Organisers hope the anxious buildup will be forgotten when the action begins.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
Australian captain Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon visited Wingello, a town of about 500 people in hard-hit New South Wales, on Wednesday, days after it was devastated by the flames.
The French Tennis Federation, in a surprise move, switched the claycourt Grand Slam tournament to Sept. 20-Oct. 4 from its May start due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The new Roland Garros dates clashed with the Sept. 25-27 Laver Cup. The tournament will now be held from Sept. 24-26 in 2021.
Former world number one Venus Williams produced a vintage display to outclass Netherlands' Arantxa Rus in straight sets and storm into the second round of the Yarra Valley Classic.
No complaints but quarantine differentials were a mistake: Zverev
Organisers have been criticised by players attempting to make the main draw of the season opening Grand Slam for continuing to play matches despite the poor air quality from bushfires.
As Grand Slam governing bodies ponder over the perfect blueprint of future events amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Australian world number 40 Nick Kyrgios has said he does not want to play in a major in the absence of crowd. The tennis season was suspended in March due to the pandemic and the shutdown will continue at least until mid-July with countries closing borders and going into lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
The ITF, in a statement on the Davis Cup website (www.daviscup.com), said, 'By virtue of its decision not to send a team to compete against India, Australia has forfeited the tie. India is declared the winner.'
Australia will not send its Davis Cup team to India for next month's tie because of security concerns, Tennis Australia said on Saturday, knowing the country could now face a year-long ban and substantial fine.TA had appealed against the International Tennis Federation's decision to keep the May 8-10 Asia/Oceania group I tie in Chennai, citing security concerns.The ITF on Friday, however, rejected the appeal and upheld the decision of the Davis Cup committee.
Captain Virat Kohli enjoyed his time off by catching the action at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday along with wife Anushka.
Players in the men's draw at the Australian Open will be allowed 10-minute breaks during matches as part of an updated extreme heat policy at the year's first Grand Slam.
Australian Open organisers have moved to prevent match-fixing by hiring a security consultancy firm.
Kyrgios pledges to donate $50 per ace for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico
Serena Williams, who had come into the first Grand Slam since in Auckland claiming her first title since becoming a mother, suffered an error-strewn 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 defeat by China's Wang Qiang in the third round at the Australian Open on Friday.
Wimbledon was scrapped for the first time since World War Two on Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the suspension of professional tennis extended to July 13. The 38-year-old Federer is well insulated from the shutdown's financial fallout it could well impact his hopes of adding to his record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles.
Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt and his wife Bec Cartwright had a baby daughter on Tuesday.
Australian bad boy Bernard Tomic has shrugged off his Miami arrest and banishment from the Davis Cup team to successfully defend his ATP title in Bogota.
Australian Bernard Tomic's appeal to overturn a fine for not playing to "required professional standards" at Wimbledon earlier this month has been denied in a stinging rebuke by the Grand Slam board.
Rising talent Nick Kyrgios has confirmed his split with coach Simon Rea to spend more time at his Canberra home, the Australian teenager said on Saturday.
Australia Davis Cup captain Hewitt says threatened by Tomic
The 24-year-old started brightly by taking the first set off the 19th seed on Monday but his lack of match fitness told as, despite frequent treatment from the trainer, he lost the next three to bow out at the first hurdle in a third straight grand slam.
'We've said every year that we're the 'happy slam'. But now we're saying we're the 'very safe and happy slam'.'
The claycourt Grand Slam at Roland Garros would now take place from Sept. 20-Oct. 4, dates that clash with several other events. With players already counting the cost of the tennis shutdown, the decision did not go down well.
Australia's tennis association has added two full-time investigators to its integrity unit and promised greater prize money at lower-tier events in a bid to thwart betting-related corruption.
The world knows Virat Kohli as a prolific cricketer but for AB de Villiers, he is a friend, who has interests beyond cricket and is spiritual at one level.
The Australian Open in Melbourne marks the commencement of the Grand Slam season in tennis. It has certain unique characteristics.
Tomic dropped from Davis Cup after blast at officials.
Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios have been told their behaviour must improve or they could find themselves on the sidelines rather than centre court at the Rio Olympics, according to the Australian team's chef de mission.
Bernard Tomic will play at next week's French Open despite his off-court troubles if only to keep some momentum going for the grasscourt season ahead, Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge said on Wednesday.
Bernard Tomic's father and coach John is due to appear in a Madrid court later on Monday after he attacked one of his son's coaching team on a street in the Spanish capital at the weekend, local police sources said.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has defended giving Roger Federer 'prime time' treatment at the year's first Grand Slam, saying it was a matter of meeting fans and broadcasters' demands for the 'box office' athlete.
Hewitt, the 2001 champion, received his wildcard via a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, which will grant an American a wild card into next year's Australian Open, and was among 16 players who received wildcard entries.
Organisers of the world's biggest tournaments say they will not make the same mistakes as they reopen the sport and seek to keep the players safe.
The Australian Open has hiked total prizemoney by 15 percent to a record A$30 million with an eye on satisfying player demands for a better share of grand slam revenues, Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood told Reuters on Tuesday.
World number two Andy Murray has thrown his support behind Nick Kyrgios amid uncertainty surrounding the under-fire Australian tennis star's participation at the forthcoming Rio Olympics.
Australia's Bernard Tomic thinks he is playing some of the best grasscourt tennis of his career and is in a good place off the court as he heads into the Wimbledon championships main draw for the seventh time.
Laver Cup organisers say the exhibition event will go ahead in September as planned despite the French Open moving to the same dates as the implications of the French Tennis Federation (FFT)'s shock gambit began to reverberate on Wednesday. The September 25-27 Laver Cup, an exhibition event co-created by Roger Federer which has always featured the Swiss great and one of Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.
Tennis Australia has apologised for a 'clerical error' in a media release that said estranged local player Bernard Tomic was playing in a 'Hall of Shame'.
Multiple Grand Slam champions Serena and Venus Williams withdrew from women's doubles competition at the Australian Open on Wednesday before first round action got underway.
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