BarcelonaThe Djokovic series continues. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will not make a decision on Thursday on the deportation of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, so the world number one has been included in the draw for the first Grand Slam of the season. Djokovic, who is looking for Melbourne to be the first player to win the tournament 10 times, will play in the first round with compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic. In case of overcoming rounds, the Serbian could be in the semifinals with Rafa Nadal from Manacor, who will make his debut in the first round against the American Marcos Giron. Nadal, Federer and Djokovic are tied with 20 Grand Slams won, more than anyone in tennis history.
In the women’s team, Garbiñe Muguruza will make her debut against the French Clara Burel. The Catalan Paula Badosa will open the way in front of the local Ajla Tomljanovic. World first-placed Ashleigh Barty, the reigning champion of the Adelaide tournament, will make her debut against a player from the preliminary round, while the title holder, Naomi Osaka, will start the defense against the Colombian Camila Osorio. And all with the authorities announcing that it reduces the presence of viewers to 50% to limit the spread of the virus. And pending Djokovic, of course.
Since the court ruled in favor of Djokovic last Monday and allowed him to stay in Australia, Hawke has limited himself to saying that he is suspending the possibility of using the special powers granted by law to deport the tennis player for failing to comply. requirements imposed on covid-19 to enter the country. On Wednesday, Djokovic admitted “human error” in his statement to enter Australia and had granted an interview to a media outlet despite knowing he had covid. Australian ministry investigates alleged breach of covid isolation rules in Serbia, as well as inconsistencies in test dates for coronavirus, according to newspapers Sydney Morning Herald i The Age.
Djokovic, without being vaccinated, obtained permission to enter Australia because he was included in the category of medical exception, being able to prove that he had passed the covid in previous weeks. But the world number one has been forced to admit that he participated in public events despite having tested positive. “I was compelled to attend the interview with The team so as not to leave the journalist lying, but I kept my social distance by wearing a mask all the time, except during the photographs. When I got home I was isolated and thinking, “said the 34-year-old.” I made a mistake and I admit I should have postponed the appointment, “he admitted. dates – a basketball game and the awarding of prizes to young Serbian players – he made them even without knowing that he had tested positive. “I was asymptomatic and I felt good. I did not receive positive PCR notification until after this event with the youth, “said Djokovic, who had already organized a good run in 2020 when he tested positive for the first time. a circuit of tennis exhibitions in the Balkans that ended up causing a lot of positives, including Djokovic himself. of Belgrade, with 5,000 people in the stands, players Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric, Viktor Troicki and Alexander Zverev also tested positive.
In the statement, the tennis player also admits that his agent inadvertently made a “human error” in filling in the box on the trips made by the athlete in the 14 days prior to arrival in the oceanic country and not declaring a trip between Spain and Serbia. The world number one was training at a facility in Sotogrande, Cádiz, according to social media, and traveled from Malaga to Australia, according to Serbian Olympic Committee Chairman Bozidar Maljkovic. Djokovic, who flew to Dubai on January 4, may have spent Christmas Day in Belgrade, according to some photos on social media.
A QR under suspicion
In addition to a possible contradiction in the statement on arrival in Melbourne, the Serb has also raised suspicions with the QR code of the report of his positive for covid. As they have published so much The mirror as the journalist of the New York Times Ben Rothenberg, when scanning it, the QR of the report at first led to a negative result, which in the last few hours has changed and only the positive result appears. The positive date according to this QR has changed, which suggests that the results may have been modified.
