Australian Open: the tennis player who found out that he had Covid-19 in the middle of the game and the positive of the Argentine Cerúndolo

Francisco Cerúndolo, The only Argentine tennis player who had advanced to the second round of the Australian Open classification, which is being developed in Doha due to sanitary restrictions in Melbourne, tested positive for coronavirus, was withdrawn from the competition and must remain isolated in Qatari terrain for at least ten days. The striking thing, according to the current 139th of the ranking and his team, is that the positive occurred after two negative swabs and without having left the health bubble organized by the authorities of the first Grand Slam of the year. The situation comes amid a new dimension of the Covid-19 protocol in sport: American Denis Kudla, also in Doha, found out he was positive in the middle of his match.

“Unfortunately today I tested positive for COVID. I am in good health, but I will not be able to continue competing in the tournament. I will comply with the days of isolation that they tell me and I will go out with more strength than before. The Australian Open is over but everything continues. Thank you all “, published Cerúndlo on his social networks. Later, in communication with THE NATION, large: “We’ve been in here for a week and I didn’t do anything, they wouldn’t let you leave the club or the hotel. I was always wearing a chinstrap. I don’t know where I got it. It is done. As much as I am depressed and re-hot, I can only wait the days and bye “.

After the positive result, Cerúndolo (22 years old) was separated from the official hotel where he was staying (and where he had been in close contact with the other Argentines who competed there) and they transferred him to another site, where the players who were infected with coronavirus are, such as the Argentine Juan Pablo Ficovich (205 °), who traveled to Doha and, being positive, could not play. The alarm is on. For example, Wally Grinovero, Cerúndolo’s trainer, is waiting for the result of his swab. For now, Cerúndolo, who was playing his first Grand Slam classification and had defeated the Spanish Guillermo García López 6-2 and 6-4, He feels in good health, although with a slight cold that does not attract his attention since he usually has it because he is allergic.

“It’s very sad, it’s a horror, because you can’t schedule almost anything on the calendar anymore. I spoke with Fran and she told me: ‘I killed myself to be here’. He is very down, but they are the rules of the game and the great rival of the players is the coronavirus. Francisco is very sacrificed and I know that he will have chances to play many Grand Slam “, he told him, very bitter, Alejandro “Toto” Cerúndolo, Francisco’s dad and tennis coach, to THE NATION. A positive point within the uncomfortable panorama is that Cerúndolo, a player who last year after winning three challengers titles in two months managed to make an important leap in the ranking, will be paid to stay during quarantine and the prize for having reached the second round of the Australian standings.

He found out about the positive in the middle of the game

Regarding the Australian Open qualy and the positive cases of coronavirus, an unusual situation occurred. By the first wheel, Denis Kudla (USA; 114th) beat 6-4 and 4-3 a Elliot Benchetrit (Morocco; 221 °), He was serving in the eighth game when a tournament doctor informed the umpire that they had obtained the result of the American’s swab and that he had tested positive. The chair umpire informed Kudla’s coach and told him that at halftime he would end the match. But Kudla held his serve (5-3) and then broke Benchetrit’s serve, winning the match 6-3. Now, both players were left out of qualification: one because they lost (Benchetrit) and the other because they had the virus (Kudla). Thus, the Australian Dane Sweeny, who was to be the American’s rival in the second round, went directly to the final wheel of qualy.

“The rule says that you have to finish the game in dispute before stopping the game and when he won it he had no choice. If I had put 5-4 the victory was mine”, Benchetrit explained to Tennis Major via telephone conversation. “Now I’m waiting to see if they consider me a close contact or not (from Kudla). And if I am, it’s a double whammy. Because I lost the game, I played against a guy with Covid-19 and, besides, I would have to stay in quarantine in the room, “Benchetrit lamented.

The Moroccan nationalized French went further, making it clear that There are weaknesses in the supposed health bubble: “We use the service elevators for the staff, so as not to run into customers. And quite a few players suspect that hotel staff, who are not tested as regularly as we are, are the cause of contamination. That is why every more and more players are proving positive. “