.
Rangers proposed allocating a smaller percentage of fans to the visiting team in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final match scheduled for September 13, after assessing the circumstances and risks surrounding the match. Celtic rejected this proposal and asked the League to take a decision on this matter.
After further discussions, the two clubs and the League agreed to exclude fans of the visiting team pending the review’s findings and recommendations, and to allow more time to plan future matches.
The association stressed that the priority remains safety and security, adding that this arrangement may be reconsidered if fundamental changes occur in conditions during the season.
The history of the summit matches between the two teams dates back to 1888, and it is one of the oldest and strongest summit confrontations in the world of football, and was historically shaped by political and religious divisions.
Inter Milan coach Christian Chievo praised his counterpart in Napoli, Massimiliano Allegri, before the expected confrontation between the two teams, Saturday, at the top of the Italian League, stressing that his team can learn from the experience of the veteran coach, and at the same time stressing Inter’s readiness to take on a new strong test.
Inter started their season with six points from the first two matches, but Chievo realizes that facing Napoli represents a much stronger test.
Chievo said in the press conference for the match, on Friday: “I am one of the people who appreciate and respect Allegri. He is a winning coach, has a lot of experience, and has everything we young coaches want to learn.”
Inter's coach confirmed that his team's defeat against Napoli twice last season has become a thing of the past, noting that these results showed the importance of maintaining focus throughout the season.
“I learned my lesson,” Chievo said. We won the title in the end. We started the season with six points from two matches and we want to continue that.”
Chievo stressed the need for Inter to maintain its identity during the confrontation with Napoli, led by Allegri, and not to allow the opposing team to impose its style on the match.
He said: “We must play at our usual rhythm. We must never lose determination, courage, and the desire to impose control. “This team has a very clear identity about what it wants to be.”
