Spanish tennis stars Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer insisted on Monday that they were unworried by Brazil’s Zika virus outbreak as they prepare to compete at the Rio Open this week.
“I’m not at all afraid,” world No. 5 Nadal, 29, told a press conference. “I go out at night and I know there’s a risk, but I’m just happy to be back here again.”
“If I get sick, well then that’s just bad luck,” the 14-time Grand Slam winner said. “I can see for myself that people here are going about their business as if everything was OK, so things can’t be that bad. People are going to the beach, going out for walks, having dinner in restaurants.”
Photo: AP
Ferrer, the world No. 6, said he had been reassured by Brazil’s efforts to wipe out the mosquitoes which carry the virus.
“We’ve been told that everything possible has been done so that there will be no mosquitoes, which is comforting,” Ferrer said. “We’ve been wearing long trousers at night, but I’m not getting obsessed by the whole thing.”
Brazil has been most affected by the outbreak that has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean, with 1.5 million people in the nation infected since early last year.
Photo: AP
While the Zika virus causes only mild influenza-like symptoms in most people, scientists suspect when it strikes a pregnant woman it can cause her baby to be born with microcephaly, or an abnormally small head.
“The whole thing seems to have been blown out of proportion,” Nadal said. “The reality is that we are here in Rio for an international tennis tournament, and I’m here and I can see that everything looks totally normal.”
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Saturday vowed that the virus would not jeopardize the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.
In the women’s singles on Monday, third seed Danka Kovinic of Montenegro and fifth seed Polona Hercog of Slovenia each advanced to the second round with wins over Americans.
Kovinic defeated Sachia Vickery 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 and Hercog beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-2.
Shelby Rogers had an upset 6-2, 6-2 victory over eighth seed Andreea Mitu of Romania.
The tournament was halted by torrential evening rain that pushed back play by several hours.
In the only men’s singles match completed, Guido Pella of Argentina upset fourth seed John Isner 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 7-6 (10/8).
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