Statement by the organizers in Causa Querrey: "Wanted to bring Sam to a private apartment"
The cause of Sam Querrey's positive COVID-19 test and his flight from Russia by private jet is causing waves. After the ATP, the organizers of the ATP 500 event in St. Petersburg have now also spoken out.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Oct 16, 2020, 07:37 am
Although there is a lot going on at the ATP event in St. Petersburg, in the last few hours this was clearly overshadowed by the events that took place in the "Four Seasons Hotel" in the Russian metropolis. Sam Querrey, the strong-serving US-American, had been appropriately tested on his arrival in St. Petersburg and was allowed to participate in the tournament after the negative test result.
According to the ATP rules, however, the players have to be tested for the corona virus every four days, which is why the next test was already on the program for Querrey on October 11. This time it delivered bad news for the American because the test was positive. The result - the same procedure as in the cases of Fognini, Goffin, Paire et cetera, et cetera: self-isolation. Until a test is negative.
A procedure that the American did not really want to get involved in, whereupon Querrey on October 13 at 5:45 a.m., as the organizers of St. Petersburg announced based on the video recordings from the hotel, the accommodation in the Russian metropolis left in order to set off as quickly as possible in the direction of a previously undefined destination within Europe.
If the course is asymptomatic, transfer to the apartment
According to the New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg, Querrey allegedly made this decision after a phone call from the Russian health authorities, in which he was told that he would be taken to hospital for treatment if he had symptoms. Now the organizer describes his view of things on this matter.
"The tournament organized a visit by a doctor and a pediatrician who made two attempts to examine the Querrey family. Both times without success because the sportsman did not open his door," said the organizers. In the event of an asymptomatic illness, it would have been planned to bring the American to a private apartment "to avoid any inconvenience for the player and to minimize the risk of infection in the hotel."
In the meantime, any consequences for Sam Querrey are not imposed on the part of the tournament officials: "The tournament organizers have done everything to ensure the safety of the players, the ATP representatives and all those involved in the tournament. It is now in the power of the ATP to take the action to be evaluated and judged by Sam Querrey. "
Ban for up to three years
The players' association has already announced in a first statement that it is looking into the matter: "Adhering to health and safety protocols is crucial for events to take place safely and within the guidelines set by local authorities. The players and their teams know that disregarding the protocol can jeopardize the execution of an event and affect the rest of the tour. In accordance with the ATP's Code of Conduct, we take this matter very seriously - the investigations are ongoing. "
According to the ATP regulations, the American could now face a fine of $ 100,000 and a three-year ban. Sam Querrey himself has not yet commented on the events, only the information that he had left the country by private jet, the 33-year-old let the ATP manager know at the tournament.