Australian Open 2021: COVID positives add to Craig Tiley’s juggling act

Tennis Australia has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the Australian Open goes ahead. But its greatest battle is still to be fought — to convince tennis fans it’s worth the risk.

Denis Kudla tested positive for COVID-19 at the Australian Open qualifying tournament.

As if Craig Tiley needs more on his plate.

Tennis Australia’s head honcho, who doubles as Australian Open tournament director, is always the busiest man in the world at this time of year — and he’s had even less sleep this time around.

The positive COVID-19 tests for two players in Open qualifying in Doha added another complication for Tiley and team as they fight a PR battle with those who don’t want the event going ahead.

American Denis Kudla and Argentine Francisco Cerundolo will take no further part in the tournament after their positive tests and have begun 10 days of hotel quarantine.

Tiley’s TA has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure there will be an Australian Open this year, including a later February 8 start date to accommodate the Victorian Government.

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The event’s qualifying is being held overseas for the first time, in Doha and Dubai, while more than 1200 people will land in Melbourne for the Open from Thursday on 15 charter flights (at 20 per cent capacity).

Those arrivals are jetting in from seven different cities: Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Los Angeles, Antalya and Miami.

The 2021 Australian Open tennis tournament has a different haze over it this year. Picture: Michael Klein

No expense is being spared, with Tiley confirming that TA will dip significantly into its $80 million cash reserves, on top of extra Government financial support.

The pair of positive COVID cases are just the latest hurdle.

One of the hotels set to serve as Australian Open quarantine accommodation even pulled out after legal threats from residents — but TA was quick to find another location.

Tiley is playing a real-life game of Frogger, negotiating constant hazards on his journey to Melbourne Park.

Unveiling the travel and quarantine arrangements on Tuesday morning, Police Minister Lisa Neville said: “We have put in place the strongest, strictest rules that apply for tennis across the world.”

Among those rules for Australian Open competitors, support staff and officials include them testing negative before departing for Australia.

They will be tested on arrival and will isolate in their hotel room until a negative test is recorded, then will be tested daily during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

Roger Federer isn’t playing at this year’s Australian Open. Picture: Greg Wood/AFP

Emergency exits will also be rigged with an alarm system.

Even still, as preposterous as it may seem, could TA be doing more?

The Kudla and Cerundolo cases spotlighted the on-site protocols in Dubai and Doha, given both players tested negative multiple times before returning a positive.

The Herald Sun is aware of concerns at both sites around how strictly the protocols are being followed.

It’s understood some hotel guests from outside the tennis bubble have wandered into restricted areas, while Kudla’s opponent, Elliot Benchetrit, has queried the risk of sharing a lift with staff.

The sanitisation of courts hasn’t always been as stringent as it should be, either, according to those there.

Roger Federer’s withdrawal a few weeks back was a blow no grand slam can recover from, but already being held outside of school holidays, the Australian Open can’t afford many more setbacks.

Otherwise, the financial black eye might be the least of their problems.