Australian Open postponed to February 8 due to coronavirus pandemic

After weeks of negotiations, the Australian Open has been pushed back to February 8 on Thursday due to the coronavirus pandemic. Doha will host the men’s qualifiers while a series of build-up events including the flagship ATP Cup will be held in Australia, the men’s ATP Tour said as it announced its early 2021 schedule.

The coronavirus had its effect on other Grand Slams too as the Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II, the French Open was postponed and the US Open had to be carried out behind closed doors.

Melbourne Park, the tournament’s venue, is likely to allow fans in the stadium as the coronavirus is under control in Australia. However, the players will have to serve a 14-day quarantine period.

Confirmation of the February 8-21 dates follows protracted talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities in Melbourne, which emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of Covid-19.

Players will now arrive in Australia from January 15 and will have to spend two weeks in a bio-secure bubble. According to earlier reports, the players would stay at designated hotels but would be allowed five hours to practice and exercise, mixing it up between their accommodation and Melbourne Park.

Tennis Australia did not provide any immediate confirmation of the arrangements.

According to the ATP, the men’s qualifiers will be held from January 10-13 in Doha following which the players and limited support staff will travel to Australia.

A slimmed-down, 12-team ATP Cup, the relocated Adelaide International, and an ATP 250 tournament will all be held in Melbourne ahead of the Slam which is now scheduled from February 8-21.

With the WTA yet to announce its early schedule, there was no notice on where the women will play their qualifiers. It is expected that Melbourne will also host the WTA tournaments before the Open.

‘Health and safety paramount’

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said, “The reconfigured calendar for the start of the 2021 season represents a huge collaborative effort across tennis, under challenging circumstances.”

“Health and safety will continue to be paramount as we navigate the challenges ahead, and I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to finding solutions to launch our 2021 season.” he added.

World number one Novak Djokovic is expected to be back and hunting for his ninth Australian Open title. He overcame Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a brutal five-setter earlier this year.

However, Swiss legend Roger Federer’s presence is still in doubt as he is recovering from two rounds of knee surgery.

Sofia Kenin, the reigning women’s champion, is expected to defend her crown after defeating Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in three sets earlier this year.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley was expecting the crowd at Melbourne Park to be somewhere between 25 to 50 percent of normal capacity. However, now that the coronavirus is under control in Australia, there is a possibility of raising the numbers if there are no more community transmissions of Covid-19.

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