A trio of women's singles stars ensured they remain in
Australian Open 2022 contention after navigating through career-first
encounters in early Day 3 action. Eighth
seed Paula Badosa secured a maiden third round Australian Open berth by ousting
qualifier Martina Trevisan with a 6-0 6-3 victory. The powerful Spaniard, now
on a seven-match winning streak, needed just one hour and 11 minutes to defeat
the talented Italian left-hander. Elina Svitolina lived up to her 15th seeding,
maneuvering past Frenchwoman Harmony Tan who saved a match point before she was
felled by a left calf injury and required a wheelchair to leave Margaret Court
Arena. Awaiting Svitolina in the third
round is two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who maintained
her unbeaten record in the round of 64 at Melbourne Park by sweeping past
Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-1 6-2.
Contrary to my thinking it is not Melbourne always !! Christchurch and Hastings, New Zealand, - Perth,
Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, have hosted the men's
singles event. The event switched cities every year before it settled in 1972
in Melbourne. The event was held at the Kooyong Stadium before moving to
Melbourne Park in 1988. The Australian Open court surface changed once, from
grass courts to hardcourts in 1988. Mats
Wilander was the only player to win the event on both surfaces; twice on grass
and once on hardcourt.
Version
2022 - Australian Open is Grand Slam
tennis tournament now underway at Melbourne Park, from 17 to 30 January 2022. It
is the 110th edition of the Australian Open, the 54th in the Open Era, and the
first Grand Slam of the year. The tournament consists of events for
professional players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Junior and
wheelchair players will compete in singles and doubles tournaments.
It was not always clear that Rafael Nadal would make it back to
the Australian Open this year, but 20 seasons into his illustrious career, he
has developed a knack for blowing past even the most generous expectations. Rafa
is indeed in Melbourne, he has already won
five matches in the new year and for the first time in his career he is at a
grand slam tournament without either of his greatest rivals, Roger Federer and
Novak Djokovic. On Wednesday, Nadal returned to Rod Laver Arena and saw off a
strong performance by Yannick Hanfmann to win 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the third
round of the Australian Open.
My
favourite Novak Djokovic is the defending champion and Naomi Osaka in Women's Singles- Djoko is
not here or rather, came here and was not sent out. Though I am a great fan of Djoko – I feel
justice done and Australian defence has proved impregnable though there was too
much of a drama. Ultimately, this isn’t about one man, even if he is
extraordinarily good at tennis, even if he is entitled to his view, even if he
has been treated miserably and this could all have been prevented with more
clarity earlier. High profile
dissenters, whether a fabulous, successful, athlete, or attendees of a
clandestine work event that looks suspiciously like a jolly-up, erode faith and
the collective effort. Australia identified Djokovic as a standard bearer, an
appealing figure to rally around. If Djokovic eschewed the vaccine as one of
the greatest athletes on the planet, if he wiped the floor with all those
other, vaccinated, tennis players, what message would that send?
Tackling
pandemics is not about the rights of individuals, but a shared common goal. It
needs everybody – or almost all – abiding and heading in the same direction.
Pro-vaccine, understanding of lockdowns, willing to make a collective sacrifice
for the common good.
One
would be foolish to ask – why there was no chaos, no riot, no civil disorder,
no disturbance at all – as proclaimed by the Govt in the Court that the man
against whom they were advancing arguments was capable of formenting trouble
among the unvaccinated masses. Chief
Justice James Allsop made the unanimous decision known. He read his deportation
statement, in cold measured tones, nothing in his voice suggesting a victory
for either side. It needed a legal mind to actually calculate, in real time,
which side had won. So some of the silence may have been simple confusion. Later,
Allsop would steer counsel from making a decision ’on the fly’, a colloquialism
readily understandable to all. If only he’d given the verdict in such layman’s
terms. Appeared on screen and simply shouted: ‘He’s outta here!’ and pointed in
the direction of Tullamarine Airport, like a baseball umpire. At least everyone
would know where they stood.
The
task for Djokovic’s legal team was always immense given the power at Hawke’s
command. They had to prove the minister’s thinking was irrational, unhinged,
that he was found surrounded by empty whisky bottles at the end of the decision-making
process, or was motivated by an irrational grudge against Slavs. Djokovic’s counsel, Nicholas Wood, spoke at
length about the flaws in the minister’s rationale and, at times, made a strong
case.
