Evans: No hangover from Cup
DAN CAN DELIVER Nadal insists Djokovic is in a mess of his own making , but row turns into diplomatic incident
DAN EVANS is ready to make another run at the Australian Open despite Great Britain going out of the ATP Cup.
World No.25 Evans (above), who reached the fourth round in Melbourne in 2017, said: “I’m pretty comfortable in Australia. It’s similar to England, great place, feel, yeah... I feel at home here.”
The British No.2 completed a hat-trick of Group C singles matches by toppling American giant John Isner 6-4 7-6.
But Cameron Norrie – who caught Covid last month – went down 7-6 3-6 6-1 to Taylor Fritz.
Unbeaten Evans and Jamie Murray combined to beat Isner and Fritz 6-7 7-5 10-8 to seal a 2-1 win over the USA.
Liam Broady’s team then needed Germany to beat Canada in the final group match to reach the semi-finals – but the Canadians triumphed 2-1.
Broady said: “The boys did us proud. It was fantastic, obviously.
“Evo lit it up on the singles and the doubles court again.”
RAFA NADAL believes Novak Djokovic is in a mess of his own making because “he knew the conditions months ago”.
World No.1 Djokovic is set to be confined in a quarantine hotel in Melbourne by the Australian government until a Monday court hearing after his visa was revoked upon his arrival Down Under.
Reports in Australia claim that the Australian Border Force refuse to accept previously contracting Covid during the past six months as a valid reason not to be vaccinated – unlike the two panels of doctors who initially granted the exemption.
Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic yesterday said that Djokovic was the victim of “political persecution”, while his family staged an extraordinary press conference in Belgrade to attack Australia.
Lawyers for the nine-time Australian Open champion are also seeking to move him to private accommodation with a tennis court to allow him to train before the tournament starts on January 17.
If permitted to play, Djokovic would be seeking to break the injunction to stop his immediate deportation.
The nine-time champion had his visa cancelled on arrival in a dispute over his medical exemption to play the Australian Open without a Covid vaccine.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) dismissed male record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles that he shares with Nadal and Roger Federer.
And, although world No.6 Nadal admitted he felt “sorry” for his great rival, the Spaniard added: “At the same time, he knew the conditions a lot of months ago, so he made his own decision.
“I believe in what the people who know about medicine say and if the people say that we need
THE Park Hotel in Carlton where Novak Djokovic is detained is “for immigrants, full of fleas with horrible food”, his mother Dijana has claimed.
The world No.1 has rented a luxury apartment in central Melbourne to stay during the first
Grand Slam of the season.
But the Serbian superstar is being forced to stay in the downmarket hotel which is also used as a detention centre for refugees and asylum seekers.
Unvaccinated people who arrive in Australia also quarantine for 14 days in the government-designated facility at their own expense. natural immunity as a valid reason not to take the jab, with Djokovic having had the virus in the last six months.
The affair has caused a diplomatic row between Serbia and Australia. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said Djokovic, who to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine. That’s my point of view. I went through Covid. I have been vaccinated twice. If you do this, you don’t have any problem to play here. That’s clear.
“There are rules and, if you don’t want to get the vaccine, then you can have some troubles.
“After a lot of people had been dying for two years, my feeling is the vaccine is the only way to stop this pandemic.”
Djokovic has won his last 21 matches in Melbourne, stretching back to 2018, but he faces his biggest challenge on Monday.
His troubles will not end even if he is allowed to remain Down Under, with tournaments in the USA and Europe considering making vaccinations mandatory.
Jabs were not compulsory at Wimbledon in 2021 and the All England Club will follow government guidance for entry requirements into the UK later this year.
American world No.96 Tennys Sandgren, who is missing the Australian Open because he is not vaccinated, said: “It’s all wild.
“We’ll see more this year, honestly. Because the French Open and Wimbledon might be in a similar boat as far as requiring a vaccine to get in to play.” will spend Orthodox Christmas today alone in the hotel, was the victim of “political persecution”. Srdjan claimed his son was being “held captive”, adding: “Jesus was crucified on the cross, but he is still alive among us. They are trying to crucify and belittle Novak and throw him to his knees. This has nothing to do with sports, this is a political agenda.”
Australian PM Scott Morrison (left) suggested that Djokovic’s Instagram post about getting the medical exemption had drawn him to the attention of the ABF.