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Spiritually, Might and Magic X can be neatly summed up in its first real conversation, when the captain of the first town's guard jokes "Don't worry, I won't send you to go kill rats in a cellar," and then without irony presents a quest called "Spiders In The Well". It's a deliberate and careful throwback to the hack-and-slash RPGs of old, in a style even its own series hasn't done since 1993's Darkside of Xeen - the fifth game, and hardly a cutting edge one even then. That goes to the core. While Legacy uses the Unity 3D engine and isn't afraid to use it to both create a world and deploy a few special effects, like volumetric lighting, the action remains turn based and locked tight to a grid rather than allowing freeform movement. For the most part though, this works oddly well. Cities and dungeons are carefully designed, looking good and not feeling too much like shoeboxes. There are however regular reminders of why most games of this style stick to cramped dungeons and locations like forest mazes rather than expansive overworlds, the biggest being that ranged characters often aren't allowed to take a pop at an enemy standing right in front of them because officially they're around a corner. Despite nominally being the tenth game in the series, it's easy to get into the action. No knowledge of the series is required, and despite an intro so astoundingly long and overwritten that it's a wonder that the party doesn't emerge blinking in Might and Magic XI, the story is kept firmly in the background. You're a team of rookie adventurers taking the ashes of your mentor to a locked down city in the middle of a ludicrously dangerous peninsula, in the wake of political reforms that everyone spends far too much time arguing about instead of dealing with all the monsters everywhere. A smarter party might 'accidentally' trip while holding his sodding urn on a windy cliff and go home. But no. Not Heroic enough, apparently. While even getting close to that town is a slow business, Legacy's actual action is surprisingly pacey. The four-man party primarily levels horizontally, with lots of skills, but plenty of points to spread between them. This quickly allows for a flexible team where a Ranger can be both archer and healer, or a Freemage take up various magical schools without becoming a master of none, with melee characters getting their own 'spells' revolving around skills like taunting and diverting blows. Combat still isn't usually too tactical outside of bosses, where bad luck can also screw the party over in a hurry, but Legacy makes carving through armies feel very satisfying. Luckily too, because while the killing is occasionally interrupted by a trivial puzzle or conversation popping its head into the action, this is firmly a game of 20% exploration, 70% combat, and everything else fighting over the scraps. What gives Legacy its old school charm though is that as much as it's weighed down by an obviously low budget and the mechanical sacrifices of jumping back a decade, there's a love for its style underpinning the action. The result isn't likely to do much for anyone raised on a diet of The Elder Scrolls, and even at its best is a nostalgia trip rather than call for revolution. Even so, for old-school RPG fans as sad as its creators seem to be that nobody makes games like this any more, it's a solid way to relive the good old days.

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The worsening COVID-19 pandemic has led to the British Open — scheduled to take place at Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent in July — being cancelled for the first time since World War II. But with the pandemic ripping the 2020 sporting schedule to shreds, the event has became the first of the sport's four majors to be cancelled this year. Golf's oldest major will now be hosted at the same Sandwich venue in July 2021. "The Open was due to be played in Kent from 12-19 July but it has been necessary to cancel the championship based on guidance from the UK Government, the health authorities, public services and the R&A's advisers," organisers R&A said in a statement on Monday. St Andrews will still host the 150th British Open but a year later than scheduled in 2022. "Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in the Open. We care deeply about this historic championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart," R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said. "We have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible. "We rely on the support of the emergency services, local authorities and a range of other organisations to stage the Championship and it would be unreasonable to place any additional demands on them when they have far more urgent priorities to deal with. "We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do." The British Open is the latest high-profile tournament to be axed because of the virus. Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II last week, while Euro 2020 and the Olympics have been pushed back a year until 2021. Ireland's Shane Lowry won last year's British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. "Obviously I'm disappointed that I won't get to defend the Open Championship this year but I feel the R&A have made the right decisions based on people's health and safety," Lowry tweeted. See you all in Royal St George's in 2021." Royal St George's has hosted the British Open 14 times, most recently in 2011, when Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke won the event. Both this year's Masters and the PGA Championship were postponed in March because of the health crisis. It is believed organisers still hope to play those events later in the year. The US Open is currently set to be played from June 18-21 at Winged Foot in New York. However, the United States Golf Association (USGA) is expected to announce a decision on staging the tournament soon.

