Martina Fights With Cancer In Same Spirit
Jon Bramley
As a tennis player, Martina Navratilova showed a fighting spirit all through her career. The indomitable spirit was also evident in her life off the court. Now, she battles one of the hardest battle of her life. With cancer.
Martina, held as one of the finest female tennis players of all time, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she told U.S. online magazine People. "I cried," the report quoted Navratilova, 53, as saying about the moment in February when a biopsy came back positive after a routine mammogram revealed a cluster in her left breast.
"It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it's completely out of my hands."
The report said she would begin six weeks of radiation therapy in May following minor invasive surgery called a lumpectomy and the prognosis for survival was extremely good.
She was diagnosed with a non-invasive form of breast cancer, called ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, which in her case had not spread to the breast tissue.
"It was the best-case scenario you could imagine for detecting breast cancer," Mindy Nagle, a good friend of Navratilova, told the magazine.
The nine-times Wimbledon champion, who still plays tennis and ice hockey and competes in triathlons, said she was lucky, as she had not been getting regular check-ups.
"I went four years between mammograms. I let it slide. Everyone gets busy, but don't make excuses. I stay in shape and eat right, and it happened to me. Another year and I could have been in big trouble."
Czech-born Navratilova, who became a U.S. citizen in 1981, won 18 grand slam singles crowns.
Tiger Return To Woods
Jim Slater
Tiger Woods showed he has lost neither golf skills nor spectator support, making an impressive return from a five-month layoff and a humbling sex scandal on Thursday at the 74th Masters. Roaring into contention for a 15th major title and fifth Masters crown, Woods fired his best opening round in 16 Masters starts, shooting a four-under par 68 to stand two strokes off the lead at Augusta National Golf Club.
"It felt just like normal, like every other start, nothing really different," Woods said. Bolstered by applause and supportive cheers from spectators throughout his round, Woods fired two eagles -- another first for him at the Masters -- and took strength from what he called the best support he has had at the event.
"It was heartfelt to have ovations like that all day," Woods said. "The reception was incredible all day. I had not heard them cheer that loud all the years I've played here. It certainly helped keep my spirits up."
Playing his first event in 144 days, the 34-year-old American superstar drew the world's attention with his return after having confessed he cheated on wife Elin while more than a dozen women claimed sexual affairs with Woods.
Woods answered curiosity about his ability to continue dominating golf after the revelation of his secret affairs, but downplayed taking any special meaning from the day, sounding much the same as he has after rounds for 15 years.
"It meant I'm two shots off the lead," Woods said. "I'm here to play golf."
Thousands of others jammed the first tee to see if the exposure of his secret sex life had destroyed his golf game. They quickly learned humiliation was just another adversary for Woods to conquer.
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