Australian (Open) Tennis and COVID-19

[Anna]

So tennis fans, this afternoon I saw Naomi Osaka on the practice court, I would say working on obliques, lats and torso flexibility by catching one of those heavy soccer-size balls and throwing it back, side to side.

Nobody hanging around outside the hotel today, so Rafa's door and curtains were open but I didn't see him (). There seems to be a correlation between his room being closed or open and whether there are journalists hanging around on the other side of the road.

Anyway hopefully we will find out soon what the order of play is for Friday's exhibition

 

[Anna]

Order of play is here Schedule and charity partner announced for A Day at the Drive | Adelaide International Tennis

Afternoon Djokovic v Sinner, S Williams v Osaka and a bonus match featuring Venus playing someone called Begu that I've never heard of before.

Evening Nadal v Thiem, Barty v Halep which is my dream line up for that session

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Serena Williams interview on the topic

Serena spills on ‘insane’ quarantine rules

American superstar Serena Williams has endorsed Australia’s “super strict” COVID-19 protocols as she completes a two-week quarantine in Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open.

www.news.com.au

 

[Anna]

And 2 other players making the best of it as well

Nadal takes veiled swipe at Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine

Rafael Nadal has responded to criticism of his silence in the row over Australian Open quarantine conditions with a veiled swipe at Novak Djokovic

www.theguardian.com

'I am in the lucky group': Johanna Konta reflects on Australian Open quarantine

Johanna Konta says he knows she is one of the lucky ones as the end of her quarantine for the Australian Open comes into sight

www.theguardian.com

Does anyone else think Rafa appears to be holding a colander?

 

[Pushka]

And 2 other players making the best of it as well

Nadal takes veiled swipe at Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine

Rafael Nadal has responded to criticism of his silence in the row over Australian Open quarantine conditions with a veiled swipe at Novak Djokovic

www.theguardian.com

'I am in the lucky group': Johanna Konta reflects on Australian Open quarantine

Johanna Konta says he knows she is one of the lucky ones as the end of her quarantine for the Australian Open comes into sight

www.theguardian.com

Does anyone else think Rafa appears to be holding a colander?

He is! Preparing his tucker I guess

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And 2 other players making the best of it as well

Nadal takes veiled swipe at Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine

Rafael Nadal has responded to criticism of his silence in the row over Australian Open quarantine conditions with a veiled swipe at Novak Djokovic

www.theguardian.com

'I am in the lucky group': Johanna Konta reflects on Australian Open quarantine

Johanna Konta says he knows she is one of the lucky ones as the end of her quarantine for the Australian Open comes into sight

www.theguardian.com

Does anyone else think Rafa appears to be holding a colander?

1270 people come in Australia. The vast majority just like Rafra and Serena get on with things, but a few whinge on Twitter on aspects of the quarantine or hotel etc that they do not like.

The AO group are high profile and so gain a lot of attention, but there is probably little difference to others that one has read comments on about HQ who are not from AO. Most just go through it, but some will complain like they always do.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I guess primarily relevant for those who are denied boarding in foreign country due to pre-departure positive test (let's not get into state border closures) - and then I guess the question is does the lab itself identify "weak positives" to the passenger being tested (and thus could be shedding) or just that given a result that they tested positive. In the case of the AO, AO itself had an interest in working with labs and understanding what was going on, but is anyone going to step in and perform that role for "ordinary" people?

Two NZ weak positives cases are now being investigated.

And yesterday another example of how the process of testing itself will flag week-positives which are then investigated to determine whether hey are genuine new infections, or whether they are just viral shedding and are old infections and the person has recovered and is no longer infectious. And again it is not an instantaneous yes no process, but takes a day or so to discover the answer.

.Just as we have often seen in Australia, including with recent examples at the AO, with weak positive results further testing and analysis is being done to determine whether they are recovered cases now viral shedding, or whether it is indeed a genuine new infection for one or both of these two new cases.





The pair have returned weak positive results and are at home isolating, a ministry spokesman said on Wednesday evening.

“It is yet to be confirmed if they are recent or historical infections,” he said.

“Further urgent testing is being carried out this evening.”

The results of those tests were expected later on Wednesday night, a spokesman said.

The people are asymptomatic and previously returned two negative tests, the ministry spokesman said.

“As a precaution, Public Health staff are checking details with the individuals about their movements since they left managed isolation to identify close and casual contacts if contact tracing is required.”

Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told Radio NZ’s Checkpoint a weak positive result can indicate either the “very start” of an infection, or a historical infection.

“Both of those two things are really, really important, and that’s why further testing is being carried out to confirm that,” she said.

“If it’s a historical case then this is obviously somebody who has had COVID in the past and is not infectious.