The United States saw nearly 2,000 coronavirus deaths for a second day running as the toll soared again in Europe, despite US President Donald Trump's insistence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Governments are grappling with how to balance public safety against the devastating economic impact of stay-at-home orders that have erased millions of jobs in a matter of weeks. More than 86,000 people worldwide have died in the virus crisis, which has sent the global economy spiralling and forced billions of people to remain at home as much as possible. As the economic downturn starts to bite, health experts stressed that any premature loosening of restrictions could accelerate the spread of a contagion that has already infiltrated nearly every country. In France, one of the hardest-hit nations in Europe with more than 10,000 deaths, President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation next week to explain the path forward. The confinement order issued on March 17 "will be extended" beyond the current deadline of April 15, an official close to Macron told AFP. The United States reported the highest one-day toll on record, with 1,973 deaths over a 24-hour period — reaching nearly 2,000 for the second day in a row. Italy and Spain are still recording hundreds of deaths a day, and the situation is also deteriorating in Britain, which saw a record 938 fatalities Wednesday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a third day in intensive care. The 55-year-old leader's condition is "improving" and he is in "good spirits", officials assured the public. In New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, the state's governor noted the new single-day high for virus deaths at 779, but offered an optimistic view for the weeks to come. "We are flattening the curve," Andrew Cuomo told reporters, as he cited a decreasing hospitalization rate due to stay-at-home orders. That optimism was shared by US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who both said the data seemed to indicate a turn for the better. "We are hopefully heading towards a final stretch, the light at the end of the tunnel," Trump told reporters. Pence chimed in: "We're beginning to see glimmers of hope." In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first emerged in December, there was cause for celebration as a ban on outbound travel was lifted. But Malta joined the ranks of those in mourning, recording its first death. Global trade to plummet The head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevedo, issued a dire warning, saying the economic fallout from the health emergency could be "the deepest economic recession or downturn of our lifetimes". Germany and France, the EU's two largest economies, are bracing for a painful hit. Gross domestic product in export powerhouse Germany is expected to shrink by nearly 10 percent in the second quarter, the country's leading research institutes said. France is already in a technical recession, the Bank of France said. Its first-quarter performance was its worst since 1945. But officials at the US Federal Reserve said the wide-ranging shuttering of businesses should not have the lasting impact that was seen in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008. As some European countries weighed easing lockdown measures to allow economic activity to resume in earnest, the World Health Organization urged against it. "Now is not the time to relax measures," said WHO's Europe director Hans Kluge. "It is the time to once again double and triple our collective efforts to drive towards suppression with the whole support of society." Stages of grief Around the world, medical staff are bearing a heavy physical and emotional toll as they work in overflowing intensive care units and makeshift hospitals erected in sports stadiums, on ships and even in a New York cathedral. In Spain, another 757 deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the toll up for a second day after several days of decline. Antonio Alvarez, a 33-year-old nurse at a Barcelona hospital, described his experience as akin to bereavement. "I've had my phases of anger, of denial — you go through all of them," he told AFP. "Now we are still a little overwhelmed but it is better. Fewer patients are dying." In Italy, police have started to tighten lockdown controls as cabin fever and a slowing of the death toll tempted residents out in increasing numbers. Jews around the world marked the start of Passover without the large family gatherings normally organised for the seder meal, with some turning to virtual platforms. "The Passover holiday is celebrated with friends and families," Yigel Niasoff, 45, told AFP from his balcony in New York's Crown Heights neighbourhood. "Right now with the pandemic, it's a very, very sad time." Bailout efforts Governments worldwide are rolling out staggering stimulus measures to ease the economic pain. In Washington, Democrats demanded an additional $500 billion to battle the crisis, doubling the government's request to help small businesses and imperilling the rapid approval of emergency aid lawmakers sought this week. The eurozone is also mired in bickering over a bailout plan for its hard-hit members that would come on top of measures enacted by individual governments. Talks resume Thursday. The markets continued their volatile movement, with the Dow closing up 3.4 per cent in New York after European stocks faltered. For those who have lost their jobs during the crisis, survival is already a struggle. "With the coronavirus, I'm suffocating," 55-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez told AFP in Miami, where he spent five hours in line to apply for unemployment benefits. "I have to pay for the car, I have to pay the phone bill — how am I going to pay that? And the rent too!"

