The organizers of the Australian Open on Thursday included Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in the celebration of the draw for the tournament, amid the uncertainty about the possible deportation of the athlete.
The draw, which began an hour late after a decision that was not explained by the organization, took place while Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is expected to speak on the permanence of the Serbian tennis player in the country.
The Serbian and first classified in the world He will face his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, while the Spanish Rafael Nadal, tied with the Balkan with 20 major titles, will make his debut against the American Marcos Giron.
Nole seeks to defend his ninth crown achieved on the banks of the Yarra River in the last edition and become the most successful tennis player of all time if he reaches 21 Grand Slam trophies.
Djokovic arrived in Australia on January 5 – to participate in the tournament – with a medical exemption for not getting vaccinated, but Customs officers denied him a visa and he was detained in a Melbourne hotel while his lawyers appealed to an Australian court, which ordered his release on Monday.
Djokovic’s future at the Australian Open, which It is disputed between January 17 and 30, it is still in suspense until the Australian Minister of Immigration decides whether to use his special powers to deport the tennis player for not meeting the requirements imposed by COVID-19 to enter the country.
In some surprising statements, Djokovic admitted on Wednesday that “human errors” were made in his declaration to enter Australia and that he attended an interview with a French media in Belgrade despite knowing that he had COVID-19.
In the event that the Minister of Immigration decides to cancel your visa, for which there is no deadline, the player could again appeal the decision to court.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, when asked by journalists, that the decision on the tennis player’s visa rests with the Minister of Immigration and that he preferred not to comment.
LESS CAPACITY
The Victorian government decided this Thursday reduce by 50% the capacity for the Australian Open, as a consequence of the growing wave of infections.
The new measure will be applied only for those days in which the 50% limit has not yet been exceeded.
The state of Victoria, whose capital is Melbourne, registered 37,169 new cases, 25 deaths and 953 hospital admissions related to the new wave of COVID-19 infections on Thursday.
“Ventilation will be improved in the interior enclosures of Melbourne Park,” detailed the statement published by the state government.
“These developments for the Australian Open mean that fans, players and workers can look forward to an incredible event in terms of measures against COVID-19,” explained Acting Minister of Tourism Jaala Pulford.
It will be therefore the second year in a row that the Australian ‘major’ has reduced its capacity as a consequence of the pandemic.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com