Australian Open: Craig Tiley - "Won't postpone the start"
In an interview with 9NewsMelbourne , the tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tley, commented on the positive cases on the flights to Down Under on Sunday morning. And the people affected by a "hard" quarantine were at least guaranteed a few prospects.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jan 17, 2021, 12:13 pm
63 players are said to be in "hard" quarantine after the fourth positive COVID-19 test when traveling to Australia. This means that these players are not allowed to leave their hotel room for exactly two weeks, the opportunity to train five hours a day is not available to these players . This already led to quite creative attempts by players like Pablo Cuevas or Belinda Bencic on Saturday yesterday, who carried out their stroke training without further ado in the hotel room.
Nevertheless, it is a very, very difficult situation for the crowd of players who are struggling with a more than precarious preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year. "We knew from the start that there were these kinds of risks, with this pandemic you can never take anything for granted," said Craig Tiley, nevertheless , explaining the incidents in an interview with 9NewsMelbourne. Although every passenger on board the flights should have presented a negative test that is not older than 72 hours, all eventualities are possible in a pandemic.
Fitness equipment for quarantine
The decision to classify all passengers on board as close contacts was made by the Australian health authorities. This means that all people who were on the same plane with positive cases are confronted with the same consequences that those who tested positive are facing: 14 days of "room arrest", training will only take place within the four hotel room walls during this time.
In order for this to take place at a reasonably high level, there should be support for the quarantined players, as Craig Tiley confirmed: "It's a very difficult situation. We have to do everything we can to make the outlook as fair as possible for all players especially for those who are now isolated. The main reason we let them come early is so that if something like this happens we have that margin. In case someone tests positive, they still have 8-9 days to prepare for the event. We will focus on providing material for all players so they can practice properly in their rooms. "
Keep British mutation away
The central goal is still to ensure the health of all those involved. The situation has now changed significantly due to the British mutation of the virus, as the tournament director emphasizes. Under all circumstances, the aim is to prevent this mutation from being introduced to Australia, where the COVID numbers can be kept above average due to a month-long lockdown. "It is our job to ensure the safety of the entire population. We are committed to this cause, we want to protect it above all," said Tiley.
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The Australian Open will definitely not be postponed, as the tournament director explains: "We will not change the start of the tournament, we will start on Monday the 8th. Tickets are on sale already so that 50% of the capacity can participate and enjoy exceptional tennis in these two weeks "