The Chinese city of 11 million people that was Ground Zero for what became the global coronavirus pandemic partly reopened on Saturday after more than two months of almost total isolation. Wuhan was placed under lockdown in January with residents forbidden to leave, roadblocks ring-fencing the city's outskirts and drastic restrictions on daily life. But the major transport and industrial hub has now signalled the end of its long isolation, with state media showing the first officially sanctioned passenger train arriving back into the city just after midnight. People are now allowed to enter but not leave, and many trains had been fully booked days in advance. AFP saw crowds of passengers arriving at Wuhan station on Saturday, most wheeling suitcases alongside them. Some had managed to slip back into the city a day earlier on rail services that were stopping in the city — but nominally banned passengers from disembarking — as enforcement of the travel ban began to ease. One woman who arrived on Friday said she and her daughter had been away from her husband for nearly 10 weeks. "As the train neared Wuhan, my child and I were both very excited," the 36-year-old told AFP on Saturday. "It felt like the train was moving faster than before, and my daughter said the driver must know we really want to go home. "She rushed toward her father, and watching them from behind I couldn't help but cry," she added. Staff at Wuhan station were all clad in full protective gear with reception desks lined up ready to process returnees who had been overseas. China is now battling to control a wave of imported cases as infections soar abroad. As passengers lined up to exit the station Saturday — some wearing two face masks, gloves, face screens or full protective suits — a worker in a hazmat suit shouted for anyone returning from overseas to come forward. All arrivals in Wuhan have to show a green code on a mobile app to prove that they are healthy. Elsewhere in China long lines of travellers queued up at train stations to board high-speed services back to Wuhan. Passengers in Shanghai had their temperatures checked by staff in goggles and masks after boarding their Saturday morning service. Restrictions on residents heading out of Wuhan will not be lifted until April 8, when the airport will also reopen for domestic flights. Wuhan is the last area of Hubei province to see overland travel restrictions lifted, although some highways leading into the city had already reopened this week. Gao Xuesong, a worker in Wuhan's auto industry, arrived in the city Friday night. "It almost feels like returning to an alien land, because I haven't been back for more than two months," he told AFP. Zero Cases, Not Zero Risk The new coronavirus was detected in December and has been linked to a market in the city that sold wild animals for human consumption. Wuhan has paid a heavy price for the outbreak, with more than 50,000 people infected and more COVID-19 deaths than any other city in China. There were three more deaths in the city on Saturday, health officials reported. Wuhan initially struggled to contain the outbreak and AFP reporters saw long queues of sick patients at one overwhelmed city hospital in January. But numbers have fallen dramatically in recent weeks. Official figures show there have been fewer than 20 new cases across the province in the past fortnight. Most of Wuhan's subway network restarted on Saturday, while some shopping centres will open their doors next week. Banks reopened earlier this week and bus services resumed but residents have been warned against unnecessary travel and those over 65 have been told to avoid public transport. A study this week found the lockdown in Wuhan succeeded in stopping the fast-spreading virus in its tracks and gave health care facilities crucial breathing room — but warned against opening up the city too soon. More than 2,500 people are still hospitalised with the disease in Wuhan, including nearly 900 "severe" cases. Liu Dongru, of the Hubei Health Commission, said Friday that although parts of Wuhan had been reclassified as "low-risk" areas, work to control the virus needed to continue. "Zero reported cases does not equal zero risk," he said.

