Aus Open

2023 - 1 - 16

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Novak Djokovic Returns to the Australian Open, No Longer a Villain (The New York Times)

Djokovic's deportation was major news in January 2022, but a year later, the Grand Slam tournament, country and sport seem eager to move on.

“Personally, it was a very difficult period, but I was more concerned about our team and staff who were impacted indirectly and in some cases directly impacted by some of the extreme negativity and blame game that went on. What has changed is the Park Hotel, long used as a detention facility for asylum seekers, some of whom had been confined there for nine years in often spartan conditions, sparking protests from human rights groups in Australia. Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director and chief executive of Tennis Australia, has remained in his post along with his core support team. In an interview last week with Australia’s Channel Nine network, Djokovic said he understood the anger of Australians after he was initially cleared to enter the country. There clearly was miscommunication, or perhaps rivalry, between the regional government of Victoria, which initially supported the visa, and the federal government, which canceled it. When Djokovic arrived in January 2022, the population was still reeling from the series of strict lockdowns and travel restrictions that had kept some family members separated. “So I understand that when media writes in a certain way about a guy who tried to go in without a vaccine that people would say: ‘Wait, wait a second. Djokovic won the first of his 21 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2008 — beating then-No. “If I do hold the grudge, probably if I’m not able to move on, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I was very emotional, honestly, coming into the court with the reception that I received,” Djokovic said Saturday. Only 30 percent clearly supported his participation, and another 29 percent said they did not have a strong opinion on the matter. “I didn’t know how that’s going to go after the events of last year.

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Image courtesy of "New Zealand Herald"

Tennis: 'Concern mounting' Novak Djokovic may quit Australian ... (New Zealand Herald)

Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open champion, has been battling a hamstring injury he suffered during the Adelaide International a week ago. While the 35-year ...

No 2 seed Casper Ruud opens against Tomas Machac, while three-time major champion Andy Murray takes on Matteo Berrettini. Hopefully it won’t cause an issue for me then.” Djokovic is scheduled to make his return to action at the Australian Open on Tuesday night after he was banned from the country a year ago because he was not vaccinated against Covid-19. “Thank you for stopping by. “I’ve been struggling with [the hamstring] a bit, to be honest, the last seven days,” Djokovic said on Saturday. Novak Djokovic has sparked concerns that he could be forced to withdraw from the Australian Open after a scheduled practice session was reportedly cancelled.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Russian and Belarusian flags banned at Australian Open after ... (ABC News)

A Russian flag hanging behind fans during a match between Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on court 14 on day one of the Australian ...

Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. On the same day the ban was announced, a Russian flag was held up by fans in the stands at John Cain Arena during the match between Russian Andrey Rublev and Austria's Dominic Thiem. The red, white and blue stripes of the Russian flag were visible in the crowd during the first-round match between Kateryna Baindl and Kamilla Rakhimova on day one of the tennis major.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Russian flags banned at Australian Open following criticism from ... (The Guardian)

Move comes after fan displays Russian flag during Kamilla Rakhimova's first-round match against Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl on Monday.

Russian and Belarusian players were banned from taking part in last year’s Wimbledon tournament as global sporting sanctions were brought against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis.” Fans had initially been allowed to show their support for players from both countries, but not in a way that “could cause disruption”, according to Tennis Australia (TA).

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Image courtesy of "ESPN"

Australian Open bans Russian, Belarusian flags after 'incident' (ESPN)

Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags at the Australian Open after a Russian flag was hung behind Court 14 during the first-round match ...

"I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its "neutral flag" policy." I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its "neutral flag" policy.— Vasyl Myroshnychenko (@AmbVasyl) "I barely say 'hi' to them. The red, white and blue-striped Russian flag was hung on a fence behind Court 14 on Monday afternoon at Melbourne Park. "Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open," Tennis Australia said in a statement Tuesday. "The ban is effective immediately.

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Image courtesy of "1 News"

'I'll be back' vows shattered Kyrgios after Aus Open heartbreak (1 News)

The tennis star was ruled out of his home slam yesterday as he requires knee surgery.

It was mainly driven by me, but I have their support and we feel like we're making the right decision. "I have a close-knit team and we had a very good system going," he said. "Like, I'm dealing with my problems and this was something that I was just dealing with as well as managing expectation, trying to get my body right, trying to feel good about my game.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Australian Open bans Russian and Belarusian flags from tournament (BBC News)

Organisers announced the flags would be banned, effective immediately, after a courtside incident.

It's been enabled and supported by Belarus." The WTA said equal opportunities for players to compete as individuals had to be protected. Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned from the Australian Open tennis tournament after a courtside incident.

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Image courtesy of "ATP Tour"

Outdoor Play Suspended At Australian Open Due To Extreme Heat ... (ATP Tour)

Play has been suspended on the outside courts at the Australian Open Tuesday afternoon when the AO Heat Stress Scale reached 5.

Once that decision is made, players will be given at least 30 minutes’ notice before play resumes. Outdoor matches will be called at 4:50 p.m. Play continued until the end of an even number of games or the completion of a tie-break.

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Image courtesy of "Stuff.co.nz"

Extreme heat in Melbourne stops play at Australian Open (Stuff.co.nz)

Aussie player complains as umpire calls Australian Open match off because too hot. Players have been forced off the outer courts at the Australian Open due to ...

* Wolf took the opening set 6-3.

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Image courtesy of "RNZ"

Aussie Open bans flags (RNZ)

Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned from the Melbourne Park precinct during the Australian Open after a complaint from the Ukraine ambassador to ...

"The ban is effective immediately. I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its “neutral flag” policy.— Vasyl Myroshnychenko (@AmbVasyl) Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside.

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Image courtesy of "ATP Tour"

Nadal Outlasts Draper To Begin Australian Open Title Defence | ATP ... (ATP Tour)

Rafael Nadal comes through a challenging opening test against Jack Draper in Rod Laver Arena at the 2023 Australian Open.

[Australian Open](https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/australian-open/580/overview) title (2009, 2022). With defeat to Nadal, the Briton fell to 0-2 against top seeds at the Slams, having lost to [Novak Djokovic](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/novak-djokovic/d643/overview) at 2021 [Wimbledon](https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview) in his major debut. His best major result is a third-round run at the 2022 The Spaniard delivered in the crucial moments of a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against 21-year-old debutante [Jack Draper](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jack-draper/d0co/overview) to reach the Melbourne second round for the 17th time. The pair's first ATP Head2Head matchup was briefly interrupted by rain at several moments early on, and the action on the court seemed to match that stop-start pattern as both men took turns dictating from the baseline. He is young, he has the power and I think he has a great future in front [of him]. In an all-lefty matchup, Nadal clinched sets one and three with decisive, late breaks to make up for what was nearly a 6-0 second set for Draper. "I played against one of the toughest opponents possible in the first round, being seeded. But Nadal rattled off the final six games as Draper's physical issues hampered him more and more. The last couple of months haven’t been easy for me, but hopefully this victory is going to help me." I’m very excited about this new beginning, just super happy to be back here in I’m super happy to be back here in Australia one more time," Nadal said in his on-court interview.

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