Djokovic back in training after winning appeal to stay in Australia
- Novak Djokovic was back in training hours after winning a court challenge to remain in Australia yesterday, thanking the judge who released him from immigration detention and saying he remained focused on trying to win a record 21st tennis major. The f
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) dismayed some Australians enduring a surge in cases, and fuelled domestic political point-scoring.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he was considering using his discretionary power to revoke Djokovic’s visa again. That could mean a three-year ban on re-entering.
“The minister is currently considering the matter and the process remains ongoing,” the spokesman said.
Spain’s Rafa Nadal, who is tied on 20 majors with Djokovic and Switzerland’s Roger Federer, called the fraught build-up to the tournament a “circus”.
“Justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to participate in the Australian Open and I think it is the fairest decision,” Nadal told the Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 17. Djokovic has won the tournament, one of tennis’ four Grand Slams, for the last three years and nine times in all.
Czech player Renata Voracova, whose visa was also cancelled, told Reuters she welcomed the decision to let him stay: “Hopefully he can play. Because that is what we went there for: to play tennis and not be part of any inside games.”
Former American player turned pundit Pam Shriver warned on Twitter the controversy may not be over: “If he plays the booing will be deafening.”
Judge Kelly said he had quashed the decision to block Djokovic’s entry because the player had not been given enough time to respond to it.
Officials at Melbourne’s airport, where Djokovic had been detained late on Wednesday, reneged on an agreement to give him until 8:30 a.m. to speak to Tennis Australia and lawyers, Kelly said.
The player, who has long opposed mandatory vaccination, told border officials he was unvaccinated and had had COVID-19 twice, according to a transcript of the interview.
MEDICAL EXEMPTION
Kelly told the court it appeared Djokovic had received the medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination on the basis that he had contracted the virus last month, and had presented evidence of the infection before travelling and on arrival.
“What more could this man have done?” he said.
Kelly’s ruling did not directly address the issue of whether the exemption on the grounds of an infection in the past six months was valid, which the government had disputed.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has said his organisation had spoken with federal and state officials for months to ensure the safe passage of players. Tennis Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.
The authorities’ efforts to let the media and public follow events in court at times descended into farce, with pranksters
WELLINGTON, (Reuters) - New Zealand skipper Tom Latham smashed 252 before Trent Boult and Tim Southee wrecked Bangladesh with the ball to put the hosts on course for a series-levelling victory on day two of the second and final test in Christchurch yesterday.
Smarting from their shock defeat in the series opener at Mount Maunganui, world test champions New Zealand racked up 521-6 before declaring their first innings at the Hagley Oval.
Boult (5-43) and Southee (3-28) then combined to help bundle Bangladesh out for 126 to claim a massive lead of 395.
Boult also became the fourth New Zealand bowler — after Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Southee — to claim 300 test wickets.
“As a team, we’re not about the milestones etcetera but it definitely does feel great to join an elusive club,” Boult told the official broadcasters.
“Pretty good conditions, a little bit of swing, and I thought we used the bounce and pace that was on offer at this beautiful ground quite nicely.”
Devon Conway, who was unbeaten on 99 on Sunday, hit the first ball of the day for a boundary to score his third century in his fifth test. Conway was run out for 109 having featured in a 215-run stand with Latham.
Resuming on his overnight score of 186, Latham brought up his 200 with a cover-driven four off Taskin Ahmed and went on to become only the second New Zealand player, after Stephen Fleming, to possess two 250-plus scores. hijacking internet links to stream loud music and porn.
Though news of the ruling was greeted with drums and dancing by around 50 supporters outside the court, public opinion in Australia, where more than 90% of the adult population is double vaccinated, has been largely against the player. Melbourne has experienced the world’s longest cumulative lockdown.
Australia has registered more than half a million cases in the past week.
The captain clobbered his Bangladesh counterpart Mominul Haque for two sixes in three balls but was dismissed going for a third. He hit 34 boundaries in his more than nine-hour vigil.
Ross Taylor, playing his last test, made 28 and Tom Blundell smashed a breezy unbeaten 57 before Latham declared.
When they returned, Boult and Southee reduced Bangladesh to 11-4 inside seven overs with Latham taking two catches in the slip.
Bangladesh slumped to 27-5 when Liton Das fell to Boult before Yasir Ali (55) and Nurul Hasan (41) resisted with a 60-run partnership.