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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a unified national response to the coronavirus threat, after coming under fire for downplaying the pandemic and allowing states to go their own way. Trump´s call came as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House was presenting a massive economic stimulus plan to Congress and was looking at sending direct payments to all Americans, as well as aid to embattled airlines. In a White House appearance that was striking for its mostly measured and sober tone, Trump praised the Democratic governors of New York and California and excoriated states that were not adhering to strict new guidelines on social distancing. "We are looking to save the maximum number of lives. Everything else is going to come back, but a life is not going to come back," Trump said. The number of US cases has surged to more than 5,600 with 94 deaths, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Those figures seemed to be driving a sense of urgency as schools close their doors, businesses shift to teleworking and hospitals prepare to meet a wave of expected patients. Trump has been repeatedly accused of underplaying the pandemic, particularly in its early stages, in order to avoid spooking the markets. But he no longer appeared to be using that playbook and hailed a markedly improved feeling of bipartisanship. "It´s been a great thing to see...getting along with Democrats, getting along with Republicans," said Trump. "There´s been a lot of spirit with things happening that I haven´t seen in almost three and a half years." - Most Cases In New York - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday issued new guidelines to be followed for up to two weeks, advising against gatherings of more than 10 people and urging against visiting public spaces like restaurants or gyms.That led to criticism of public officials who had just days earlier called for people to go about their daily lives -- including Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Californian congressman Devin Nunes, both Republicans. Democratic presidential primaries nevertheless went ahead Tuesday in three states -- Florida, Illinois and Arizona. A top coronavirus task force official, Deborah Birx, said: "We believe that every mayor and every governor should implement these guidelines that came from the White House and the President of the United States." Trump then chimed in: "And we´ve been very tough on those states, I know exactly who you´re talking about, we´ve been very tough on them," without naming names. And he praised Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gavin Newsom of California, saying of the former: "We´re both doing a really good job and we´re coordinating." The US epidemic had been centered on northwest Washington state, but new figures issued overnight now give New York state the highest number of cases with almost 1,400. Cuomo warned reporters Tuesday the epidemic may not peak for 45 days and said experts had told him the state would need to devote 55,000-110,000 hospital beds to the crisis, including tens of thousands in intensive care units. Asked his views on when the national epidemic was set to peak, Anthony Fauci, the head of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, told reporters at the White House 45 days "is not unreasonable." "From our standpoint, from the federal government, we´re talking about a range," he added, saying the taskforce would evaluate if even more draconian measures were required in the next two weeks. And he called for young people to play their part by remaining at home even if they themselves were not particularly vulnerable to the illness. "You don´t want to put your loved ones at risk, particularly the ones who are elderly and the ones who have compromised conditions," he said. "We can´t do this without the young people cooperating, please cooperate." - ´Very Accurate´ - Trump´s administration is drawing up a massive emergency spending package while the Federal Reserve has opened the floodgates of financing to contain the growing economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic. The president called for bipartisan support for rushing out immediate cash payments to American families. Trump did not specify a total for the stimulus package, but The Washington Post said it could amount to $850 billion. While Tuesday´s appearance by the president signaled a shift in rhetoric -- there was one area where he remained particularly combative, doubling down on referring to the pathogen as the "Chinese virus" despite objections from Beijing. "It did come from China, so I think it´s very accurate," he said, indicating it was payback for a Chinese disinformation campaign that called the virus a US bioweapon.

The Last of Us 2 has us wishing the rest of 2019 away since news of its delay until 2020, but from everything we've seen of the PlayStation exclusive, it will absolutely be worth the wait. Our hands-on with the game, a chance to see a new, deadlier Ellie in action, was a wild ride of emotions and brutal violence that promises The Last of Us 2 will pack the same emotional punch as the critically acclaimed The Last of Us did way back in 2013. Developer Naughty Dog has still be careful to keep the storyline under wraps, so while we know we'll get to see Ellie making a new life, and a love story, with a group of fellow survivors, there are still questions we need answers to. Where is Joel, so ominously absent from the hands-on or the trailers? Can Ellie's love interest survive the first few chapters? Who knows Ellie's secret? We'll have to wait until May 29, 2020 to find out, but The Last of Us 2 is shaping up to be a wonderful swan song for the PS4. Fast facts The Last of Us 2 release date: May 29, 2020. Formats: PS4, PS4 Pro Developer: Naughty Dog The Last of Us 2 Release Date The Last of Us 2 will now be released on PS4 and PS4 Pro on May 29, 2020. "I know," director Neil Druckmann wrote on a recent PlayStation blog announcing news of the delay. "It was just about a month ago when we had our big blowout for the game, letting media play over two