THE 2021 Australian Open has been moved again by three weeks to make sure the most effective names fly Down Underneath.
Event chiefs confronted the worrying prospect of prime names pulling out if the occasion went forward on its authentic begin date of Monday January 18.
The Australian Open has been postponed for 3 weeks subsequent 12 months to make sure the large names can competeCredit score: Reuters
All abroad travellers to the nation should observe a compulsory two-week lodge quarantine interval to keep away from the unfold of Covid-19.
The primary Slam of the brand new season has now been postponed till Monday February 8, maximising the probabilities of world No.1 Novak Djokoic and American Sofia Kenin defending their singles titles.
Unusually qualifying for the Slam will happen 7,400 miles away in Doha (January 10-13) with two warm-up occasions being staged in Melbourne from January 31.
Most stunning of all is the very fact the ATP Cup stays stubbornly shoehorned into the provisional males’s calendar.
It was thought the staff match, which started life in January 2020, can be scrapped however as an alternative the format will probably be diminished and held over simply 5 days.
British stars Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Jo Konta have all expressed their want to play in Oz subsequent month.
Roger Federer might skip the Aussie Open – he has received six titles there – so he can concentrate on getting match for Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics after which the US Open.
The Swiss celebrity is recovering from knee surgical procedure and has not performed since dropping to Djokovic within the semi-finals in Melbourne 11 months in the past.
Conventional early-season occasions in Auckland and New York have been axed whereas the Rio Open will probably be rescheduled.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi stated: “The reconfigured calendar for the beginning of the 2021 season represents an enormous collaborative effort throughout tennis, beneath difficult circumstances.
“Along with the assist of our match and participant members, companions, and Tennis Australia, now we have been in a position to adapt and create an thrilling begin to the season.
“Well being and security will proceed to be paramount as we navigate the challenges forward, and I need to thank everybody concerned for his or her dedication to discovering options to launch our 2021 season.”