THIS IS LIKE BEING IN JAIL! Aussie Open gripes
SPAIN’S World No13 Roberto Bautista Agut has described conditions in Australia as being ‘like a jail’ in the latest player complaint about Covid-19 quarantine in Melbourne.
In a leaked private video call via Israel’s Sport 5, the Spaniard criticised officials for the strict protocols they are implementing as another two positive cases emerged among tournament personnel.
‘It’s like a jail here,’ he said. ‘These people have no idea about tennis, about practice courts, no idea about anything. It’s a complete disaster. It’s not Tennis Australia, it’s the people of the government.’
His outburst came as 2021 Australian Open chief Craig Tiley urged disgruntled players not to go public with their moaning.
‘If you want to have a crack, come to me, not social media,’ Tiley said during a Zoom meeting with the players.
Last weekend, Stan Wawrinka was among those in Melbourne expressing frustration at stars such as Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal staying in luxury accommodation, with balconies, 450 miles away in South Australia.
‘I get the feeling it is perceived as preferred treatment,’ said Tiley. ‘My general rule is — if you are at the top of the game and are a Grand Slam champion, it’s just the nature of the business, you are going to get a better deal.’
Dan Evans has turned into a Joe Wicks-type figure for the British contingent as they try to get through the quarantine.
Doubles team Ken and Neal Skupski revealed that Evans has been leading online yoga classes as they pass the hours in isolated hotel rooms around Melbourne.
Hotel corridors are being patrolled 24 hours a day to make sure that there is no fraternising between players, not even brothers who play together.
Grateful for small mercies, they are at least not among the 72 players and 100-plus coaches and officials denied even the fivehour daily supervised escape.
‘Dan has become our yoga teacher, we can all join in and his girlfriend is on it as well,’ said Ken. ‘We can’t see each other so you’ve got to do what you can.’
The brothers were given an abrupt reminder of how strict things are when they attempted to do a quick racket exchange after their bags arrived three days late. ‘When we travel we always have a mix of each other’s rackets in our bags so if someone’s is delayed they still have some to play with. We are in rooms next door to each other so we tried to open the doors to do a racket swap but were told to go back inside. People are patrolling the corridors all the time.’