hours of it along with debuting our new story trailer and revealing the release date... However, it was during the last few weeks, as we were closing out sections of the game, that we realized we simply didn’t have enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality." The Last of Us 2 Story Will Focus On Joel And Ellie. But Joel Is Still (Mostly) Missing We haven't seen Joel yet, but we (probably) know he's still around, as the latest E3 gameplay demo makes explicit reference to Ellie's "old man". Still, that doesn't name Joel explicitly, so there's still a chance his presence will be a psychological one rather than a literal one. Naughty Dog does love misdirecting its audience before its big games release. When discussing the possibility that the game might follow a new cast, director Neil Druckmann has stated that “The Last of Us is about these two characters specifically,” at last year's PlayStation Experience. “‘Part 2’ is saying this is going to be a larger story; it’s going to be a complementary story to the first game, but together, the two combined are going to tell this much larger tale.” So yes, Joel will be a major part of the story. We just don't yet know in what capacity. Joel's daughter, Sarah, was the driving force of the first game, and, well... Intriguingly, Joel's voice actor Troy Baker recently revealed at a Manchester Comic Con panel that "I don’t think Joel believes he’s a hero. If he was to lean anywhere I think that Joel would consider himself a villain, which is why he can say that he’s been on both sides." Either way, judging by Druckmann’s comments, this follow-up is going to be much more closely linked to its predecessor than many other triple-A sequels. Seeing as the last game ended on such a wonderfully ambiguous, quasi-cliffhanger, we expect The Last of Us 2 to deal with the lie Joel told Ellie during that emotional epilogue. *Spoilers below* Don’t forget, the weathered Texan smuggler basically doomed humanity to extinction when he stopped the Fireflies from performing a lethal operation on Ellie that could have produced a cure for the Cordyceps Brain Infection. Sure, he saved his surrogate daughter’s life, but he also went against her wishes; damning humanity to generations of scratching out an existence against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. Whether or not Ellie bought Joel's lie is currently unknown, but what we do know is that she seems really, really angry - though not without humanity. In the game's first trailer, she states an intent to "Kill every last one of them" (whoever "them" might be), and the E3 2018 trailer intercuts moments of tender friendship and romance with extreme violence on a par with with the graphic horror of French New Extreme cinema. Whatever's going on, Ellie is in an interesting place. The Last of Us 2 Gameplay Shows Ellie Meting Out A Whole Lot Of Bloody Violence As of Sony's E3 2018 presentation, we've now, finally, had an intensive look at some The Last of Us 2 gameplay. And "intensive" is indeed the world. Very much taking its cues from the first game's meaty, improvisational, evasion-driven guerrilla combat, The Last of Us 2 looks to take a somewhat quicker, more nimble approach with Ellie as its protagonist - she can grab bottles and hurl them seamlessly at attackers without breaking a sprint, for instance, and her transitions between various types of cover and combat look a lot slicker than Joel's. That said, the level of graphic violence has clearly gone up. The Last of Us was no slouch when it came to uncomfortable gore, but the Last of Us 2 gameplay demo is on a whole other level. Following a tender scene of friendship and romance, we starkly cut to Ellie, knife already in a man's throat, gutting him like a fish. It only stays messy from there on out, the violence depicted as hovering somewhere between extravagantly graphic bloodletting and gritty, anatomically realistic unpleasantness. It's nasty, crunchy, choking, gurgling, and wheezing stuff throughout. Hopefully there's a reason for that. The first game was, after all, a violent game about violence, in which the unglamorous depiction of killing with repercussions formed a great deal of the point. With so little context for Ellie's actions so far, it's hard to know whether The Last of Us 2 is doing something clever here, or just trying to win a 'maturity' arms-race with itself. We'll probably only know for sure when we get hold of the final game. The Last of Us 2 Trailer Selection Is High On Mood And Threat, Low On Context We've actually now had a few different The Last of Us 2 trailers, yet still, somehow, we have very little idea of what's going on. The first was an ambient piece, reintroducing Joel and Ellie while giving very little detail of the scenario. The second was a sustained, grueling bout of violence, depicting a bunch of characters we don't know, but hinting at a far more tribalized society with at least one murderous cult in its midst. As of E3 2018 though, we have a proper, focused look at Ellie and her story, told through both cutscene and The Last of Us 2 gameplay. Though you probably watched it on the way to scrolling down here. No, we're still not sure what's going on either. The Last of Us 2 Takes Place In Seattle (Partly) A fiery scene links The Last of Us 2 to current Seattle landmarks. Fans had already worked this one out pretty well, but The Last of Us 2 director Neil Druckmann confirmed it at PlayStation Experience 2017: a "large part" of the game will take place in Seattle. The original began in Boston then went on a journey across the United States as far west as Salt Lake City. When we last saw Joel and Ellie, they'd headed back east a ways to Jackson County in Wyoming, planning to stay at the settlement led by Joel's brother Tommy. We don't know how long that arrangement lasted, but Ellie's clearly done more traveling since then. Still, that's just a "large part". It seems unlikely that The Last of Us 2 will remain rooted in the Pacific Northwest after how much roving the first game did. Maybe Ellie will make her way down the coast? We don't know if things are as bad on the western seaboard in terms of infection