“If it’s a weak positive, that is the very start of an infection, then it may well be just at the very start of somebody becoming infectious.”

If the results of urgent testing come back positive, any decisions about changing coronavirus alert levels would depend on how many places the people visited while infectious, Wiles said.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said earlier on Wednesday 255 guests of the Pullman had tested negative, and more tests were pending.

‘Urgent testing’ under way in NZ after more post-quarantine cases found​

The New Zealand Ministry of Health is carrying out “urgent testing” after two more people tested positive for COVID-19 after leaving hotel quarantine.

www.smh.com.au

 

[jase05]

Order of play is here Schedule and charity partner announced for A Day at the Drive | Adelaide International Tennis

Afternoon Djokovic v Sinner, S Williams v Osaka and a bonus match featuring Venus playing someone called Begu that I've never heard of before.

Evening Nadal v Thiem, Barty v Halep which is my dream line up for that session

Very happy to get 2 corporate seats for the evening session

 

[Pushka]

Typical jerk. After putting up with his antics in SA, only in SA because he was going to play in the Demo today, he has just pulled out.

 

[Lynda2475]

That Tennys guy was whinging again this morning as he is not being let out of HQ until midnight tonight - send him home I say, he was lucky to be allowed in at all since he tested positive.

 

[dajop]

Typical jerk. After putting up with his antics in SA, only in SA because he was going to play in the Demo today, he has just pulled out.

Now there's a surprise

 

[Pushka]

Now there's a surprise

Now here is a surprise. He has just bobbed up and played the second set. And all over in a heartbeat. Sigh.

 

[SydneySwan]

Who are we talking about here? Who is He?

 

[RooFlyer]

The AO group are high profile and so gain a lot of attention, but there is probably little difference to others that one has read comments on about HQ who are not from AO. Most just go through it, but some will complain like they always do.

They'd be a lot less high profile if many of them weren't such total whackers, so to speak.

Who are we talking about here? Who is He?

One, Mr Djokovik who has just pulled out of a tournament he undertook to play in. "Blisters on his hands" according to one report I read. After quarantine? No, I won't go there. (Although ... did he show up in the end??),

Two. Mr Sandgren - he who was allowed into the country despite a positive covid test, something not available to ordinary travellers - well, judge for yourself:

US tennis star mocks Tennis Australia as he's forced to spend an extra day in quarantine

With just over a week left before the Australian Open, hundreds of players are being released from hotel quarantine. But not everyone is allowed out just yet.

www.abc.net.au

Three Ms Badola
Badosa, ranked 67 in the world, was the first player to test positive for the virus upon arrival in Australia ahead of the tournament and cannot leave her hotel room until January 31.

But if she is found to have been infected with the new strain of coronavirus, Badosa will only return to training on February 5, which the Spaniard believes will be too late to regain her fitness.

She railed against her treatment in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca on Monday and said conditions in her hotel were “lamentable” and the entire period was the worst in her career.

Four, a marginal effort by Mr Tomic's partner (this is an image, not a link):

 

[VPS]

Four, a marginal effort by Mr Tomic's partner:

View attachment 239510

Wasn't it Tomic's girlfriend that said she had to wash her own hair and she was used to getting it washed by someone else twice a week - WTF

 

[Pushka]

Who are we talking about here? Who is He?

Djokovic. But he managed to put his big boy pants on and play the second set. Seriously, like that makes up for it? He must have got told.

 

[Pushka]

So on the TV today we saw Djokovic hugging the locals, having multiple selfies etc with absolutely no social distancing. Ok, so he's just been released from quarantine but what on earth are people, and Djokovic thinking here? Social distancing gone awol. yet we still have to stand on our dots and have to limit numbers in stores, but hey, let's hug a tennis star.

 

[jase05]

So on the TV today we saw Djokovic hugging the locals, having multiple selfies etc with absolutely no social distancing. Ok, so he's just been released from e quarantine but what on earth are people, and Djokovic thinking here? Social distancing gone awol. yet we still have to stand on our dots and have to limit numbers in stores, but hey, let's hug a tennis star.

My young nephew got a hug from Serena today.
At tonight’s match both Rafa and Thiem were having up close photos with ball boys and umpires

 

[Pushka]

My young nephew got a hug from Serena today.
At tonight’s match both Rafa and Thiem were having up close photos with ball boys and umpires

Well that's nice but totally against what we mortals are being told to do, every single day.

 

[jase05]

Well that's nice but totally against what we mortals are being told to do, every single day.

When we arrived tonight you had to have a mask on until you get in your seats but no SD in the line up whatsoever. Crowd are packed in like sardines with very few spare seats. Even the corporate area where we are is packed and politicians are sitting inches apart.
It just reflects what I see daily in Adelaide and many cant be bothered with QR code’s anymore either