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MELBOURNE: All of the world’s best players, including 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, are expected to be in Melbourne for the coronavirus-stricken Australian Open, tournament organizer Craig Tiley said.
The inaugural Grand Slam of the year, in front of at least 50 percent of normal crowds, was delayed for three weeks until February 8 and all players will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
The delay could be critical for Federer, who admitted last week that he was in a “race against time” to get fit as his recovery from two rounds of knee surgery takes longer than expected.
Tiley said he had been in contact with the 39-year-old and was going through his normal preseason training routine in Dubai.
“All the players, including Roger, have committed to travel to Melbourne to play,” he said after confirming the new start date.
“We have been in contact with him and his team and it has been three days, he has struck for the first time in Dubai. He’s in his normal preseason training routine.
“He told us that February 8 was a more suitable date for him in terms of preparation for the Australian Open,” added Tiley. “But a lot will depend on how you respond to your surgery in the next two to three weeks of training.”
Federer has won the Australian Open six times. But after losing in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic, he missed the remainder of the 2020 season interrupted by Covid after surgery and could only watch Rafael Nadal equate his record of 20 Grand Slam titles with a 13th victory at the Open. France.
The men’s and women’s qualifiers will take place in Doha and Dubai respectively from January 10-13, and players will arrive in Melbourne from January 15 on special charter flights for their quarantine.
Tiley said they would be constantly screened for Covid-19, but would be allowed to train for five hours a day in a biosecure bubble, albeit with only one other player.
They will be transferred between the designated hotels and Melbourne Park where the tournament is taking place and if someone tests positive they will need to isolate themselves in their room.
“If there is any breach (of the quarantine), the player will be immediately expelled from the country and will be fined,” Tiley warned.
A reduced 12-team ATP Cup, the relocated Adelaide International and an ATP 250 tournament will all be played in Melbourne once the players emerge from isolation.
Two WTA 500 tournaments are also planned to be held simultaneously at Melbourne Park from January 31 to February 7.
Melbourne only emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of Covid-19, complicating planning for the Grand Slam and how to allow so many players and support personnel to enter the country safely.
Australia has largely contained the coronavirus, although a new outbreak in Sydney in recent days has prompted new restrictions in parts of the city and even state border closures.
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