and military oppression. But it wouldn't be much of a survival story if Ellie just traipsed down to Portland and lived happily ever after. The Last of Us 2 Is Being Co-Written By One of Westworld`s Writers Gross is actually a talented Jack - should that be ‘Jill’(?) of all trades - having also acted in shows as diverse as Comedy Central’s Broad City to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. It’s not clear if Naughty Dog approached Gross following Westworld’s astronomical success, or if she’s been helping out on The Last of Us 2 for a while. Regardless, it’s super exciting to see a writer who’s penned scripts for the hottest show on the planet get involved with the story of The Last of Us 2. The Last of Us 2 is not co-directed by Bruce Straley After directing both The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 alongside Neil Druckmann, it’s been revealed that Bruce Straley won’t be co-directing The Last of Us Part 2. Considering his last two games are stone cold classics, it’s an undeniable bummer. Naughty Dog confirmed Straley won’t be involved with The Last of Us 2 in a statement to Kotaku, though the developer did hint he may be working on his own game (a new IP, perhaps?) when he returns to work: “Bruce recently decided to take some much deserved time off after shipping two critically acclaimed games in the last few years. He’s looking forward to returning to the studio soon and jumping back in on his next project.” Whether Druckmann will take on the dual roles of both creative director and game director on The Last of Us 2 is unclear. Perhaps Naughty Dog will bring in a new director to allow Neil to concentrate fully on ensuring this sequel’s script lives up to the impeccable standards set by the original. The Last of Us 2 soundtrack will feature the original game's composer Gustavo Santaolalla is the man. Specifically, a man who is very, VERY good at writing music. The Argentine composer won back-to-back Best Original Score Oscars for his work on Brokeback Mountain and Babel, before going on to conduct The Last of Us’ masterfully melancholic soundtrack. Druckmann recently confirmed Santaolalla is returning to compose the music for the Last of Us 2, especially notable as it’s the first time he’s returned for a sequel. “We’ve been talking about this project for a couple of years,” Druckmann admits at the PlayStation Experience. “He’s never done a sequel to anything he’s done. He’s so prolific and so good. He has these passion projects he just picks and chooses. He doesn’t care about the money. He started writing some new themes for us, and for this trailer you hear some new themes at the beginning, and a new rendition for the original theme at the end.” Buckle up, eardrums. If /that/ giraffe scene is anything to go by, The Last of Us 2 is going to be one of PS4’s most invigorating audio experiences… Update: Bruce Straley has since left Naughty Dog, so he definitely won't be joining back in on the company's future projects, either.

Switzerland's Roger Federer was not going to go gently, of course, no matter how daunting the number of match points — his opponent accumulated seven — no matter how achy his 38-year-old legs, no matter how slow his serves, no matter how off-target his groundstrokes. Federer still plays for the love of these stages and circumstances. Still yearns for more trophies, too. Down to his very last gasp, time and again, against someone a decade younger, 100th-ranked Tennys Sandgren of the United States, Federer somehow pulled off a memorable comeback to reach the Australian Open semi-finals for the 15th time. Despite all sorts of signs he was not quite himself for much of the match, Federer beat Sandgren 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 on Tuesday in a rollicking quarter-final that appeared to be over long before it truly was. “As the match went on, I started to feel better again and all the pressure went away,” 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer said afterward. “I don't deserve this one, but I'm standing here and I'm obviously very, very happy.” Federer was involved in a dispute with the chair umpire over cursing. He left the court for a medical time out early in the third set, then was visited by a trainer later for a right leg massage. And, above all, found himself in a tense tussle with Sandgren, a 28-year-old from Tennessee who's never been a major semi-finalist and was trying to become the lowest ranked man in the Australian Open's final four since Patrick McEnroe — John's younger brother — was No 114 in 1991. Oh, how close Sandgren came to the monumental upset. After rolling through the second and third sets as Federer's serves dropped from an average of 112 mph to 105 mph and his unforced errors totaled 30, Sandgren led 5-4 in the fourth set. With Federer serving, Sandgren had a trio of opportunities to end things and complete a career defining victory. On the first, Sandgren dumped a backhand into the net. On the second, he pushed a forehand wide. On the third, another forehand found the net. On they went to a tie-breaker, which included the bizarre sight of a ball kid running into Sandgren's right calf at the 3-all changeover. Didn't seem to bother the guy, though, because he grabbed the next three points to put himself a single point from winning. But Sandgren failed to close the deal at 6-3 [...] or at 6-4 [...] or at 6-5 [...] or at 7-6. “Got to get lucky sometimes, I'll tell you that,” Federer said. “Because in those seven match points, you're not under control.” On Federer's own second chance to take that set and force a fifth, Sandgren hit a ball that landed near the baseline. Federer thought it might be out — he turned to look at a line judge for a call that never came — yet barely flicked it back in a defensive manner, and Sandgren's overhead smash went long. Federer wagged his right index finger overhead — the universal sign for “I'm No 1!” — and was on the right path. He ended the victory with a service winner at 119 mph, a little more than an hour after first staring down defeat. The swiss will face off against either Milos Raonic or Novak Djokovic for a place in Sunday's final.

