3 minute read

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley says players have responded well to the latest setback to their preparations for the year's first grand-slam tournament.

The latest blow to Australian Open preparations has been well received by players, according to Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley.

While Open organisers were initially lashed by some players who were put into 14 days hard lockdown after passengers on their charter flight tested positive to COVID-19, Tiley said it was a different response this time around.

Action in the six lead-in tournaments at Melbourne Park was put on hold for the day while some 160 players and their 347 support staff - 507 in total - were told to isolate and get tested after a worker at the hotel they quarantined at tested positive on Wednesday.

That includes former Open champion Stan Wawrinka, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas as well as Australian veteran Matt Ebden.

Players who weren't at the infected hotel are able to continue training as normal.

"The players have been remarkable," Tiley said, confirming the warm-up events were set to resume Friday on the condition of negative tests.

"They've been 14 days in quarantine, some of them longer, and it took them a while to get used to that as we all know with their comments.

"But the majority have been fantastic ... when we made the calls last night and this morning they completely accepted it and have all gone and got tested.

"They've been very appreciative of the opportunity to play and I had a number of calls late last night and also this morning from them confirming that we want this to happen and we will do whatever."

American champion turned commentator Jim Courier is among those requiring testing and told The Tennis Channel he was concerned by the timing of the quarantine worker's positive test.

"It has been a wild and woolly couple of weeks down here already with one player testing positive, as we know, and several other people testing positive," Courier said.

"What is really interesting and somewhat troublesome is that this hotel worker tested positive after we had all left and over a week since the last person within our group had tested positive for COVID.

"That is a long transmission period which gives me great concern.

"The next 24 hours are going to be really important for us all who stayed at the Hyatt ... we will hope for the best."

Courier said players had been told if they were negative, they would be able to resume training and playing as normal.