Two test positive on Australian Open plane

MELBOURNE: A host of tennis players were barred from practising for a fortnight on Saturday in a major setback to their Australian Open preparations after two people on a charter flight that brought them to Melbourne tested positive to Covid-19.

While those who failed the test were not players, all remaining passengers were ordered to stay in their hotel rooms for the entire 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

That means the 24 players on board will not be allowed out to practise and train for the five hours each day agreed to as part of their build-up to the opening Grand Slam of the year.

According to local media, former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens and Japan’s Kei Nishikori were among those on the plane, which departed from Los Angeles. The positive tests came from a member of the flight crew and reportedly a coach.

“The aircrew member and the passenger have been interviewed and transferred to a health hotel as per normal processes for positive cases,” Covid-19 Victoria, the government body helping coordinate Tennis Australia’s quarantine arrangements, said in a statement. “All remaining 66 passengers on the flight have been determined to be close contacts. Any players and support people will not be able to leave quarantine to attend training.”

Tournament organiser Craig Tiley said: “We are communicating with everyone on this flight, and particularly the playing group whose conditions have now changed, to ensure their needs are being catered to as much as possible, and that they are fully appraised of the situation.”