SHANGHAI:A new strain of virus spreading across China has claimed its first victim in Beijing, officials said on Tuesday, as the death toll climbed to 106, the United States warned citizens against trips to the country and financial markets again recoiled. As concern mounted about the impact of the coronavirus on the world’s second-biggest economy, health authorities reported a new surge in cases, while adding that all but six of the dead were from the central city of Wuhan. Although cases of the flu-like virus have appeared in more countries, with Sri Lanka and Cambodia the latest on the list, no fatalities have been reported outside China. Wuhan, a city of 11 million in Hubei province, where the virus emerged late last year, apparently in a market illegally selling wildlife, has been all but put under quarantine, with a lockdown on almost all transport and public gatherings. Tens of millions of others in Hubei live under some form of travel curbs, in a bid to stifle the virus before it can radiate out across China and beyond. Social media images showed residents of city apartment blocks plaintively chanting, “Wuhan, you can do it!” and singing the national anthem out of their windows. Tuesday’s toll of 106 was up from 81 the day before. The number of total confirmed cases in China surged to 4,515 as of Monday, from 2,835 the previous day, the National Health Commission said. Global stocks fell again as oil prices hit three-month lows, and China’s yuan currency dipped to its weakest level in 2020 as investors worried about damage to the economy from travel bans over the Lunar New Year holiday period, which China extended in a bid to keep people isolated at home. Analysts said China’s travel and tourism would be the hardest-hit sectors, together with retail and liquor sales, though healthcare and online shopping were seen as likely outperformers. ‘Full Confidence’ Officially known as “2019-nCoV”, the newly identified coronavirus can cause pneumonia, but it is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads. Some health experts question whether China can contain it. Chinese health officials say the incubation period could range from one to 14 days, and the virus is infectious during that time. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated an incubation period of two to 10 days. US President Donald Trump on Monday offered China whatever help it needed, while the State Department said Americans should reconsider visiting all of China due to the virus. Canada, which has two confirmed cases of the virus and is investigating 19 potential cases, warned its citizens to avoid travel to Hubei. Authorities in Hubei, home to nearly 60 million people, are coming under increasing criticism over what many see as a bungled initial response to the virus. In rare public self-criticism, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang said on Monday the city’s management of the crisis was “not good enough” and indicated he was willing to resign. Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan on Monday to spur medical workers to step up the fight and to promise reinforcements. China’s ambassador to the United Nations, following a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said his government put “paramount importance” on the prevention and control of the epidemic and was working with the international community in a spirit of “openness, transparency and scientific coordination”. Guterres said the United Nations had full confidence in China’s ability to control the outbreak and stood ready to provide any support. Selling Pressure Communist Party-ruled China has been eager to seem open and transparent in its handling of the epidemic, after it was heavily criticised for efforts to cover up an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people globally in 2002-2003. SARS, which was also believed to have originated in a wildlife market, led to a 45% plunge in air passenger demand in Asia. The travel industry is more reliant on Chinese travelers now, and China’s share of the global economy has quadrupled. With Chinese markets shut for the holiday, investors were selling the offshore yuan and the Australian dollar as a proxy for risk. Oil was also under pressure as fears about the wider fallout grew. The US S&P 500 closed down nearly 1.6%. Echoing concern from South Korea on economic consequences, Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura warned that corporate profits and factory production might take a hit. China is Japan’s second-largest export destination and a huge market for its retailers, while Chinese make up 30% of all tourists visiting Japan. Some European tour operators canceled trips to China, while governments around the world worked to repatriate nationals.

