The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Djokovic injury worry as fans forced to miss out
The Australian Open will continue without fans for the next five days after Melbourne was placed in a lockdown.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced new “circuitbreaker” restrictions will come in from 11.59pm local time last night following a cluster of 13 coronavirus cases linked to the Holiday Inn hotel at Melbourne Airport.
The tournament had been played in front of a reduced capacity for the opening five days, but it will now continue behind closed doors while the lockdown is in place, with Victorians having been told to stay at home.
Fans were allowed to remain on the grounds for yesterday’s play which saw Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka in action, though have been offered refunds for the evening session which often runs past midnight.
Tournament director Craig Tiley says the players must now enter a tournament bubble, but are happy to keep on playing.
“The players have all been very good about it,” he said in a press conference.
“They understand. They have been through a rigorous programme already.
“One thing they cannot do is go around the city, but that’s expected in the next five days, all of us will be adhering to that.”
Djokovic’s title hopes are in the balance due to a torn stomach muscle.
The world No 1 was leading Taylor Fritz by two sets before suffering an injury to his right side which left him barely able to muster a forehand.
The reigning champion, eight-time winner and overwhelming favourite had looked on the verge of retiring injured with every post-rally grimace as American 27th seed Fritz reeled him in to level the third-round match.
But play was suspended for 10 minutes at 11.30pm while the crowd were told to leave due to the government-imposed lockdown to combat an outbreak of the UK strain of coronavirus in the state.
Djokovic re-emerged to battle through the pain barrier and win 7-6 (1) 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2.
Thiem meanwhile survived a command performance from Nick Kyrgios, coming back from two sets down to win an epic encounter.
Controversial Australian Kyrgios whipped the latenight crowd into a frenzy as he raced ahead but Thiem somehow held himself together to stage a remarkable comeback in a 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 win.
Melbourne’s headline act went through his big hits early on, with a break of serve in the first game, an underarm serve and tweener through the legs in the second, and disputed a net cord in the third.
The single break was sufficient to take the first set, and Kyrgios brought the house down when he clinched the second with an underarm ace.
Earlier unknown Russian Aslan Karatsev caused a major shock when he destroyed eighth seed Diego Schwartzman in straight sets.
The 27-year-old qualifier, ranked 114 in the world and playing at his first grand slam, stunned Argentinian Schwartzman 6-3 6-3 6-3.
Serena Williams says it will be business as usual for her as the Australian Open moves behind closed doors for the next five days.
The 10th seed’s quest for a 24th grand slam title continued as she got past teenager Anastasia Potapova 7-6 (5) 6-2 in a third-round match that was harder than the scoreline suggests.
The Russian was the better player for much of it and will have nightmares over the five double faults she sent down when serving for the first set.
Williams was able to play more freely in the second set as she went on to win her 90th match at the Australian Open, with her first, way back in 1998, coming three years before Potapova was even born.
The 39-year-old is in the last 16 for the 16th time at this tournament, but her tie with Aryna Sabalenka will be in front of an empty stadium after the Victorian government imposed a fiveday lockdown.
Third seed and 2019 champion Naomi Osaka could be Williams’ biggest threat to the title as the Japanese is looking in ominous form.
Osaka overcame a tough start against tricky opponent Ons Jabeur to win 6-3 6-2 to extend a lengthy unbeaten run.
Second seed Simona Halep dispatched Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-3 and French Open champion Iga Swiatek beat Fiona Ferro, and the 11.30pm curfew, 6-4 6-3.
● Andy Murray reached the semi-finals of the ATP Biella Challenger Tour event with a win over Slovenia’s Blaz Rola. Top seed Murray beat Rola 6-4 7-6 (9) to reach the last four in northern Italy after missing out on the Australian Open.