Finally,
Allsop and his colleagues Justice Anthony Besanko and Justice David O’Callaghan
kept the parameters tight. Given
Djokovic’s opposition to what an overwhelming majority regard as scientific
reason – that vaccines make hugely valuable contributions to the health of
society, and have been largely successful in protecting the wider population
from the worst effects of covid – it was no little irony that much of argument centred on what counsel identified as
the ‘counter-factual’.
It
is by a clear Court verdict – the champion player, Novak Djokovic has been deported from
Australia after his lawyers failed to convince three senior judges of his right
to stay in Melbourne. The Serb, who
arrived at the airport less than three hours following the judges' ruling, left
the country on an Emirates flight from Melbourne to Dubai. There was no way, he could further stay in
Australia after Chief Justice James Allsop, Justice Anthony Besanko and Justice
David O'Callaghan unanimously decided Djokovic did not have grounds to dispute
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's deportation order. Mr Hawke wielded his
discretionary power on Friday afternoon to cancel the world number one's visa
and deport him, despite a court ruling
in his favour, after the government's lawyers argued he'd become an
'icon' for anti-vaxxers.
The
20-time Grand Slam champion said he was 'extremely disappointed' in the outcome
of the case, but that he 'respected' the court's decision and would co-operate
with authorities. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke meanwhile said he 'welcomed'
the court's decision to 'exercise my power to cancel Mr Djokovic's visa in the
public interest'. Chief Justice James
Allsop made clear Djokovic could not launch an official appeal against Mr Hawke's
decision. Djokovic as a result will have to cover the costs of all legal fees
in the case.
Deportation
orders typically come with a three-year ban on returning to Australia, though
it has not yet been decided whether this will be applied in Djokovic's case. Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the cancellation of Djokovic's visa was made
'on health, safety and good order grounds. Australians have made many
sacrifices during this pandemic and they rightly expect the result of those
sacrifices to be protected.'
Away,
Serbia president Aleksandar Vucic, accused Aussie PM Morrison of playing politics ahead
of an upcoming election. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP),
organisers of the men's tennis tour, said in a statement: 'Today's decision to
uphold Djokovic's visa cancellation marks the end of a deeply regrettable
series of events.' It added: 'Irrespective of how this point has been reached,
Novak is one of our sport's greatest champions and his absence from the
Australian Open is a loss for the game.'
The
top player may not be playing but allowing him to play would have been
ethically and legally against those who underwent curfews, lockdowns and are
fully convinced that vaccines have now saved them from many ordeals !
Some social media users took aim at the tennis star himself, declaring
that the world-class athlete should not be exempt from the brutal coronavirus
restrictions to which Australian citizens have been subjected. The Serb was
branded a cheat, a liar and an anti-vaxxer by some who are glad to see him go.
Lucky
Loser Salvatore Caruso from Italy - who
was beaten in the semifinals of a tournament in Bendigo – took Djokovic's spot in the draw.
Confusion
surrounded the vaccination status of the world's No1, but only because
Djokovic, whose anti-vax sentiments are no secret — has always refused to
clarify it. It is also unclear as
to why Australian authorities initially
granted him a medical exemption from their Covid vaccination rules, only for it
to be withdrawn rather dramatically. As
a hero to millions, he should be setting an example, not behaving like a spoilt
baby wrapped up in the kryptonite of sporting privilege. He obviously benefits
from, and has come to expect, the generous dispensations afforded to top
players. But even for him there is a limit. Earlier this month, he swaggered into town,
boasting on Twitter how he had bested the Covid rules and the system. How
damaging that must have been for Australian morale, in a country where a great
many families have had to sacrifice Christmases and birthdays usually spent
with relatives elsewhere in the country or overseas.
We
meet people like Novak all the time; the no-maskers, the anti-lockdown loons,
the mad protesters who believe vaccines are a global Smersh plot to inject them
with mind control nanobots. Fair enough
(not really) if he does not want to be vaccinated, that is his choice. But he
cannot continue to stake his place in the international world of tennis. He
cannot carry on travelling from country to country with impunity, like some
untouchable emperor of sport. You cannot be anti-vax and pro pro-tennis, It is
either or, but not both.
Now
that controversies are over, we can watch the game to see who is freshly
crowned champion at Melbourne 2022.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
19th
Jan 2022.
