- Updates as the first tennis grand slam of the year begins
- Play at Melbourne Park starts at 11am AEDT
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @mike_hytner
Weather update. This time last year (well, a bit over a year ago, given the delay to the start of this year’s tournament), before Covid was a global concern, all talk was of the catastrophic bush fires raging throughout Australia. Qualifying for the Open had been affected by the poor air quality and there were even suggestions of cancelling the grand slam. Twelve months on, thankfully there are not the same concerns in Victoria (although sadly there are in Western Australia); air quality rates as “moderate” in Melbourne today. The weather too could be classed as moderate – it’s 17C and cloudy and for now at least there’s no need to have a conversation about players wilting in extreme heat.
Here we are then. In the midst of a global pandemic, the first tennis grand slam of the year is about to get under way at Melbourne Park, with some fans in attendance, and with some vague semblance of normality. Incredible really, and a testament to how well Australia has handled Covid-19 so far.
Things won’t be exactly how they usually are, of course, and the buildup to the tournament has been anything but normal – “prison-like conditions” in hotel quarantine, whingeing players, Covid scares, a cancelled day of a full day of tennis, and a lack of proper preparation time for many players have seen to that. Then there’s the distinct absence of a level playing field, given the events of the past year – and recent weeks. Quite how that will impact the tournament remains to be seen.
