Cough Cough! Hurt hurt! What is going on?

This year's PNB Paribas Open at Indian Wells has produced some major upsets.  We have had world's #4 ranked player in the world, Andy Murray, fall to Spaniard Garcia-Lopez in his 1st match.  Last night we saw world #3 Petra Kvitova fall to American Christina McHale.  This excitement has been welcomed but one thing that hasn't is this virus floating around along with a couple of injuries.

Last night watching Roger Federer you could tell he wasn't himself.  Even though he had a comfortable win he looked drained, tired and a bit out of sorts.  The championship form he had brought in from Rotterdam and Dubai was hardly there.  But at least he played.  Check the list of players that have had to pull out:

Men
Gael Monfils
Philipp Kohlschreiber
Andreas Seppi
Michael Llodra

Women
Timea Bacsinszky
Vania King
Johanna Larsson
Jelena Dokic
Magdalena Rybarikova
Bethanie Mattek-Sands



The list just seems to keep growing.  I'm not even counting Petra Kvitova who after her loss stated she is not 100% from the virus she has suffered from for the past 2 weeks.  I did mention Roger Federer early who is still playing but obviously under the weather.  Robin Soderling is not in the draw because of his illness still (who knows when we will see him back, if ever).  The draw just seems to be thinning down not because of upsets or good matches but because of illness and injuries.


"There is currently a Coachella Valley-wide virus which is resulting in symptoms of nausea and vomiting, fever, and subsequent diarrhea," the statement from Palm Spring health officials said. "It is self-limited and lasts between 24 and 48 hours. It is transmitted by air and direct contact and not passed via food.  It continues, "Emergency Departments across the valley have seen an increase in patients with these symptoms. At Eisenhower Medical Center, which provides medical support for the BNP Paribas Open, we have seen increases in overall visits to the emergency department by about 15 percent over the past week. We have seen fans and players at the tournament experience these symptoms as well."


Hopefully this is an isolated case this year and we don't see it again.