Extra event created for WTA stars enduring strict lockdown in Melbourne
A new tournament has been announced for next week restricted to players caught in the Australian Open’s hard lockdown.
Tennis authorities have bowed to the concerns of players caught in a strict lockdown in Melbourne adopting a series of measures including an additional tournament for women.
With dozens of leading women enduring a compromised preparation, a 500-tier level tournament will be held with entry restricted to players currently enduring strict quarantine.
The development on Sunday adds another leg to what will be an unprecedented and historic week of tennis held in Melbourne before the first major of 2021 being played.
It expands to six the number of tournaments held at Melbourne Park in the week leading into the Australian Open, with approximately $12 million up for grabs, the majority of that prize money in the ATP Cup.
It is understood there are at least 30 WTA players in “hard lockdown”, with almost all of them to feature in a 28-draw singles tournament to run between February 3 and 7.
Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and former winners Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber will be among the competitors in the “Quarantine Open”.
World No 1 Ash Barty will headline one of the other two WTA Tour 500-tier tournaments for Australian players and those enduring a softer quarantine period in either Melbourne or Adelaide.
The Queenslander told The Australian she is looking forward to playing in a star-studded exhibition in Adelaide on Friday prior to next week’s tour resumption.
“It is important to test my body and it is an opportunity to try and go out there and do all the things we have been working on during the pre-season,” she said.
“Whether it is an exhibition or a tournament, I still go through the same processes and still prepare my body in the same way.
“I think that is going to be brilliant, but knowing as well (that) it is almost an opportunity to play with a bit more freedom.”
The additional tournament for lockdown players will create another opportunity for those who have travelled to Victoria as “lucky losers” to compete in the Australian Open.
The ATP Tour has also acted to allay some of the difficulties for the men caught in hard quarantine.
The men’s tour has agreed to alter the start date of the 12-nation ATP Cup, which will now run from the 2nd to the 6th of February, with a Saturday final. It will be held on Rod Laver and John Cain arenas.
It has also agreed to schedule those experiencing “hard lockdown” to a second day start in the two ATP Tour 250 tier events being held in the first week of February at Melbourne Park.
Ice baths, additional practise time and other measures will also be granted to players in hard quarantine.
Tennis Australia has also informed players they will not yet ease restrictions allow players to expand their practice cohort for the second week of quarantine.
Players have been practising with one other player throughout the first week, but cohorts were expected to be expanded to four to enable greater variety in terms of training.
That would also have enabled those competing in doubles events an opportunity to practice the discipline.
After Spaniard Paula Badosa tested positive last Friday, players were concerned about the virus spreading.
Badosa is out of next week’s events and may well need to quarantine until shortly before the Australian Open begins on February 8.
In an email to players on Saturday night, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said tennis officials were determined to minimise the risk of transmission as much as possible.
“It is amid this environment that – after consultation with many of you – we have postponed the planned expansion of the cohorts,” he wrote.
“Having more people in your cohort is no extra risk to the local community, because you are all in quarantine. But we want to minimise the risk to each of you and that’s why we have delayed the expansion and will continue to assess daily.”
The first players are due to be released from quarantine later this week.
Planes from different areas of the globe brought more than 1200 Australian Open affiliated personnel to Melbourne and Adelaide between the 14th and 16th of January.
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