Australian Open qualifying in Doha hit by 2 COVID-19 cases
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Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina and American Denis Kudla have been withdrawn from the Australian Open qualifying event in Doha after testing positive for COVID-19, organizer Tennis Australia said yesterday.
The men’s qualifying tournament for the year’s first Grand Slam is being hosted by Qatar from January 10 to 13, while the women are competing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Players are set to begin arriving in Melbourne this week for the Australian Open and Victoria’s government has said it was imposing the strongest protocols seen at any tennis tournament for the February 8-21 event.
“Two players have returned a positive COVID-19 test at Australian Open men’s qualifying in Doha, Qatar,” Tennis Australia said in a statement. “Both players have been withdrawn from the tournament and transferred to a quarantine hotel.
“Local health authorities, the tournament physician and medical team are monitoring each individual. Contact tracing is currently under way to notify close contacts.”
Morocco’s Elliot Benchetrit, who lost 4-6, 3-6 to fourth seed Kudla, said in a video posted on Instagram that news of the positive test reached match officials when the American was leading 5-3 in the second set.
However, they did not interrupt the match to inform Kudla of the positive test and the American broke serve to seal the win.
“The rule was to finish the game in progress before the match was stopped and it was during the last game of the match so he was declared the winner ...” Benchetrit told the Tennis Majors website by telephone.
A Tennis Australia spokesperson said local health authorities inform organizers in writing if a player tests positive. The player is then notified as soon as possible, which can be during a match.
Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny received a walkover into the third and final round of qualifying due to Kudla’s withdrawal.
Also advancing on account of a walkover was Mario Vilella Martinez of Spain after Cerundolo beat Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-4 before being withdrawn.
The Australian Open has already been delayed by three weeks. The season-opening major is usually held in the last two weeks of January to coincide with the end of the holidays in the southern summer.
Players will start arriving in Australia on 15 charter flights later this week. A small group of players will quarantine in Adelaide. The remainder of the roughly 1,200 players, entourage, support staff and officials arriving from abroad are set to quarantine in one of three Melbourne hotels inside a so-called biosecurity that will allow them to leave the hotel to work out in dedicated practice facilities for up to five hours a day.
An exhibition event featuring Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be played as a one-off curtain raiser in Adelaide, South Australia state, on January 29.
A 12-team ATP Cup is among the two men’s tournaments and two women’s events that will be staged at Melbourne Park from February 1 to 6 for players to prepare for the Australian Open.
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