Karachi: Javeria Khan, the senior batter of Pakistan women cricket team has emphasized the importance of Pakistan's star that players don while representing the country in the international company saying that the star demands one to be sincere with the country. Talking to media in Karachi, the 31-year-old batswoman from Karachi also brushed aside rumors of "jealousy" among the players of Pakistan women team. "As professionals, if we allow negative hearsay to distract ourselves then we won't be able to perform to the best of our abilities. We are only focused on performance and if we will continue to perform then there would be no threat to anyone's place," she said when asked if she considers herself to be next after Sana Mir. "This star is deserved only by those who are sincere with the country. We always play for the country and we are least bothered about what people are saying," Javeria added while talking about rumors of jealousy among senior players. Javeria expressed hope that Pakistan can do well in Women's World T20 this time despite not having an impressive record in the tournament. "We are preparing well for the world cup, we know what's ahead for us in the World Cup and we are keeping the conditions in views to prepare ourselves for the world cup," she said. "T20 is a format where no team is bigger or smaller, we know that we haven't done well in past in the T20 women world cup but that fact also gives us the challenge to do better this time. I am confident that Pakistan team will do well this time and finish among the top four in the World T20," added the flamboyant batter who has also led Pakistan in absence of Bismah. Replying to a question, Javeria said that Sana Mir has always been a legend and the team will surely miss her presence in the squad. She also hailed the newcomer Ayesha Nasim. "Ayesha Nasim is a great talent and can do well for Pakistan in the future, we all are hopeful. This is a good sign for Pakistan," Javeria said. When asked, the 31-year-old opening batter said that she wants to score big runs and be among leading runs scorers of the World T20. "A player should never be satisfied with herself otherwise it will be beginning of downfall, you always try to learn from mistakes and the moment you start thinking that you've achieved perfection, you become stagnant," Javeria said. "I usually don't run after personal milestones, my target is always to do well for the team and play according to the situation," she concluded.

Hollywood's directors handed World War I thriller 1917 their top annual prize Saturday, one of the final major award shows that typically spells success at next month's Oscars. The win makes British auteur Sam Mendes hot favorite for the best director Oscar — the Directors Guild of America Awards have correctly predicted the victor the past six years running. The movie, which follows two British soldiers on a perilous mission across no man's land, has already scooped the Golden Globe for best drama, and has 10 Oscar nominations. Mendes praised the work of fellow nominees Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood), Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) and Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit.) "To those who kick dirt on the grave of the movies — not so fast," he said, dedicating the win to his grandfather, whose life inspired the film. "I know it sounds a bit loopy but I did feel he was with us in a couple of occasions when I was struggling," said Mendes. Victory also boosts the film's frontrunner status for the best picture Academy Award. The win comes more than two decades after Mendes first received the DGA award for "American Beauty," a victory that led to Oscars wins for that film. Mendes told AFP his first win had been "frightening to be pitched into this sort of frenzy," adding: "I'm 20 years older and I'm probably a little less scared." The film's two lead actors paid tribute to Mendes. "He's a master of so many mediums... he's pretty much done it all," said George MacKay. "We'll be very excited to see what happens at the Oscars — I've never been before!" his co-star Dean-Charles Chapman told AFP. 'New Voices' A-list presenters at the glamorous downtown Los Angeles event Saturday included Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio and Alfonso Cuaron, with Judd Apatow returning as host. Like the Oscars, the DGAs were criticized this year for excluding women from the top prize shortlist. DGA president Thomas Schlamme said the movie industry "still have a lot of work to do" on boosting diversity but pointed to the recently introduced first-time director category, featuring three women. Alma Har'el (Honey Boy) won the prize, praising fellow female nominees Mati Diop (Atlantics) and Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim) as "the future." The category means "new voices like us can be included and celebrated," said Har'el, voicing support for a campaign to assist new mothers in the movie industry. Around 50 Hollywood women including Amy Schumer, Amy Poehler and Greta Gerwig recently co-signed a letter stating women "are penalized for having children in a way that their male counterparts are not." 'Zeitgeist film' American Factory, a film about a US Rust Belt factory reopened by a Chinese billionaire, and which was produced by the Obamas, won best documentary. "When we started (the film), we didn't have President Trump even, let alone trade wars and the conflict with China," director Julia Reichert told AFP. "I think we're kind of a zeitgeist film." The DGAs also honor television — Bill Hader won for directing dark hitman comedy Barry, in which he also stars, while the limited series prize went to Chernobyl. Superhero series Watchmen won the drama prize, seeing off an all-HBO shortlist including the much-maligned final season of Game of Thrones. Although lower key than the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards, the DGAs are longer-running and offer prestigious recognition from 18,000 voters including top directors. "To be nominated alongside these absolute legends is very surreal for me," Waititi told AFP. "I am amongst the greats right now." The Oscars will be handed out in Hollywood on February 9.