1.   Blame the flu.

2.   Some blamed the flu.

3.   He blamed a flu for his poor showing.

4.   Serena blamed the flu, but skeptics suspect she wanted to avoid a potential fourth-round showdown against her best friend, Venus.

5.   Slutskaya blamed the flu for the weaker-than-usual program, saying she has only been skating for a week after spending a week in bed.

6.   Whitaker faded in that fight and later blamed the flu.