All competition at six Australian Open tuneup events scheduled for Thursday was "called off after a person working at one of the tournaments' Melbourne quarantine hotels tested positive for COVID-19." Players preparing for the Grand Slam tournament, whose main draw begins Monday, "must isolate at their hotels until they test negative." Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged that the new restrictions "could impact hundreds of people" associated with the tourney. Andrews said: "At this stage, no impact on the tournament proper" (AP, 2/3).
NBC’s Kelly Cobiella noted the Australian Open plans to "welcome 30,000 fans a day." The full stands and maskless fans in tuneup events like the Yarra Valley Classic are “something we haven't seen in months.” Novak Djokovic: “I had goosebumps coming into the courts, playing in front of the fans again after 12 months of not experiencing that.” Victoria Minister for Tourism, Sport & Major Events Martin Pakula said the Open “will be the most significant international event with crowds that the world has seen for many, many months.” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said of keeping the virus in check, “If it’s possible here, it's possible anywhere, and people will be able to see that it can be done” (“Today,” NBC, 2/3).
