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Before the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne, Corona causes organizational chaos.

In the run-up to the Australian Open, four other people tested positive for the corona virus after flying with tennis professionals to Melbourne, including one player. So nine positive cases are known so far, more than 70 active people have to stay in full quarantine in their hotel rooms for 14 days. An Austrian, Philipp Oswald, is affected. The Vorarlberger reported on the specialist website www.tennisnet.com about the current situation.

Oswald had taken part in the tournament in Delray Beach in the first week of the year, and for the flight to Australia he and his New Zealand double partner Marcus Daniell were assigned seats on the plane from Los Angeles. Tennys Sandgren was on the plane. The American who tested positive in November was given permission to fly after another positive test, as he was no longer infectious. He is also not the reason for the current quarantine.

The flight was then easily occupied and very comfortable, the first impressions in Melbourne were also very good, as Oswald reported in a phone call. “It was strictly controlled, and you could see that Corona was taken extremely seriously.” But then came the information that the flight was practically contaminated and would be locked up every two weeks. “That was a shock, of course! It’s amazing that we can’t train,” said Oswald.

Exact training schedule

If you are not in full quarantine, if you are only allowed to play tennis for two hours a day, then the players have to spend 90 minutes in a fitness room. An order is placed half an hour before the expiry. After the fitness session, you have an hour to eat before you go back to your room for 19 hours. With Oswald, however, it is 24 hours. “I will do my exercises, meditate and eat at the given meal times,” he announced.

But it doesn’t run smoothly for the players in part-time quarantine either – not only because Angelique Kerber had to spend her 33rd birthday alone. On Monday, for example, the Australian Alex de Minaur was waiting in front of his hotel room fully adjusted for a transport to the training, as he illustrated on Instagram. “We are working with the authorities to help,” said Tennis Australia. “We understand that this is frustrating for the players and we apologize.”

Unequal conditions for athletes

Over the weekend, Oswald reported that his room had a bad WiFi network because it was overloaded, which would make communication with the family difficult. He was also only allowed to order food, but hoped for improvement. In a conversation “Tennis Australia” signaled understanding, but no change in the quarantine situation. “It’s really tough. I don’t think it’s entirely fair that a few players are allowed to train in Adelaide and that we are barracked in Melbourne.”

In the player chat there were many discussions about the fact that there are much better conditions in Adelaide for stars such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem. “First, the players were allowed to take a lot more staff,” said Oswald. “They also have a gym in their hotels.” You would therefore not have to complete your fitness exercises during the possible five-hour time window. “You only have the five hours to play tennis.”

© getty

Unfair conditions: Not every tennis professional is allowed to train on the court

Oswald sees tennis courts too, but only in front of his window. So he could watch his opponents as they prepare specifically for the major. But there is no question of five hours a day as originally communicated. Oswald: “The players are divided into groups and are allowed to leave their rooms every five minutes. Whenever a group goes out, cleaners come to clean the corridor and the elevator.” 1,200 people are assigned to this work.

ATP-Cup-Team: Oswald mit Thiem & Novak

In advance, it was not communicated in such a way that in the event of a positive case on the plane, all passengers would automatically have to be quarantined. “It sounded more like each case being looked at individually. That was not the case with us. Rather, they put the template over everyone and said that everyone was a potential danger to Australia.” Oswald’s quarantine ends on January 29th, just three days later he should be involved in the ATP Cup.

He is playing in the team with Thiem and Dennis Novak, among others, the two Lower Austrians would certainly compensate for his deficit with the good preparation in Adelaide, he said. The authorities immediately rejected calls by Djokovic to relax the requirements in Melbourne, such as the accommodation of the players in houses with tennis courts. The rules for professionals are the same as for everyone else, said Daniel Andrews, the Prime Minister of Victoria.

While a postponement of the Australian Open by a week is being mentioned at least in secret because of the unequal preparation, there are also voices for a complete cancellation. Many fail to understand why, after months of lockdown, 1,200 people with positive cases are allowed to enter while Australians overseas are denied entry. Tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed on Sunday that the tournament would be carried out as planned.

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