Sandgren on flight, despite positive test
MELBOURNE: American Tennys Sandgren has been allowed on a chartered flight to Melbourne for the Australian Open, despite recently testing positive for coronavirus.
Sandgren tested positive to Covid19 on Monday, after originally testing positive in late November, and was initially barred from the flight containing international players from Los Angeles.
However, the world No 50 was then allowed to join the delayed flight, calling Australian Open boss Craig Tiley a ‘‘wizard’’.
Sandgren (29) tweeted he was not contagious.
‘‘My two tests were less than eight weeks apart. I was sick in November, totally healthy now.
‘‘There’s not a single documented case where I would be contagious at this point. Totally recovered!’’ Sandgren said.
A quarterfinalist at Melbourne Park in 2018 and 2020, Sandgren was supported by Tennis Australia, which said it followed Victorian government guidelines in allowing him on to the flight.
‘‘Some people who have recovered from Covid19 and who are noninfectious can continue to shed the virus for several months,’’ TA tweeted.
‘‘Victorian Government public health experts assess each case based on additional detailed medical records to ensure they are not infectious before checking in to the charter flights.’’
TA said Sandgren, like all of the 1200strong international contingent, would be tested every day at their three hotels during the 14day quarantine period.
The first players arrived in Melbourne overnight, while megastars including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem are on a separate charter that will fly direct to Adelaide.
They will quarantine in a hotel there before an exhibition event at Memorial Drive on January 29 in the South Australian capital, featuring eight of the world’s top players.
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty is still to be confirmed as a starter. Her management said she was ‘‘hoping to participate’’.
Halep’s Australian coach Darren Cahill tweeted he had undergone Covid19 testing and was set to join the world No 2 in hotel quarantine, where each player is allowed one support person. — AAP