Australian Open could still be held in January: Minister
The Australian Open could still be served up in January with the world’s top tennis players to be subject to “rigorous” quarantine requirements.
The Australian Open could still be served up in January with the world’s top tennis players to be subject to “rigorous” quarantine requirements.
Victorian Minister for Sport Martin Pakula said he was confident the opening grand slam of the year would take place close to its scheduled start date of January 18.
“I am still confident we will have an Australian Open and we will have one in the early part of the year,” Pakula said.
“There are a number of potential dates on the table. I have seen reports suggest it’s likely to be delayed by a week or two, I think that is still most likely but its not the only option.
“The French Open was delayed by many months and Wimbledon didn’t occur at all.
“I still think it’s much more likely that it will be a shorter rather than a longer delay.”
The question of the quarantine process has been at the heart of “complex” negotiations between Tennis Australia, the ATP and WTA and the Department of Health, Human Services and Justice.
There has been a suggestion tennis players, who have already been told they aren’t allowed to arrive until January 1, would be allowed a shorter quarantine period than the current strict 14-day.
Another option has them allowing to operate in a “practice bubble” during their isolation.
“They will be in quarantine, the exact nature of that quarantine, whether or not it is their own bubble or something more common is still part of those conversations,” Pakula said.
“People need to bear in mind there will be an extremely rigorous testing regime that will apply to the tennis players both before they leave the port they are coming from and when they arrive.
“And then I imagine consistently through the time they are in their bubble.
“I don’t want you to take from that there will be a shorter quarantine, there will be a number of differences around the amount of testing that they do and some of the rigour around that than would normally be the case.
“And I’m assuming public health will take that into account when considering the total nature of the quarantine process.”
The tennis world is anxiously awaiting a decision with newly crowned ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev the latest to raise his concerns about travelling to Melbourne Park.
Medvedev warned of the dangers of being restricted in training by strict quarantine issues in Melbourne.
“If, for instance, you weren’t able to compete or to train during quarantine just ahead of the tournament, I don’t think the tournament is going to happen,” Medvedev said.
Meanwhile former world No 1 Andy Murray said players should be required to have a coronavirus vaccination before they are allowed to take part in tournaments.
With the 2021 tennis schedule still up in the air Murray hopes the long-awaited vaccine will be available in the next six months and that a compulsory program is rolled out.
“I think that probably should be the case. I would hope that all the players would be willing to do that for the good of the sport – providing everything has proved to be safe, clinical trials and everything have been done and there are not any significant side-effects,” Murray said.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic generated headlines earlier this year for anti-vaccination comments. He later said that he was not against vaccinations but did not like the idea of being forced to have one.
Murray admitted it would difficult to force players to take a vaccine, but he hopes common sense prevails.
“I guess it would be difficult. I also read a few weeks after he’d said he (Djokovic) wouldn’t be keen on doing that, if it was something that had to be done for him to play the sport, he would,” Murray said.
Herald Sun, AFP
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