The return of the tennis world to normal will have lasted less than a week.
After opening its doors to 30,000 fans a day and rediscovering the sound of a raucous Grand Slam tennis tournament, the Australian Open will take place behind closed doors after Saturday’s announcement of a five-day blockade in the state of Victoria.
The decision came in response to a group of new cases of Covid-19 in a region that contained the virus largely and the arrival of new, more contagious variants in Australia. The tournament will continue, effectively in a bubble similar to the French Open last fall, with the goal of bringing the crowds back in time for the women’s semifinals next week.
But the start of the blockade, which started at 11:59 pm local time, was so abrupt that Novak Djokovic’s five-set win over Taylor Fritz had to be stopped in the fourth set. The clock was striking midnight and fans had to be led outside.
“I will not lose words: today it hurts. Victorians know, better than anyone, how deeply, ”said Premier Victoria Daniel Andrews. “But, as we have seen, here in Australia and around the world, we are facing a new type of enemy. A virus that is smarter, faster and more infectious. “