WHAT a mess the Australian Open is shaping to be.
Is it even worth having this year, such is the malaise it is causing.
It beggars belief that the nation’s biggest tennis tournament could become such a shambles even before a serve is hit.
It is quite understandable COVID-19 makes planning hard, but it shouldn’t be THIS hard – for anyone.
The players aren’t liking hotel quarantine? Neither did the majority of the thousands of others who had to go through it.
Who is paying for the quarantine and is there government help? These are things you’d reckon would be signed off on and agreed first, rather than have it play out in the media.
We’ve just watched a full international cricket series go ahead. Despite some murmuring of discontent from visiting India, on the whole things worked.
Tennis is a different kettle of fish with international players coming from a wider variety of countries – and separately rather than in a team bubble – so of course there are a lot of logistical issues.
So why are we still trying to hold it?
It is sad to see tournaments like the Mildura Grand Tennis International not be able to be run, of course, and it would be a shame to not have the Australian Open in 2021.
But it wouldn’t be the end of the world – and wouldn’t be this much of a debacle, which is going to leave a bad taste in the mouth in regards to tennis at the highest level in this country for a while to come.
