Players arrive for Australian Open; straight into quarantine
3 min read Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Players arrive for Australian Open; straight into quarantine
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was among the many earliest arrivals into Melbourne on one of many 15 constitution flights bringing gamers and officers into the town for the primary Grand Slam tennis match of the 12 months.
And she wished everybody to know she was happy to be in Australia regardless of all of the COVID-19 restrictions around the globe and a tournament-enforced 14-day quarantine interval in Melbourne.
Azarenka, who received the match in 2012 and 2013, tweeted Friday: “Made it to Melbourne! Thank you everyone so much for making it happen. I can only imagine how many hours of work and compromise it took for us to be here! Thank you.”
She included what gave the impression to be a selfie subsequent to a window with downtown metropolis views.
The Australian Open is about to start out Feb. 8.
Stan Wawrinka, who received the Australian Open in 2014, additionally posted a photograph of himself and two different gamers, all carrying masks, from what gave the impression to be the enterprise class part of one of many charters. Elina Svitolina, a two-time quarterfinalist at Melbourne Park, posted a video of her spacious Melbourne lodge suite.
The charters and the early arrivals are all a part of Tennis Australia’s try and have the match occur regardless of a ban on worldwide arrivals into the nation. To accomplish that, they’re having gamers bear COVID-19 checks earlier than they board their constitution flights, once more after they arrive and continuously throughout the quarantine interval.
The first of about 1,200 gamers, coaches, entourage and officers landed late Thursday. The gamers had been met by airport workers and biosecurity officers carrying private protecting gear together with masks and face shields, earlier than being taken to lodge quarantine.
The virus information wasn’t so good for five-time finalist Andy Murray, whose standing for the Australian Open was put unsure after he examined optimistic for COVID-19 solely days earlier than his deliberate flight to Melbourne. The match says that the three-time Grand Slam champion, who was given a wild card for Melbourne, is isolating at dwelling.
Tennis Australia mentioned Murray will miss the constitution flights and received’t have the opportunity “to go through the quarantine period with the other players.” His probabilities of showing on the match look like in critical doubt.
Also Americans Madison Keys and Tennys Sandgren returned optimistic checks, however Sandgren was given permission to fly.
“I unfortunately tested positive for (COVID-19) before I was supposed to fly to Australia,” Keys mentioned on social media. “I’m very disappointed to not be able to play in the coming weeks after training hard in the off-season . . . I am self-isolating at home and will continue to follow all the necessary health precautions. I look forward to being back on tour next month.”
Sandgren initially examined optimistic in November, with Victorian state well being authorities in Australia figuring out he was not contagious although nonetheless shedding viral particles.
“My two tests were less than 8 weeks apart. I was sick in November, totally healthy now,” Sandgren tweeted. “There’s not a single documented case where I would be contagious at this point. Totally recovered!”
The Australian Open has already been delayed three weeks as a result of restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. And due to the Australian restrictions, the boys’s and girls’s qualifying tournaments — in Doha, Qatar and in Dubai — had been held outdoors of Australia for the primary time.
The constitution flights had been restricted to 25% capability, and had been set to reach over a 36-hour interval ending early Saturday.
Once a adverse end result has been returned, gamers can practice inside a strictly supervised setting for 5 hours per day.
The Australian Open draw might be held on Feb. 4, 4 days forward of the beginning of the principle match, which ends Feb. 21 with the boys’s singles last.
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams might be amongst a bunch of gamers concerned in an exhibition occasion in Adelaide, South Australia state, on Jan. 29. Those gamers flew straight to Adelaide to start their lodge quarantine interval.
All different tournaments might be in Melbourne, together with the 12-team ATP Cup beginning Feb. 1 and two WTA occasions within the week main into the Australian Open.
