A COVIDSafe program has been released for the Australian Open, with a headdress connected attendances belatedly being introduced.
The cap, acceptable astatine 50 per cent, volition lone use to sessions that haven't already been sold to that level, meaning that if a league is already sold retired to 100 per cent capacity, those tickets volition beryllium honoured.
It volition mean that immoderate sessions havbe drastically reduced crowds, portion those that person already been large sellers could person crowds of adjacent to capacity.
The measurement was announced successful a connection attributed to the Victorian authorities today.
MORE TO COME...
By Sacha Mirzabegian00:39
Spanish authorities are reportedly investigating Djokovic implicit his accomplishment into the state earlier his introduction to Australia.
The tennis prima said his cause mistakenly ticked "no" connected his Travel Declaration Form adjacent though helium had travelled from Serbia to Spain to practise earlier heading Down Under.
The Soto Tennis Academy, based successful Sotogrande successful Spain, uploaded respective videos to its authoritative Twitter leafage showing Djokovic hitting balls, successful precocious December and January.
On January 4, the Tennis Head website reported: "Djokovic is inactive grooming successful Marbella, Spain connected the aforesaid aboveground and with the authoritative balls for the Australian Open."
Spanish work COPE reports agencies are investigating however helium got into the state and whether it was ineligible oregon not.
Tennis writer Ben Rothenberg revealed Spains's argumentation states "unvaccinated tourists" are not allowed to participate the state and he'd request to beryllium his enactment was "essential" to get in.
It means Djokovic is nether probe by 3 countries: Australia, Serbia and Spain.
While we hold for quality connected Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's determination connected the contiguous aboriginal of Novak Djokovic, it's worthy taking a look astatine what it means for the seeds astatine the Australian Open.
Djokovic, arsenic the satellite No.1, was named arsenic the apical effect connected Tuesday, with the gully to beryllium conducted astatine 3pm (AEDT) today.
According to the Grand Slam rulebook, there's 3 antithetic scenarios for what mightiness hap if Djokovic is forced retired of the Australian Open.
- If Djokovic withdraws anterior to the gully being made, the seeds volition beryllium re-ordered, and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev volition go the apical seed, with everyone other moving up a spot. This would beryllium invited quality for Alexander Bublik, who is presently unseeded, but would inherit the 32nd seed, meaning he's guaranteed to debar playing immoderate of the different seeds until the 3rd round.
- If Djokovic withdraws betwixt 3pm contiguous and the merchandise of Monday's Order of Play, which is usually announced connected Sunday afternoon, things get a small complicated. Fifth effect Andrey Rublev volition determination into Djokovic's spot successful the draw, with 17th effect Gael Monfils replacing Rublev, and Bublik replacing Monfils.
- If Djokovic withdraws aft Monday's Order of Play is released, past his presumption successful the gully would beryllium filled by a Lucky Loser. A Lucky Loser is simply a subordinate who mislaid successful the last circular of qualifying.
By Ben Glover12 Jan 2022 23:37
Good morning, and invited to our unrecorded sum of each the large tennis quality and connected tribunal action, arsenic we determination ever person to the commencement of the Australian Open.
There's different immense time ahead, and arsenic it has been for the pasdt week now, it's heavy focused connected Novak Djokovic.
Several journalists are reporting that Djokovic is acceptable to person his visa cancelled today, and according to 4BC's Neil Breen that could spark an unfathomable concatenation of events that could extremity with the satellite No.1 being kicked retired of the state midway done the Australian Open.
Breen is reporting that if Djokovic has his visa cancelled his ineligible squad would past record an injunction, which would unfastened the doorway for the Serbian prima to enactment successful Australia and participate the tourney with the ineligible process ongoing.
The lawsuit whitethorn past beryllium heard earlier the decision of the Australian Open, creating a script wherever if the visa cancellation is upheld, Djokovic could beryllium deported having started the tournament, but earlier helium gets the accidental to decorativeness it.